ABOUT US
CREATING A HEALTHY WORKPLACE is about understanding that everyone walking through your door, be it a customer or a staff member, could be going through something — mental illness or just a bad day
A way to GIVE
Our aim is to create an information platform for the hospitality industry to access
To help build our industry through education, support and awareness to lower the effects of stress.
Chef Nathan Ward
Having worked overseas for many years, I have had the pleasure of working with some amazing people and cultures. I am a very passionate chef, and I love hospitality and what it stands for in so many ways for different cultures and people. I love the fact that some food and beverage bring so many people together to connect, tell stories, eat local produce prepared by passionate people, and form different relationships that may last a lifetime.
As the founder of “From The pass” something I firstly started around mental health, it has slowly and will continue to develop into something much more than that. Building a community for our industry to access widely, to connect, and to do just that - trade stories, connect with each other and be a support network for our current and upcoming industry.
I am very excited to share with you the platform which my team and I had dreamed of, and that has now become a reality. We hope to keep building and growing our community with our sponsors and affiliated partners. Thank you to everyone that has made this possible, I hope we can continue to push forward, help to make change in the industry and support all our friends and family in the hospitality industry.
Culture: There is a big ‘suck it up’ attitude in this industry. I used to think this was normal, so I just got on with the job. You don’t feel like you can say anything with the multiple pressures of egos. We need to take the essential steps to create a good working environment, to nurture our up and coming and to support talented staff in our industry.
Nathan has worked at the likes of Bowman’s, Prego and Molten. Moving to Melbourne in 2008, he was quickly picked up by the Rockpool group, at the new Rockpool Bar and Grill Melbourne. Nathan has spent time in London and Europe, he spent 3 years cooking aboard super yachts. Most recently he has returned to Melbourne, where he has worked at both Rosetta Ristorante and the Delia group at Maha.
Leah Kirkland
Leah has returned to New Zealand as Mr. Morris ‘restaurant manager and resident sommelier after more than 15 years in London, including 13 years as general manager at Trinity Restaurant and Bistro Union, a Michelin starred restaurant in the heart of Clapham Old Town.
“From the Pass was set up to raise funds to build awareness, support and education around mental health in an industry that is well-known historically for long hours, low pay, substance abuse, harassment and pressure. Times are changing and the hospitality industry has an opportunity to provide great career prospects with an appropriate work/ life balance with rewarding gains. In hospitality, we are often promoted from 'working-the line' or 'running-a-section' into management roles with little to no training on how to manage people and psychological nature of team building. Providing a platform to educate individuals in how to manage and recognise mental health issues in themselves and others, and how to encourage a positive and healthy work environment as a preventative measure, will hopefully improve awareness and help attract more people to our great industry.”
Leah began her career in hospitality in her hometown of Auckland in the late 1990’s. She moved to London to further her career, joining Adam Byatt’s team in Covent Garden in 2005. Leah was the General Manager at Trinity, Upstairs and Bistro Union, overseeing all three restaurant openings. Trinity was awarded a Michelin star in 2016, with Upstairs and Bistro Union both holding Bib Gourmands. In 2017 she won GQ Sommelier of the Year.
Jaime Campbell has come on board this year
as the sponsorship manager and general admin liaison for the event. Jaime’s
background is as a professional show jumping rider and trainer. She has represented
New Zealand in show jumping and competed internationally in Germany, Canada,
India & Australia. She has managed several top New Zealand equestrian
events and now works in Auckland part time as an event manager and as a show
jumping coach and also rides nationally for a show jumping stud in Otaki.
“I
am very excited to be working on this event with Nathan and the rest of the
team. Mental health affects so many of us at different times in our lives. I
have seen it in my sport, in my friends and in myself. I believe we need to
shed more light on mental health issues and not be afraid to reach out and ask
for help”
Janine Quaid has developed the modules for the From The Pass
website. She is the Director of Renard Group, a management and corporate
training and development company under the brand name Artisan, and Indelible
Inc, a brand marketing company. These companies are focused on
elevating professional essentials skills and promoting services &
products. Janine is also currently the Executive Officer for the NZChefs
Association and a member of Service IQ’s Industry Advisory Group. She also
works for Artisan Events, a hospitality specialist, which oversees events for
Ronald McDonald House Charities. Janine continues to be directly involved
in the Hospitality and Service arena and this year is Event Managing the NZ
Hospitality Summit for NZChefs.
“Having seen decades of mental health fallout
stemming from the pressures and stresses of working in the hospitality
industry, when approached to get involved with From The Pass, it was an
incredibly easy decision to say yes. The opportunity to play even a small part
in effecting change in this space is an incredible honour.”