ITI Articles

For the third year in a row, New Zealand Management Academies (NZMA) has scooped the top training award at the New Zealand Culinary Fare. The provider was recently presented with the Training Excellence Award 2005 at the prestigious event, further cementing its reputation as one of the country’s leading hospitality training schools.

The win capped off a host of outstanding results for NZMA students (pictured right) and the organisation itself. They took home many of the top awards from the annual event, which was held at the Logan Campbell Centre from August 21 – 23 2005.

Billed as the nation’s premier hospitality competition, the Fare included 66 different competitions covering both the kitchen and restaurant sides of the hospitality industry. Competition was tough, with more than 1000 top chefs, sommeliers, waiters, baristas and hospitality students performing live in front of 140 judges and an audience of thousands.

Students from NZMA’s hospitality certificate and diploma courses came away with a huge medal haul, including eight gold medals, 27 silver and 25 bronze medals as well as six Best in Class awards.

To top it off, NZMA Diploma in Hospitality Management student Mary-Jane Ngaeruaiti was named the New Zealand Junior Food & Beverage Service Person of the Year 2005. The win is particularly well deserved – Mary-Jane was awarded second place in the same event last year and has spent the past 12 months working hard to gain the leading edge. She follows in the footsteps of former NZMA student Sai Sunil Amani, who took home last year’s title.

NZMA Managing Director Tim Cullinane was thrilled with the results. “We can be very proud of these achievements, which are the result of a lot of very hard work by all those involved,” he said.

“They are another step toward achieving NZMA’s vision – To be a leader in New Zealand education by making a meaningful difference to the lives of our students and their communities.”