Chef Alec Bjorke-Nielsen
“The sense of family at Sodexo and team dynamics working FIFO is beyond anything I could have ever imagined"
Alec Bjorke-Nielsen has all the right ingredients for a fly-in, fly-out sous-chef at Gudai-Darri (Koodaideri) Construction Village in Western Australia.
He’s a team-player, hard-worker, dynamic, loyal and loves to cook to California Love by Dr Dre and Tupac in the kitchen!
Born and raised in Perth, Alec is half Norwegian and half German. He started out as a utility/kitchenhand washing dishes for eight months at a local beachside restaurant.
His strong work ethic and potential shone through. As the restaurant got busier, he was given more responsibility preparing salads, oysters and entrees. Four months later, Alec was offered an apprenticeship.
Straight after graduating in Commercial Cookery from North Metropolitan TAFE in Joondalup, WA he was promoted to sous chef in the same restaurant he started at as a utility/kitchenhand.
Alec is a loyal employee and worked at the beachside restaurant for six years before joining Sodexo as a fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) chef. “I squeeze as much as I can into the day. When I finish my tasks, I ask the head chef/manager what I can do to make their day easier. I’m proactive and like to secure upper positions in the business before looking elsewhere. If I stay at a place for a certain period of time, it’s because I love it - I love what they do,” said Alec.
Having no commitments in Perth and with the support of his family, Alec arrived at Gudai-Darri (Koodaideri) Construction Village in 2018 as a FIFO line chef with the intention to soar through the ranks. Through hard work and the ability to meet any challenge, he was promoted to sous chef two months later.
Working closely and transparently with the head chef, Alec and his fellow chefs serve world-class food with exceptional presentation to 1100-1200 residents every day which is remarkable by anyone’s standards.
“I want to support the team and create a positive environment. With the opening of the new state-of-the-art flagship kitchen at Gudai-Darri (Koodaideri) Construction Village, I would like it to be the benchmark kitchen and training ground for chefs to gain more experience.”
“The sense of family at Sodexo and team dynamics working FIFO is beyond anything I could have ever imagined – I have a sentimental hold to this village and the people that I work with,” said Alec.
While we may or may not agree with Alec’s taste in music, it’s clear that FIFO has given him a new taste for life, and he is reaping the rewards every day.
Want to join us to be part of the team?