Meet Nick, this month's employee of choice from Belles Hot Chicken
May 19, 2023
Meet Nick Buckland. Nick is Head of Operations at Belles Hot Chicken in Melbourne and is this month’s employee of choice!
About Nick:
Tell us a bit about yourself – how did you get into hospitality? 
I started cooking when I was 15 out in Berwick, washing dishes and making salads. I picked up an apprenticeship at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant in Crown when I was 18 and worked there until it closed, then I went to The Point in Albert Park (fine dining) and finished my apprenticeship. I then worked at AVC for 7 years in various roles which then lead to head chef positions at The Imperial and The Provincial. I then worked for Riverland group and spent 4 years running Boatbuilders Yard and General Assembly's kitchens. I then opened the Gertrude Hotel with a good friend of mine, helped them launch the venue.
How did you find yourself in your current role?
I started working with Belles as an Exec Chef in August last year but have more recently found myself in an Operations Manager role, overseeing all aspects of our three Melbourne Venues.
What skills have you developed through your hospitality journey?
Obviously working in kitchens at the beginning my culinary technical skills went alright, but in terms of the business side of things I have really grown in areas such as financial forecasting, people management, effective communication and my overall commercial acumen.
What’s the one utensil you can’t live without?
My Pen, all my tasks/ to do lists, or important info is all recorded the old fashioned way.
What was your biggest mistake in hospo and what did you learn from it?
I didn't jump at promotions when they were offered to me while I was young, I played it safe and probably could have jumped into the bigger positions quicker.
What advice would you give to your younger self thinking of working in hospitality?
Enjoy your time off when you get it and learn to love the little things.
About your Belles Hot Chicken:
What do you love most about working at Belles?
The way we deliver our offering is so unique to our style of food. Incredible but simple food executed perfectly paired with natural wines and a really diverse drinks list in a super casual setting but delivered by our team who are all brilliant but not your usual type of hospo staff - we embrace the weird and quirky. I feel like this is the most well run company I have worked with but at the same time everyone is very approachable and we all get on really well.
About the hospitality industry:
What’s your most memorable hospitality experience?
Getting to dine at The Fat Duck when it came to Melbourne was insane, I was lucky enough to get myself one of five hundred seats and it was so good, other than that cooking for Eminem when he played in Melbourne in 2015 during his rapture tour has got to be pretty up there.
What changes in the hospo environment/culture have you noticed over time?
The work life balance is such a key agenda for all hospo staff and employers (including Belles, check out some of our great staff benefits in upcoming opportunities on Barcats) pay and proper time off is available to us all whereas before it really wasn't.
What trend in hospo do you predict will happen next?
I think sustainability will remain to be a key priority which is awesome and the return of international travellers to more multicultural dining options will be more available to us all.
How can hospo be made better?
If all hospo employers could be committed to ensuring staff have opportunities to have time off during sociable hours and weekends as well as a healthy environment for workers, I feel like we will start to appeal to young people as a viable career move in the future.
What do you love most about hospitality?
All the opportunities to travel, meet people you would usually never get a chance to engage with in your day to day life and learn more about the world.
A big thanks to Nick for his hospitality insights! If you want to start your hospitality journey, Barcats is the place to start! Create your staff profile here.
Interested in working at Belles Hot Chicken? See here for their available roles.
