Keerthi Hapugasdeniya
TV - cooking show
Channel 31 “Culinary Corner” twice weekly
Airline correspondent
Food Companion – Quarterly magazine, Australia and Asia.
Restaurant and Food review
Serendib News – Monthly Australia-wide magazine.
Current Clients
Virgin Blue / Pacific Blue - Menu planing, Product sourcing, Presentation and Quality assurance
In-flight Logistic Services (AUS and NZ)- Menu planing, Product sourcing, Presentation and Quality assurance
Alpha Flight Services - Contract negotiation, Menu planing, Product sourcing, Presentation and Quality assurance
Eynsbury Golf Club - Concept development, Food and Beverage outlet set up, maintain and manage operation including staffing.
Various Airlines at short term contracts - Menu planing and Product sourcing
Short term - Product development and marketing – for many small businesses in Victoria
Australian Culinary Federation.
National Business Manager – 2001 to 2004
Demonstrate and promote the value of the ACF to
its current members and prospective suppliers. Manage
the business portfolio and budget control. Build
relationship with new clients.
Manage Junior Australian Culinary team to Food Asia held in Singapore and won Gold Medal for Australia in 2002.
The Australian
Celebrity chef - Australian bush food promotion - Sri Lanka
Australian chef - Spice Festival - Sri Lanka
Team Member - Australian National Pastry team Culinary Olympics
Team member trainer - Golden Hours Shoe team Canada - Culinary World Cup
Culinary Corner - TV Chef - Australia - Melbourne and Brisbane
Team Manager Commonwealth Game food festival Australian food corner
Australian menu designer - Malaysian Airlines
Culinary Olympic - Gold, Silver Bronze
Team Manager - Junior Challenge Food Asia - won Gold Medal
Appeared in Great 100 chefs in Australia cook book
International Culinary Competitions.
2006 – Culinary World Cup. Competed in the Canadian, Toronto Golden Horseshoe regional team, and won 5 Gold medals, 4 silver medals and at the culinary world cup held in Luxemburg (EXPOGAST).
Team Coordinator – Culinary Olympics 2004 Sri Lankan culinary team (first time in Sri Lankan history) won 5 Gold, one Super Gold and two Silver medals.
Ansett Australia
Catering Assurance Manager Australia (1996 -2001)
Ansett Australia In-flight Services Department responsible for total in-flight product design and control. Key Member responsible for all Australian main catering ports (owned by Gate Gourmet from late 1999).
Key Accountabilities:
Menu development, Menu planning, procurement of products and meal presentations. Communicate Food and Beverage Policies both internally and externally. Control of food costs, quality of product, kitchen audits, implementation of Food Standards manuals, managing catering for external airlines, charter flights and corporate functions.
Key Supplier relation product development Chef for In-flight Services Department . Implement national training programmes for both intra-company and external caterers.
Key Achievements:
Source new supplier contracts & negotiation in conjunction with Sales and Marketing department. Winning awards and medals for Ansett and Australia in international events such as - IFCA, Culinary Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Food Asia – Singapore and National Culinary and hospitality events
National Co-ordinating Chef (1994-1996)
Menu planning & development -full planning & presentation of new menus to International & Domestic airlines. Procurement of products nationally. Communicate International & Domestic food and beverage policies with other departments, catering operators, kitchens, customer airlines, media and customers.
Control – Food cost, quality of the products and kitchen audits, conduct and control of standards of manuals. Organising catering for other airlines and charter flights. Represent National Executive Chef.
Key Achievements:
Implement process with significant ($M) reduction in budget, without compromising the quality of food presented to guests. Support sales and marketing in negotiations with major customers to be successful in gaining new contracts (promoting the values of food provided and acceptance of concepts)
Key member of development team on the award winning ‘Business First’ concept for Ansett Australia (awarded the world’s best business class in-flight services for 4 consecutive years)Specialist Airline Chef (1989-1994)
Brief Overview of Position: Chef in charge for International Airlines at the Catering unit provide catering for Ansett International, Ansett Australia, United Airlines, Britannia Airways, Vietnam Airlines, Kendall Airlines.
Key Accountabilities:
Maintained high quality product, Control costs, Conduct staff training, Meet deadlines on all catering requirements.
Key Achievements:
Work on target, reduced overtime and produced maximum work requirements of production staff. Represent the catering centre in National and International Cooking Competitions and win Awards.
- Hotels around the world
- Melbourne, Zurich, Colombo
- Cook - Chef (1983 - 1989)
- Five star hotels and restaurants Australia, Switzerland and Sri Lanka.
- Melbourne - Regent Hotel - Chef De partie.
- Zurich - Bahnoff Buffet - Chef De partie.
- Colombo - Hilton International Colombo -Demi Chef de partie.
- Colombo - Inter-Continental Hotel - Commis Cook and trainee, Restaurant and bar waiter.
Education
Kangan Batman Campus
Essendon, Victoria. 2002
Diploma in Business Management
Essendon
Victoria
AustraliaSwiss Hotel Association
Zurich, CH. 1988
Certificate in Cookery
Zurich
SwitzerlandClaremont Hotel School
Colombo, SL. 1983
Diploma in Catering and Hotel Management
Colombo
Sri Lanka
Professional Affiliations:
Airlines
Hotels
Food manufacturers
Caterers
Hospitality
Establishments
Keyword Summary
Key Professional and Technical Competencies
International Executive Chef / Catering and Business Management.
Negotiation Skills, Leading Skills, Relationship Building Skills.
Career Highlights
- Culinary Judge National and International
- Culinary competition trainer / advisor. (only this bit – have removed the rest)
- Represent Australia at Culinary Olympics 2000 in Germany and won individual one Gold, One Silver, One bronze
- Team leader Manager to represent Australia at Commonwealth Games International Food Festival Malaysia 1998
- Vice Caption Australian National Team and represent at food Asia 2000 Singapore and won Bronze Medal.
- Culinary awards National and International - Chef of the year, Super gold medals, Gold Medals, Silver medals, Bronze Medals, Best student hotel school
Creative and New Project
Golden Wing Restaurants
After the collapse of Ansett Australia airline the new creation restaurant open called Golden Wing Restaurant. This new venue created for Ansett airline and aviation related customers to come and meet the others or refresh memories with memorabilia’s of past Ansett. Project was more airline themed food outlet with three class servings: first, business and economy areas. Creation was well accepted by the media and public and appeared on National TV and Radio many time.
Sri Lanka Week 2009
Organise and manage first Sri Lanka week festival in Melbourne Australia. (www.srilankaweek.com.au) To showcase Sri Lanka's economy, culture, fashion and trade opportunities.
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