New Zealand's first MICHELIN Guide has put a new global spotlight on the country's food and beverage scene, but at Wellington restaurant Logan Brown, co-owner Steve Logan says creating a memorable dining experience has always been about more than what's on the plate.
It's also about people.
From the welcome at the door to understanding what kind of service each guest needs, Steve says front-of-house staff play an important part in making visitors feel cared for. And for many years, some of the people he has trusted with that responsibility have been tertiary students.
Logan Brown has recruited staff through Student Job Search for many years, giving students the opportunity to earn while developing skills in one of New Zealand’s best-known restaurants. Steve says the intelligence, enthusiasm, and communication skills that students bring to the role helps them excel.
"As a premium restaurant, our guests have high expectations. The people we employ have to be carefully chosen for their potential, because we have to give them a lot of training."
When it comes to providing the type of experience worthy of a Michelin Star, the front of house staff have a crucial role to play.
"It doesn't matter how good the food on the plate is if it's not delivered accurately, or you don't get a good welcome on arrival. We want people to feel like they're in the right place, we care, and they're going to be looked after. If that's not done well, everything tastes bad," Steve says.
"That's where you need intelligent, good communicators who can read people, read their body language, and understand the type of service they need - not just be a robot. Obviously, what's on the plate or in the glass has to be excellent too, but it all goes hand-in-hand."
Students who begin in the front of house are well placed to step into other roles when the opportunity arises.
"At both Logan Brown and our other restaurant Liberty, we have marketing students who were hired as waiters but are also helping with our digital marketing.
"It's really handy because they're so passionate and they buy into our philosophy and values, but they also get to do what they're studying. It's a benefit for us and we're helping them on their journey towards graduating as well."
Marketing student Amber Rangitutia Platten and Logan Borwn co-owner Steve Logan
Those students also become part of the Logan Brown whānau.
"That's one of the most gratifying things about my job. For 30 years at Logan Brown and for many years before that at other businesses and restaurants, I've been employing students and they become part of your family for their journey, the two or three years they're with you.
"Then you see them growing up, they leave and you keep in touch and see them get amazing jobs everywhere. Especially kids who are studying away from home, when they're down here, they come to work for us and there's a family there and we help them grow up because we demand so much in terms of work ethic, professionalism, communication, and teamwork.
"I remember one woman applying for a job at a big law firm. They opened up her CV and saw she worked for Logan Brown for three years, and it helped her get the job. They knew what it takes to work here and that it must mean she has skills that will be good for them and their business."
For Steve, employing students has never been just about filling shifts. Over the years, he has watched them develop the professionalism, communication and teamwork that serve them well long after they leave the restaurant.
As New Zealand’s food and beverage scene steps onto a bigger international stage, nurturing that next generation of talent will be an important part of delivering the warm, memorable experiences visitors associate with Aotearoa.
For tourism and hospitality businesses, hiring students offers an opportunity to bring capable, adaptable people into their teams today, while helping build the skills and experience that will strengthen the sector tomorrow.