From community support to culinary apprentice
Kerry Cain, Tarrangower Times
Many readers would know Janet Mullholland from her five years managing the IGA Supermarket in Maldon or from Porcupine Village, where she is in the second year of a Commercial Cookery – Level 3 apprenticeship at the Golden Nugget Restaurant.
What many people wouldn’t know about Janet, who is a long-standing local, is that she has worked tirelessly for the community. Janet and her husband Marty have supported every fundraiser and street stall for the preschool, primary school, footy club, netball club, scouts, CFA, and CERT, and surely this writer has missed some. In summary, they have given their time whenever and wherever needed. What makes this amazing is that they did all this while raising seven children and 10 plus foster children and, later on, helping care for 11 grandchildren. It makes the [Tarrangower] Times exhausted just writing this!
Janet has always loved cooking and was determined to gain an apprenticeship as a chef when she completed year 12 many years ago. Unfortunately, as determined as she was, the world was different. It was a male-dominated field, making it almost impossible to compete.
Sonya, the Head Chef at the Golden Nugget Restaurant, added that she had 42 rejected attempts before gaining her apprenticeship many years ago.
Janet worked in her family’s retail furniture business before marrying Marty and starting her family. Throughout the years, Janet has remained drawn to food preparation. After a stint at her brother’s bakery in Wesley Hill, she gained a casual position at Golden Nugget Restaurant.
Janet said that she realised this might be her chance to fulfil her dream of becoming a Chef, so she approached Deborah and Doug, the managers of Porcupine Village and Head Chef Sonya, to see if a mature-aged apprenticeship was possible. They were all overjoyed, along with Frank, the owner of Porcupine Village, who was also over the moon to have Janet on board.
At 60, Janet began her three-year mature-aged apprenticeship and couldn’t be happier. She is in her second year. Although she completes much of her trade school work online, she will attend TAFE in Bendigo one day each week this year. Under Sonya’s guidance at the restaurant, the third and final year will be more hands-on.
“This is something just for me,” Janet said. I love working here, and my fellow workers are all firm friends. Doug, Deborah and Frank are great to work for. They are strongly family-focused and flexible with their staff’s family commitments.”
This article appeared in the Tarrangower Times, 22 March 2024.
