Jodi Flockhart

Jodi's Story.

My formal training in restaurants began when I was 16 years old and continued on into my mid twenties; mostly it was to support my dreams of being an actor. I worked as both a waitress and floor manager in a variety of restaurants in Melbourne and saw wondrous dishes being constructed; my eyes were opened to the high pressures of the kitchen, the heat the intense food smells and the importance of a great repore between the guest and the waiter.

I am really lucky to work with my husband and a great team of highly trained and passionate people. It is definitely as a team we are able to make a day really special for people who dine or have a wedding at Sault as each person plays such an integral role in making it perfect.

It is really enriching to be working with such wonderful regional produce and great local wines. It has inspired me to create our own garden beds at Sault with the help of Damien and our kitchen team we are now using our own Sault grown herbs and vegetables in our seasonal menus.

I believe my journey in life leading up to Sault was training to be able to do what I do know. There is such a vast array of areas I work in, from creating a comfortable dining experience for our guests, planning weddings, advertising, to getting my hands dirty in the soil and planting something that will end up on the table to the delight of a guests.

If I have learned anything from my adventures at Sault that we are all capable of great things and we should never look on the menial jobs we do in life as boring as they can lead to the most surprising outcomes.

See you soon

Jodi.

Damien Aylward

Damien... a man of great achievement. But he's very shy and ever so humble. Soon he'll tell us more about himself.

Cindy Crozier - Sault's Head Chef Extroadinaire

Cooking was inevitable, gaining further knowledge of food and the science is my passion.

Having grown up on a farm in Newham, Victoria family life revolved around food, an orchid, huge vegetable patch and meat where all part of our daily life and we all had our role to play.

I completed my baker / pastry chef apprenticeship in the late 90's but my thirst to better understand food was so great I quickly gained employment as an apprentice chef.

After completed my second apprenticeship I pursued the dream of working overseas and landed a job at Midsummer House, a 2 Michelin star restaurant in Cambridge, England. This was certainly an influential turning point in my career. It was here under Daniel Clifford I learnt to truly taste, understand raw ingredients, along with the basic science of food. These skills gave me the confidence and ability to achieve the best from your product.

In 2009 I returned to Australia and took a residence at Aria in Sydney, being encouraged to express my ideas during this time, allowed me to return home ready for the next chapter.

I am excited to be back to my roots and looking forward to my partnership with the Sault team. The amazing regional produce available locally offers much inspiration and something I am keen to take advantage of.

Katy Robinson-Donald

Upon graduating from RMIT University with a degree in Business Management in 2001, Katy has pursued her passion for food and wine through a career in hospitality management.

After work in Melbourne, Katy moved to Daylesford in 2004 and has since enjoyed work at several Daylesford institutions, including managing The Food Gallery and Mercato@Daylesford, before joining the Sault team in 2007.

Katy says, "Being at Sault is great – it's a beautiful place to work and allows me to demonstrate my love for Daylesford and Macedon produce (especially wine!). In my event coordinator role, it's a privilege to be involved with someone's wedding or special occasion and I'm proud to be part of a talented team that is absolutely dedicated to making sure each guest has a wonderful time".

Bronson

My journey into becoming a chef began after I realized the biological science course I started at Latrobe University was not the career path I saw myself in the future. Already having a part time job in retail I also decided to take up a casual position as a kitchen hand in my hometown of Sunbury. At this moment I was instantly drawn to the intense pace of the kitchen environment, but more importantly to all the different types of foods, aromas and styles I saw being invented before my eyes.

I quickly found myself undergoing an apprenticeship in commercial cookery at a popular Italian restaurant in my hometown, and attending Victoria University in Footscray where I was educated by my mentors and teachers Ross Venturo and Steve Turner.

Over the four years I underwent both in house and out of house school competitions where I was awarded gold and bronze medals for my cooking. I quickly worked my way up the ranks from apprentice to head chef at the restaurant where I worked. At this point I had realized I needed to experience more than just Italian cuisine and needed to move onto bigger and better things.

My Sault experience began in October 2011 and has opened my eyes to a different world of cooking. The fine dining aspect, as well as the fresh, local produce used daily is challenging my cooking skills, initiative and imagination everyday.

Through the great innovative team I work with in the kitchen, I continue to gain fresh, new culinary knowledge and am excited to see where this will lead in years to come.

I am glad to be part of the Sault family.