Goldfields Getaway
30 March, 2021
Meet Maryborough Highland Society's award winning chef
Jenna Townsend is head chef at the Maryborough Highland Society. She was presented with a prestigious award at a recent Victorian Clubs function that has recognised her incredible planning preparation and management skills. Pumping out upwards of...
Jenna Townsend is head chef at the Maryborough Highland Society. She was presented with a prestigious award at a recent Victorian Clubs function that has recognised her incredible planning preparation and management skills.
Pumping out upwards of 400 meals on a busy night, we take a behind the scenes look into the kitchen.
How long have you been head chef at the Maryborough Highland Society? Over three years.
Where does your passion for food come from?
My childhood and a love for making people happy.
What keeps you inspired?
My management team and their support, our customers and the large age gaps, so trying to offer
a large range and people are wanting more for their money. I’m trying to add different things to the menu often but still trying to stay true to the classics with a modern spin.
What’s it like in the kitchen when you have a full house of diners waiting to eat, and having the sports bar orders coming in on the side as well?
It’s a strange feeling of ‘calm before the storm’. We are super organised, yet functions can change last minute. The sports bar can be pumping at the same time as the function, which makes things really hectic and busy. People often forget we are just one kitchen pumping out over 400 meals.
What do you love most about your job?
Quality of work and life balance. I have a fantastic management team who understand me and know
what I need. I love that we really are here for the community and seeing our regulars day after day is
quite humbling.
Do you have any kitchen rules? How do you manage your staff in the kitchen?
Make your time count, even if it’s a two-hour shift – make it count. Work smart and hard. Management of staff is totally tricky, every person has a different way of learning. So I try to treat everyone as equals – even myself! As in we are here to do it together.
What are your favourite dishes on the current menu?
The Katsu curry and sticky smoked lamb ribs.
You received the top award for Head Chef in the state at the Community Clubs Victoria Awards in
May. What does this mean to you?
It means the world to me, such a humbling experience and one I don’t take lightly. It came at the
perfect time of my career. I’ve been in the hospitality industry for 16 years and nothing in my career
compares to that moment.
How old are you and where do you see your future?
Thirty-one. I always see hospitality in my future as it’s a career that is always changing. Especially in this town where getting staff is extremely hard.