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Plateau Profile - Dawn Harallambi - Ohakune |
How long have you lived here?
I have lived in Ohakune for .. OMG!!.. 15 years now!! Wow... time flies...
What schools did you attend?
I went to various elementary schools around the world... I was an army brat so my family travelled a lot and from grade 7 onwards I attended schools in Western New York. University years were spent in NY and Utah...
What’s the best thing about being a Central Plateau local?
Am I a local?? I have only been here 15 years.. haha...I love being close to the mountain and I love the vibe of Ohakune...it's a really special place!
What’s your favourite feature of the Central Plateau?
The Tongariro National Park and the mountain of course!
What’s your claim to fame?
I guess owning Utopia Cafe for 10 years is my claim to fame... it was definately world famous in NZ when I had it... THANKS everyone!!!!
What best describes what you do?
I am a chef and I am very passionate about anything that has to do with food! I consider every aspect of the food I cook, using the freshest ingredients that I can source & using only ethically farmed and free range animal products, I also try to use as much organic produce as possible! I am an avid gardener too!!
What inspired you to get into this?
I grew up in a Sicilian family and our lives seemed to revolve around food... fresh, flavourful and fabulous! My Grandfather taught me how to cook and he used to grow all his own vegetables and I can tell you it was the best food I ever ate! So I wanted to continue on with the way he did things I am glad I have!
Share your successes with us?
Owning Utopia was a success for me. It started out as this little nothing kinda place and slowly turned into something amazing. I would meet random people all over NZ and when they asked what I did and I mentioned Utopia, everyone seemed to know it... with a fondness....really cool!
What’s your most recent success?
My veggie garden!!
What made it possible?
The free time I had to put into it after selling the cafe... I put all my energy into growing organic food and it was a great success!!!!
What are your future plans/goals?
I think I will just see what happens! I am cheffing at Kings Ohakune, doing breakfasts, which seems to be my forte at the moment and after the season I want to spend a bit of time with my family, get stuck back into the garden and maybe do a bit of writing.
What’s the most difficult thing you’ve had to get through?
The transition from being a full on business woman to a person of leisure... I am a busy body and cruising isn't my style! haha
What strengths do you need to be good at what you do?
You need to be passionate about fo od, motivated & organized!
Any funny moments you can share with us?
There are so many! This one isn't funny, but it's one of my favourite moments at Utopia... David Attenboro was having breakfast one morning and as soon as he sat down and started to speak the entire cafe went very quiet... all you could here was the music and his voice.
Your advice to someone wanting to get into what you do?
Know what you are doing!! Experience is the key... and have a passion for it! |
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