With the hospitality industry in Australia suffering from a severe shortage of talent, the Hill-Smith family's Tranche Scholarship recognises some of the brightest and best in the industry.
Lily Lapper, restaurant manager of Merivale’s Sydney venue Mr Wong and Sam Bray, head chef at Manky Sally’s, the Hobart taphouse of Moo Brew, were this week named the winners of the scholarships.
Over 130 applications were received from many sectors of the wine and hospitality industries, with seven finalists interviewed.
The Tranche panel was so impressed by the calibre of finalists, it was decided to award two scholarships.
Lapper (right) was previously restaurant manager at two-hatted Laura on the Mornington Peninsula and has also worked at the Carlton Wine Room.
Her scholarship-funded trip will focus on further developing her leadership skills, visiting businesses that have a strong reputation for prioritising their team's wellbeing and hospitality tenure, while maintaining a profitable business.
Regular readers of Gourmet on the Road will be familiar with Bray (below), who has staged at world-renowned Noma, and worked in some high-profile kitchens before putting down roots in Tasmania.
After originally working at MONA, he now head chef at Manky Sally’s in Hobart, which is on a path to becoming a zero-waste kitchen.
Bray recently undertook the WSET Level 2 as well as an applied science certificate at the University of Tasmania to build his knowledge on fermentation to upcycle by-products from the hospitality, wine and brewing industries.
He plans to visit pioneering zero waste and sustainably-minded restaurants and volunteer at not-for-profit ‘Food for Soul’ founded by Massimo Bottura.
“Lily and Sam are impressive and inspiring," says Tranche chair Michael Hill-Smith.
"Both these emerging leaders have a keen sense of how they can improve the status quo in terms of work conditions and sustainability within the restaurant sector.”
The annual scholarship of $15,000 is awarded to emerging leaders in the Australian wine and hospitality industries to enable them to expand their horizons.
It's truly heartening to see the Tranche Scholarship recognizing and supporting outstanding talent in the hospitality industry, especially at a time when it faces such significant challenges. Lily Lapper and Sam Bray's commitment to improving work conditions and sustainability in their respective roles is inspiring. This scholarship not only benefits them, but also contributes to the industry's growth and innovation, much like how a dedicated nursing assignment writer can bring positive change to the field of healthcare.
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