Name: Andrei Rotar

Position: Head Chef @ The Heke Kitchen / Distillery / Brewery

The Heke presents a seasonal Autumn menu this month

Tell us a little bit about yourself, your background and how/why you became a chef?

I was born in Alba Iulia, a small town in Romania, shortly after the revolution. During my childhood, every festival was accompanied by a feast, as we grew a variety of vegetables and raised pigs and chickens. My grandfather built his house on a small plot of land that we farmed, and we even made our own wine, sausages, dry cured hams, and preserves to last us through the winter. In hindsight, it was an incredible experience to have such a close connection with the full cycle of food production from a young age. Perhaps this is where my passion for food stems from – the joy of people coming together to eat and celebrate.

While attending university, I landed a job as a kitchen porter (KP) at Floriditas, which I held for two years. Although it was not the most glamorous job, it paved the way for my career in the culinary world. The KP role at The Hippopotamus was particularly challenging, with mountains of dishes to clean and prep work to complete. However, I had the opportunity to participate in a Wellington on a Plate event, which was a lot of fun. I fell in love with the fast-paced kitchen environment and the desire to continually improve and produce better food each day. Ultimately, my goal is to ensure that people have a fantastic dining experience.

Tell us a bit about the style of food you create and your inspirations.

During my time at university, I studied critical design, which has had a significant impact on my approach to food. I believe in designing for a specific time and place, taking into account the setting and context. Food cultures are constantly evolving, as I witnessed during my first visit to Vietnam, where fast food chains had proliferated in just a few years. The culinary landscape is a mix of old and new, with everyone enjoying classic dishes like fried chicken and burgers. At The Heke, we strive to offer affordable and delicious food that can keep up with the pace of service. Our menu changes every 3 to 4 months, but we always keep the classics like burgers and fried chicken. When creating a new menu, I like to draw inspiration from different cultures and regions, and mix and match ingredients to create unique and exciting dishes. For our current menu, we've combined elements from Asia and South/Central America, and for the next one, we're focusing on Middle Eastern vibes. Overall, my love for food and different cultures has been the driving force behind my creative process, as I strive to blend the old with the new and create a memorable dining experience.

Tell us about anything special or innovations you’ve done recently.

At The Heke, we've recently imported two really big American BBQ smokers, which have opened up a world of culinary possibilities. It's been an exciting project to explore the potential of these smokers and develop new dishes. Additionally, our distillery is almost complete, and I'm thrilled to have a small kitchen there to experiment with interesting ideas that pair well with our whiskeys, beers, and spirits. My goal is to create a menu that seamlessly blends with our drinks, which is no small feat, as anyone who has tried food and alcohol pairing knows. However, I'm up for the challenge, and I'm excited to develop new and innovative food and drink combinations that will tantalize our customers' taste buds.

What challenges do you see for the industry in the future?

Staffing has been a challenge for us, especially since COVID-19. We've also had to deal with supply chain issues, with some items being unavailable or in limited quantities. We've been advertising for chefs for months, but we've only received a few applications. Fortunately, we were able to hire some talented individuals from overseas to work at The Heke. However, finding passionate and talented people in the hospitality industry has become increasingly difficult, and this can negatively impact the business's ability to meet demands.

Moreover, the rising cost of wages and food has made it challenging to provide customers with the same quality of service at the same prices. We've had to be creative in using underutilized produce and ensuring that our chefs are trained to put out high-quality food that reflects our price point while still satisfying our customers. Inflation is currently around 7-8%, and supermarket prices have also reflected this, with a 25% increase in the cost of free-range chicken over the past few years. However, customers may not be prepared for similar price increases in the restaurant industry, which could hurt the number of customers who come out to eat.

Going forward, we believe that this model would work best. We'll have to continue to manage and train our staff to ensure that we provide high-quality food and service that satisfies our customers while reflecting our prices. It will be a challenge to manage the rising cost of goods and staffing shortages, but we're confident that we can continue to provide our customers with the best possible dining experience.

What advice would you give to someone just beginning their hospitality journey?

Work, work, work! As a chef, it's important to be a sponge and soak up all the knowledge you can. Ask questions and learn from others. One of the great things about this profession is that there are many ways to achieve the same result. For example, even just making herb oils, I've been taught 3 to 4 different methods. The best way depends on how you plan to use it.

Cleaning is also a crucial aspect of the job. Keeping your station clean should be a top priority. Remember, cooking is only half of the job, the other half is cleaning. Don't be afraid to scrub hard and put in the effort. When you're starting out, crazy hours and hard work are to be expected. I began my journey as a dishwasher and worked my way up. It was tough, and I missed out on a lot of social events, but my passion for hospitality made it all worthwhile. If you're not passionate about this line of work, it will be a difficult road.

Being a chef is not easy, but it is incredibly rewarding. Keep pushing yourself to be better each day, and don't dwell on mistakes from the past. Tomorrow is a new opportunity to improve and succeed.

Tell us about some of your career highlights/achievements.

I had the privilege of working under the guidance of Toby Stuart and Georgia Van Prehn, who both had a significant impact on my career. Toby taught me what it truly means to be a chef - setting high standards while offering unwavering support and taking the time to answer even the most seemingly trivial questions. He pushed me to realize my full potential and to see what I am truly capable of achieving.

Georgia, on the other hand, had a unique perspective on food. She had a talent for creating incredible combinations and elevating simple ingredients to new heights. Her beetroot dishes were especially noteworthy - every time I tasted them, I was amazed by how she could transform such a humble ingredient into something truly remarkable. Working with both Toby and Georgia has been a career highlight for me, and I owe much of my success to their guidance and mentorship.

What are some of your goals for the future?

Who wouldn't want a hat? That would be a big goal for my future. More simply is ensuring my staff are happy, because without them I have no future goals that are achievable. Having a good relationship with them and utilising strengths people have. Constantly trying to improve this aspect. When a kitchen is running well there is almost an effervescent feeling in the air, the jokes, smiles, laughter but at the same time delivering a high quality service, this is a continuous goal. If this is achieved everything else will fall into place. So maybe not so much a goal for the future but a constant goal.

Anything else you’d like to add?

My primary view as a chef is that we are the enablers, the enablers for people to have fun and be fed.

This works in three aspects, front of house, the bar and the kitchen.

When you have all these aspects working together seamlessly, you will have happy people, and that's all I want, happy people!