Abstract of Graham HAWKES, 2024
Item — Box: 40
Identifier: H02580002
Abstract
H0258 GRAHAM HAWKES
Interviewer: Rebecca Amundsen
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 22 July 2016
TRACK One
00.00 Interview identification. Linda, Current Manager of the Grand Hotel is also present at the interview.
00.25 No memories of coming to the GRAND HOTEL as a child. GRANDFATHER made and iced the cake for the CENTENARY of the hotel, and self was on a float when the QUEEN ELIZABETH II was here in 1954.
00.45.1 As a youth, self knocked on the door of the manager’s office once a week looking for a job. At the time was employed in a grocer’s shop. Trainees seldom employed, but JOYCE MERTZ introduced self to the chef, and 8 July 1968, commenced apprenticeship. Chef was NICK KOOY.
01.50 Staff included BART VAN VOODENVELDT, MARGARET AUSTEN, MRS MCMURDO, whose daughter was a maître de at the Kelvin Hotel. Mrs McMurdo ran the kitchen. COLIN HARPER was the backdoor porter and ran the boilers.
03.00 Describes kitchen layout. Included a DUMB WAITER.
04.55 WAGES paid on the number of people working in the kitchen – larger the number of people, the more hourly pay. Starting pay for self was $12 per week. Eight people in the kitchen. Chef, Assistant Chef, Second Cook, Second Cook Baker, Third Cook, Fourth Cook, Apprentice, and Kitchen Hands.
06.15 Self was lucky – started at the bottom by scrubbing pots, cleaning out freezers, cleaning fryers. Didn’t have to do the lowest tasks very long. New apprentice arrived after twelve months.
07.15 Self know he had done well when chef would take him aside and worked with him. If chef was not pleased, would chastise and sometimes sink the boot in. Self would sometimes wonder at harsh responses from the Head Chef.
08.30 Head Chef Nick made all the decisions. Manageress would hold the keys to the STOREROOM, and goods were requisitioned each day.
09.00 Chef wrote out the MENUS in a book with carbon copy. Two starters, two entrees, four mains, four or five desserts. Set price and menu. $1.80 per head for dinner, $1.20 for lunch.
09.40 Chef also worked out the rosters, did the ordering.
10.00 Content of the menus changed on a daily basis. Describes
10.45 Learning process simpler – the more you did, the more you learned. Did what was needed to be done as training done. Self attended OTAGO POLYTECHNIC in latter years of six year apprenticeship – found it easier than other course attendees, as already had practical experience.
12.15 Became a FOURTH COOK within first year. No change in wages, until UNION intervened after strike threatened.
13.00 Not much interaction with guests at the hotel, although did interact with AIR NEW ZEALAND CREWS early in the morning at breakfast.
14.00 Staff would play tricks by shifting guests’ shoes waiting outside their rooms from one floor to another.
14.50 Started apprenticeship at age sixteen.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.12 Mr and Mrs Mertz ‘adopted’ self as first apprentice. They dined in the dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Describes. Commanded respect from everyone and great to work for.
01.15 Hotel very FAMILY ORIENTATED BUSINESS. Staff members ate together for breakfast in staff dining room – everyone sat within their level of seniority. Describes. Staff dining room was behind the kitchen.
03.40 INVERCARGILL LICENSING TRUST BOARD members – Fred Miller dined the most, O J Henderson, but all board members dined there. Grand had reputation of finest dining in town.
04.50 TRAINEE DINNERS started by the Mertz’s. Dinner cooked for the ILT Board, after practicing with the Mertz’s. Trainee dinner became a very popular annual event.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 Senior trainee chef took over the kitchen with other trainees for the day for annual trainee dinner.
00.50 CHRISTMAS DAY huge. Lunch and dinner for 90 to 100 guests. Describes menu.
02.20 TRAINEE CHEFS moved around different restaurants in latter years. Three months in another establishment. Two kitchens at the KELVIN.
03.15 Chefs mostly male, although AVENAL and ELMWOOD GARDENS had female chefs and many females in the kitchen staff. NICK KOOY first male chef at the Grand Hotel – earlier, female chefs dominated. This changed when EUROPEAN COOKS were brought in in the 1950s and 1960s to try to change NZ cuisine. Before they became, meals were very traditional. Describes
06.00 SIX O’CLOCK CLOSING had finished when self started at the Grand. ARTIFICIAL PUMP for Lion Brown put in to the public bar. Grand Hotel had the first public bar in NZ to allow women, and first public bar to allow tables and chairs.
07.00 Bars at the Grand included BOTTLE STORE, WOOL BAR, PUBLIC BAR, PRINCE OF WALES BAR. Prince of Wales Bar provided a BISTRO, which became very popular. Describes menu.
08.20 Two jugs of beer were provided every day for the chef and assistant. Being offered a beer to share with the chef was a good day.
09.00 Meals for the PRINCE OF WALES BAR provided by kitchen staff. JOHNNY McILLONE and MRS SHAW in charge of that area.
09.30 Public bar had a connotation that BLUE COLLAR WORKERS would use them. The WOOL BAR OPENING was important occasion. When self was 20 George Mertz shouted him at the Wool Bar. Artificial bales of wool, service from the bottle store. Leaners and bar stools around the bar.
11.00 WOMEN not allowed in public bars, so there were LADIES AND ESCORT BARS, where men had to be accompanied by a lady. CECIL HOTEL and DESCHLERS HOTEL both had these bars, but by the time KELVIN built, thing of the past.
12.00 Upstairs bar at the Grand was the FLIGHT DECK, decorated with models of planes and Air NZ uniforms. Very popular and the house bar for the hotel, which was always fully booked. Friday nights bar chocka. Dress standard required for men – tie and/or jacket, even for tourists. DAVID HARTNELL stayed at the hotel in a full length leather coat and open shirt – wasn’t happy when escorted out. George Mertz had a supply of ties, but Hartnell refused to wear it.
End of Track Three
TRACK FOUR
00.00 LOUNGE BAR very comfortable, with table service. Serving staff in waistcoats and bow ties. Colour change to gold tones – prior to that black and white uniforms. Staff numbers 50.
01.0 24 hour, seven day establishment. RECEPTIONISTS were a class above everyone else – able to eat off the full menu any time they liked. Staff were Mr and Mrs Mertz, Bar Manager, Head Steward, Head Chef, Housekeeper. Teams of housemaids, kitchen staff, service staff, bar staff, stewards, and porters.
End of Track Four
Interviewer: Rebecca Amundsen
Abstracter: Judith Christie
Interview: 22 July 2016
TRACK One
00.00 Interview identification. Linda, Current Manager of the Grand Hotel is also present at the interview.
00.25 No memories of coming to the GRAND HOTEL as a child. GRANDFATHER made and iced the cake for the CENTENARY of the hotel, and self was on a float when the QUEEN ELIZABETH II was here in 1954.
00.45.1 As a youth, self knocked on the door of the manager’s office once a week looking for a job. At the time was employed in a grocer’s shop. Trainees seldom employed, but JOYCE MERTZ introduced self to the chef, and 8 July 1968, commenced apprenticeship. Chef was NICK KOOY.
01.50 Staff included BART VAN VOODENVELDT, MARGARET AUSTEN, MRS MCMURDO, whose daughter was a maître de at the Kelvin Hotel. Mrs McMurdo ran the kitchen. COLIN HARPER was the backdoor porter and ran the boilers.
03.00 Describes kitchen layout. Included a DUMB WAITER.
04.55 WAGES paid on the number of people working in the kitchen – larger the number of people, the more hourly pay. Starting pay for self was $12 per week. Eight people in the kitchen. Chef, Assistant Chef, Second Cook, Second Cook Baker, Third Cook, Fourth Cook, Apprentice, and Kitchen Hands.
06.15 Self was lucky – started at the bottom by scrubbing pots, cleaning out freezers, cleaning fryers. Didn’t have to do the lowest tasks very long. New apprentice arrived after twelve months.
07.15 Self know he had done well when chef would take him aside and worked with him. If chef was not pleased, would chastise and sometimes sink the boot in. Self would sometimes wonder at harsh responses from the Head Chef.
08.30 Head Chef Nick made all the decisions. Manageress would hold the keys to the STOREROOM, and goods were requisitioned each day.
09.00 Chef wrote out the MENUS in a book with carbon copy. Two starters, two entrees, four mains, four or five desserts. Set price and menu. $1.80 per head for dinner, $1.20 for lunch.
09.40 Chef also worked out the rosters, did the ordering.
10.00 Content of the menus changed on a daily basis. Describes
10.45 Learning process simpler – the more you did, the more you learned. Did what was needed to be done as training done. Self attended OTAGO POLYTECHNIC in latter years of six year apprenticeship – found it easier than other course attendees, as already had practical experience.
12.15 Became a FOURTH COOK within first year. No change in wages, until UNION intervened after strike threatened.
13.00 Not much interaction with guests at the hotel, although did interact with AIR NEW ZEALAND CREWS early in the morning at breakfast.
14.00 Staff would play tricks by shifting guests’ shoes waiting outside their rooms from one floor to another.
14.50 Started apprenticeship at age sixteen.
End of Track One
TRACK TWO
00.12 Mr and Mrs Mertz ‘adopted’ self as first apprentice. They dined in the dining room for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Describes. Commanded respect from everyone and great to work for.
01.15 Hotel very FAMILY ORIENTATED BUSINESS. Staff members ate together for breakfast in staff dining room – everyone sat within their level of seniority. Describes. Staff dining room was behind the kitchen.
03.40 INVERCARGILL LICENSING TRUST BOARD members – Fred Miller dined the most, O J Henderson, but all board members dined there. Grand had reputation of finest dining in town.
04.50 TRAINEE DINNERS started by the Mertz’s. Dinner cooked for the ILT Board, after practicing with the Mertz’s. Trainee dinner became a very popular annual event.
End of Track Two
TRACK THREE
00.12 Senior trainee chef took over the kitchen with other trainees for the day for annual trainee dinner.
00.50 CHRISTMAS DAY huge. Lunch and dinner for 90 to 100 guests. Describes menu.
02.20 TRAINEE CHEFS moved around different restaurants in latter years. Three months in another establishment. Two kitchens at the KELVIN.
03.15 Chefs mostly male, although AVENAL and ELMWOOD GARDENS had female chefs and many females in the kitchen staff. NICK KOOY first male chef at the Grand Hotel – earlier, female chefs dominated. This changed when EUROPEAN COOKS were brought in in the 1950s and 1960s to try to change NZ cuisine. Before they became, meals were very traditional. Describes
06.00 SIX O’CLOCK CLOSING had finished when self started at the Grand. ARTIFICIAL PUMP for Lion Brown put in to the public bar. Grand Hotel had the first public bar in NZ to allow women, and first public bar to allow tables and chairs.
07.00 Bars at the Grand included BOTTLE STORE, WOOL BAR, PUBLIC BAR, PRINCE OF WALES BAR. Prince of Wales Bar provided a BISTRO, which became very popular. Describes menu.
08.20 Two jugs of beer were provided every day for the chef and assistant. Being offered a beer to share with the chef was a good day.
09.00 Meals for the PRINCE OF WALES BAR provided by kitchen staff. JOHNNY McILLONE and MRS SHAW in charge of that area.
09.30 Public bar had a connotation that BLUE COLLAR WORKERS would use them. The WOOL BAR OPENING was important occasion. When self was 20 George Mertz shouted him at the Wool Bar. Artificial bales of wool, service from the bottle store. Leaners and bar stools around the bar.
11.00 WOMEN not allowed in public bars, so there were LADIES AND ESCORT BARS, where men had to be accompanied by a lady. CECIL HOTEL and DESCHLERS HOTEL both had these bars, but by the time KELVIN built, thing of the past.
12.00 Upstairs bar at the Grand was the FLIGHT DECK, decorated with models of planes and Air NZ uniforms. Very popular and the house bar for the hotel, which was always fully booked. Friday nights bar chocka. Dress standard required for men – tie and/or jacket, even for tourists. DAVID HARTNELL stayed at the hotel in a full length leather coat and open shirt – wasn’t happy when escorted out. George Mertz had a supply of ties, but Hartnell refused to wear it.
End of Track Three
TRACK FOUR
00.00 LOUNGE BAR very comfortable, with table service. Serving staff in waistcoats and bow ties. Colour change to gold tones – prior to that black and white uniforms. Staff numbers 50.
01.0 24 hour, seven day establishment. RECEPTIONISTS were a class above everyone else – able to eat off the full menu any time they liked. Staff were Mr and Mrs Mertz, Bar Manager, Head Steward, Head Chef, Housekeeper. Teams of housemaids, kitchen staff, service staff, bar staff, stewards, and porters.
End of Track Four
Dates
- 2024
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Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
