KOCHI: Even as a kid, 29-year-old Maria Bennan knew her place was in the kitchen. Not that she wanted to be a homemaker, in fact far from it. Rather, she aspired to work in the most well-known kitchens in the world, under accredited chefs, whipping up dishes for famed restaurants. Growing up in a family that was involved in the food and beverage industry and a mom who was an excellent cook only proved to be catalysts for Maria. In terms of role models, she found that women managing professional kitchens in India of the ‘90s were few and far between but that did little to deter her drive.
After passing out of school, Maria pursued BTech in food science, which was meant to be a stepping stone, a gateway into hospitality. “On graduation, I started working at Pavizham Healthier Diet along with my father. The company is owned by a relative.
While I was working there, I began my application process for culinary schools abroad. Soon, I was accepted to the culinary school at Western Institute of Technology New Plymouth campus in New Zealand,” says Maria.
Everything was going right. She was within a kissing distance of realising her dream. But fate had other plans. “My father was diagnosed with the last stage of cancer. As a single kid, it was my duty to be with him. I took a break for almost two years.
It was a testing time but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. After he passed away in 2016, it was time for me to get back on track. Arranging the money for a fee and other expenses was challenging but I took a student loan, came to New Zealand in 2017 and completed the two-year course in 18 months,” adds Maria, a native of Kochi.
Now a chef working with a Michelin Star chef-led team in Auckland, Maria has achieved considerable expertise in continental cuisine in her short professional career. “Initially, I worked for an Indian restaurant here but a good friend and mentor chef Naveen Thomas advised me to explore other cuisines as I was already familiar with Indian food. I worked under him for some time at his cafe. I have to credit him for teaching me a lot more than what I learnt in school. I would like to travel and learn about various cuisines. I am now relatively proficient in Italian food and want to experiment with Mediterranean preparations,” says Maria.
Having received multiple job invitations from noted restaurants in the US and Canada, Maria wants her food to be experimental and innovative while retaining its core sensibility. She is cautious of the current fusion food fad that has seen chefs inventing unholy combinations between two dramatically different taste palates.
Also conscious of food waste seen in commercial establishments, Maria wants to work towards a platform that would help the homeless access a decent meal by connecting them to restaurants and hotels with excess food.