Profile

Following his apprenticeship he worked in various restaurants and hotels, Mainly in large banqueting in Stuttgart and Frankfurt and in 1965 Bernd traveled to Australia where his first role was to be Chef Saucier and subsequently Sous Chef at the famous Commercial Travelers Club in Melbourne. Over a number of years between 1966 and 1968 he was employed at the Lido Restaurant and Cabaret in Melbourne as a chef saucier and sous chef and then in 1967 in the La Casa de Manana Hotel and Restaurant as sous chef and chef de cuisine. His first step forward to owning his own business was in 1969 when he purchased, managed and built the reputation of the famous name of the Black Rose Restaurant.

Following that success he moved in 1974 to Nathania Springs Restaurant as the restaurateur and owner and was to equal his initial success as an entrepreneurial chef. But something told Bernd that his real career challenge was yet to come and in 1975 Bernd was to find his real calling in life by joining William Angliss College of Catering and Food Studies Melbourne, (Now William Angliss Institute) as a commercial cookery Instructor.

In 1980 he was seconded to Whitehorse Technical College, Box Hill as a commercial cookery teacher and Acting Head of Department and in 1982 was transferred transfer to Box Hill Institute of TAFE as a foundation member of Food and Beverage Studies Department which was to become known as one of the best technical training institute in commercial cookery in Victoria.

During a 20-year career in chef education, Bernd was to build a well-earned solid reputation as a chef Instructor who standards and expectations of students were not only industry respected but also his classroom demands laid the foundation for hundreds of careers of budding chefs. Ever ready to give his own time to training, or in honorary capacities as a cookery competitions judge Australia wide, Bernd is renowned and highly respected by the cookery fraternity for his ability as a culinary arts judge as seen by his judging contributions below.

His Academic Achievements include:

• Landesberufsfachschule fuer das Hotel und Gaststaettengewerbe Bad Ueberkingen Honours
• Trained Trade Instructor Certificate Hawthorn Teacher College 1977
• Diploma of Technical Teaching H.T.C. 1981
• Certificate of Catering – William Angliss College 1984

Memberships, awards and achievements:

• Verband der Koeche Deutschlands E.V.
• Australasian Guild of Professional Cooks Ltd. Master Member
• Australian Culinary Federation – Victoria
• Les Toques Blanches Victoria
• Academie Culinaire de France Australie
• Member of the Organising Committee for Australian national selection Bocuse D’Or for Lyon 2005
• Member of the organising committee for The Culinary Pro-Am – Melbourne 2004
• Member of the organising Committee for Les Toques Blanches Award for Excellence competitions 2001 – 2004
• A member of the support team, Culinary Olympics Germany 1988 and 1992
• Board member of management committee organising the “Individual Cooking Championship” 1998 conducted at World Congress of Cooks in Melbourne

Honorary judging input include: 

• Australian Salon Culinaire for over 20 years
• Work Skills Australia
• Apprentice of the Year for over 20 years
• Spotless Culinary Competition for over 10 years
• Stamford Culinary Competition.
• Darel Cox Culinary Competition for 17 years
• International Chief Judge Salon Culinaire Wellington NZ.
• Accredited judge Toques Blanches VIC
• Accredited judge Academie Culinaire de France Australia.
• Assisted in training and preparation of navy chefs and apprentices for Frankfurt Culinary Olympics.
• Culinary Judge at the Melbourne Culinary Challenge 2002 and 2004
• International Judge Gulfood, Dubai February. 2003
• International Judge Culinary Art, Colombo, Sri Lanka 2003