Chef Jodie McAuley

Published on : 11/9/21
  • When Jodie McAuley was in Chef School, her tutor told her people were either poachers, hunters or gatherers. She went on to explain that poachers take the success others have made for themselves, gatherers wait for success to come to them, but hunters chase down their success.

    Although Jodie would be the last to admit it, she is a hunter through and through. 

    Sixteen when she graduated high school in New Zealand, Jodie went straight into culinary school and was a qualified chef at eighteen. By the age of 22, she was Head Chef at her local pub. 

    Wanting to change things up, Jodie made the courageous decision to move Australia by herself aged just 24. Two weeks after her arrival, she landed her first ever FIFO (Fly-In, Fly-Out) job as a line chef. 

    “I jumped in and never looked back,” Jodie said. 

    Jodie spent five years in Karratha where she moved up the ranks rapidly to Sous-Chef. She loved the work but craved a working environment which was more supportive, providing her with even more opportunity for growth. 

    “I decided to move on, took a step down to line chef and jumped on board with Sodexo. It has been the best decision I have made personally, for my career and for my growth,” Jodie said. 

    “I like putting the effort in and letting my work show.”

    Jodie’s drive and hard work was quickly recognised in Sodexo and within a year she was back up to Sous-Chef. Three years later, she was promoted again to Head Chef of her site.  

    “My biggest change has happened in the last three months. Just to get out from where I was, to now have my own kitchen and a family environment so that we can get places as a team,” Jodie said.

    Sodexo is proudly one of the largest and most diverse chef teams in Australia, leading the charge in food research and innovation. But it’s the work of chefs like Jodie who enable the consistent quality of service across Sodexo’s more than 300 sites each day.

    Promoting family as a driving force within her team, Jodie has said that the welcoming environment of the Sodexo kitchen is the perfect place to share knowledge and grow as a chef and a person. 

    “You have to back yourself because what is the worst that could happen, you learn something out of it? It may not be the worst thing,” Jodie said. 

     

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