Covid 19 coronavirus: the best chefs, struggling to find work due to the pandemic, go on to direct market stalls

He was a teppanyaki chef with decades of experience working in the best hotels and he couldn’t believe it when he was told that his career was going to be put on hold.

Martin Lowe, former head chef of Kabuki at Stamford Plaza and later Katsura at the Grand Millennium, said his heart “almost stopped” when he and his colleagues were told in March that they were no longer needed because the hotel was becoming a Covid. -19 insulation installation.

Instead of changing careers, Lowe decided that he would run a full-time takoyaki stand, selling the popular Japanese street food that features pieces of octopus in a dumpling, in various markets.

Victoria Yao, co-founder of Auckland Night Markets, has received a growing number of inquiries from restaurateurs and chefs who have lost their jobs for wanting to set up market stalls.

About 540 restaurants have closed and 9,310 employees have lost their jobs as a result of the pandemic, estimates the Restaurant Association.

“Many restaurants are struggling and due to the uncertainty as a result of Covid 19, they are considering not renewing their long-term leases,” Yao said.

“Instead they are looking to have food stands in our markets as a way to keep their businesses going until they can get a clearer idea of ​​what is going on in the industry.”

The owner of the Ru Tian Ou restaurant, which now has a dim sum stall in the market, said he had to close his Tasty House restaurant in Otahuhu in March.

“Our restaurant has been around for a long time, but the business has been hit hard since people stopped eating out earlier this year,” Ou said.

“Although it was a painful decision, it didn’t make business sense to continue, so we decided to close it in March.”

Ou says the market stall came with “little risks” because “it only pays if you show up in the evening.”

Renno Paul, a former head chef who has worked at several popular restaurants such as the Porterhouse Grill, Zookeepers Son, and Applejacks, now runs Kombase, a food truck that sells burgers, fried chicken, and French fries.

“I don’t see the catering industry picking up anytime soon, so having this food truck will at least give me some control and certainty about having a job,” Paul said.

“There are no tourists, there are no students and people are losing jobs every day, and one of the first things they will cut is dining at fancy restaurants. But we still have a fighting chance here in the markets.”

Lowe has enlisted his wife and 18-year-old son to help out at his takoyaki position.

“This business is now feeding our entire family and you can say that we live from day to day. But it’s still better than having nothing,” Lowe said.

“We live from what we do and we have reduced many things. No more purchases and we will not go out as much.

“We will continue this and continue to hope that things will improve after the pandemic.”

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Marisa Bidois, executive director of the Restaurant Association, said that people in the hospitality industry were creative and resilient.

“It is not the establishment itself that defines a restaurateur, it is the style of food they serve and the way they serve it,” Bidois said.

“The essence of ‘manaakitanga’, the act of showing respect, generosity and care for others, is very common in hospitality people and therefore we expect to see further diversification, including pop-ups and collaborations like result of the impact of Covid-19 in our industry. “

He advised people to stay connected with those in the know through the association’s Dine Find website and foodies’ Facebook pages for new dining experiences.

“We also recommend just going out and trying new things,” Bidois said.

“Night markets, farmers markets, pop-ups – these types of places are often the testing ground for new ideas and visiting them is a great way to be the first to know them.”