Harata Neera’s Friday night job washing dishes has springboarded her into a cookery apprenticeship at Pacifica, one of Hawke’s Bay’s
most highly-rated restaurants.

From Bay View, Harata has always loved cooking traditional roasts and other family fare – “particularly with my Nan and Dad”.
As a student at Napier Girls’ High School, she worked part-time at Pacifica, on Napier’s Marine Parade. Co-owned by husband and
wife team Jeremy and Rebecca Rameka, the restaurant is well-known for its creative cuisine and a wine list that promotes the
best of Hawke’s Bay.

Pacifica is a frequent winner of Best Restaurant and Best Chef in the Hawke’s Bay Hospitality Awards and has been runner-up in
Cuisine magazine’s Restaurant of the Year.

Executive Chef Jeremy and Maitre d‘ Rebecca recognised Harata’s potential and offered her a full-time position last December.

“It was a stepping stone from school,” says Harata, who has already shown she has what it takes in winning the New Zealand
King Salmon College Challenge at last year’s Salon Culinaire – New Zealand’s premiere culinary and service industry competition.

She turned down her prize, a scholarship to attend the Auckland Hotel and Chefs Training School, to stay at Pacifica and take up an
apprenticeship offered through the Eastern Institute of Technology.

EIT was recently appointed Regional Modern Apprenticeship Coordinator for the East Coast region. In charge of the restructured
scheme, EIT Chef Tutor Grant McHenry says it is largely based on workplace assessments, so he will be regularly calling into the
restaurant to evaluate Harata’s progress in the kitchen.

Gaining a Modern Apprenticeship qualification usually takes three years – 18 months for Level 3 and the same for Level 4 –
although the programme is flexible and can be contracted or extended to suit.