Iris Banyard is completing her EFZ chef apprenticeship at Weisse Arena Hospitality AG and is in her first year of training. She is currently working at the Camino restaurant, where she is responsible for breakfast service. There, she is gaining valuable hands-on experience in the day-to-day operations of the kitchen.
profile
Age: 18 years old
Place of residence: Rheinau / Casa Prima apprentice dorm, Laax
Hobbies: Swimming, crocheting, and volleyball
From a young age, Iris loved both cooking and the mountains. Since there are several chefs in her family, she grew up around cooking and enjoyed spending time in the kitchen from an early age. Over time, this interest turned into a great passion, so it was clear to her early on that she wanted to train to become a chef.
The mountains, too, had always held a special place in Iris’s heart. Although her mother preferred to go to the beach during vacations, Iris always looked forward to her ski vacations the most. Because of this, she knew early on that she wanted to complete her training in the mountains.
She came across the apprentice profiles on the Weisse Arena Group’s website. This gave her an initial glimpse into the company and the training program. It piqued her interest, so she applied for a trial apprenticeship. She enjoyed the trial so much that she applied for the apprenticeship right away afterward.
Varied travel with the Weisse Arena Group
Insight into everyday working life
Iris's day begins early in the morning. The first thing she does is turn on the lights and get the kitchen ready for breakfast service. As soon as all the appliances are turned on, she starts preparing the hot breakfast dishes.
“First, I prepare the bacon, cipollata, and scrambled eggs and keep everything warm. Then I set out the cold dishes, such as yogurt, cheese, fruit salad, and various cold-cut platters. Finally, I arrange the breakfast buffet nicely so that our first guests can start their day with a fresh and varied breakfast,” says Iris.
During breakfast service, Iris makes sure the buffet is well-stocked and attractively presented at all times. If a guest orders something extra, such as a fried egg, she prepares it fresh.
After breakfast, everyone helps clean up together. Iris then takes her lunch break at 11:00 a.m., before the lunch service begins. During the service, she assists the kitchen team in preparing salads and helps plate the meals.
After the lunch service, Iris continues working until about 3:30 p.m. During this time, she prepares the mise en place for the next day’s breakfast, does some cleaning, and begins making initial preparations for the evening service.
Once all her tasks are completed, her workday is over and she can enjoy her evening off.
What Iris Loves About Her Job—and What's Challenging
“Cooking is my favorite thing to do, but I also really like the team. You’re always meeting new coworkers who bring their experiences from other restaurants or countries. Since many of them only work here during the winter season, you hear fascinating stories and can learn a lot from them at the same time,” Iris says with a smile.
“The most challenging part is when we suddenly get a lot more guests than expected. Then we might not have prepared enough mise en place, and everything has to happen very quickly. It gets stressful in those moments, but that’s exactly what I like about it. For me, the stress is part of the job, and I’d rather be busy than have nothing to do,” says Iris.
Vocational School in Sameden
Iris attends school in Samedan, where she takes block classes.
“I think it’s super cool because I can focus completely on my classes while I’m at school and on my work while I’m at work. Of course, even when I’m working at the company, I sometimes have to study after work, since we cover an entire semester’s worth of material in four weeks,” Iris explains.
Three things that...
Three things that are always there—my coworkers, my three dogs, and myself
Three places I love to be —in the mountains, in Taiwan, and in Cornwall
Three things that help me relax—baking, crocheting, and listening to the audiobook *The Famous Five*
Did you know?
The Weisse Arena Group in Laax trains apprentices in various exciting professional fields every year. Find out more about our training opportunities and become part of a unique team at the largest employer in the Surselva region.
