Vicki's story

Vicki Young - Chef

Graduate - New Zealand Certificate in Baking (Generalist) and New Zealand Diploma in Hospitality Management

"I still use the connections I made at WelTec to this day"

Learn more about Vicki

A woman of many passions, Vicki studied criminology, law and worked as a music teacher before she found her passion for hospitality.

Vicki's journey at WelTec started in 2017 when she studied a New Zealand Certificate in Baking. Realising her passion, Vicki went on to study both cookery and hospitality management to advance and diversify her skills.

Vicki studied under the guidance of her tutor Robert Bok, who to this day, continues to be her mentor and friend. She loved learning all of his tips and tricks, like how to roll out pastry by putting your body weight on it – in fact she still refers to her WelTec notes to this day.

For Vicki, one of the best things about studying at WelTec was the industry experience. She helped run a café on campus, learned how to make chocolate from bean to bar at Baron Hasselhof’s in Berhamphore, and assisted Auckland pastry chef and culinary olympian Ganesh Khedekar with his chocolate showpiece during the Chocolate Festival, which led her to gaining work experience in Auckland with him at Giapo and Logan Brown - all thanks to her connections through WelTec.

Vicki loves being a chef because no two days are the same. From creating private dinners at Government House to working the line at Jano Bistro, Vicki is learning and developing her skills with each shift. What she loves the most is interacting with customers who love her food. Never one to rest, she also runs her own side hustle making cakes. 

Her advice for aspiring chefs is to use your time in the kitchen to make mistakes. “Every failure is an opportunity to do better next time.”

Study Hospitality at WelTec

Level up your cooking skills, master complex baking techniques, or prepare yourself for hospitality work with our Hospitality, Cookery and Baking programmes. Whether you're just starting out, or wanting to advance your skills, we've got a qualification for you.  

Find out more about our Hospitality, Cookery and Baking programmes here.