Meet Staff Member Nadia Sweeney
Q) How long have you been working at Nerang RSL and can you share a little about your role?
“I’ve been working at the Nerang RSL for just over four years now and absolutely love it. I’m a Senior Steward in the 4211 Café and work upstairs as a Senior Steward in the restaurant of an evening. I work under our Head Chef, Jason, and from his direction, look after the cafe and make sure everything’s running to plan!”
Q) Have you always had a passion for the hospitality industry?
“When I was younger I travelled quite a lot with my dad, which meant I got to experience a lot of different hotels and restaurants. I loved it and thought I’d like to be involved in the hospitality industry one day, so when I left school I worked in hotels for a few years and it evolved from there. I really enjoy my role at the Nerang RSL and I work with a great bunch of people which makes it even better!”
Q) You recently travelled to Sydney for a food and wine festival to get inspiration for the new 4211 café menu – can you share a little about this?
“I went to a food and wine festival in Sydney for the day with Head Chef Jason, to test a whole range of food and get some inspiration for the new 4211 café menu. It was a fantastic day
and Jason and I were able to bounce ideas off each other and learn about different products. It was really eye-opening and we walked away with some great ideas for the new menu.”
Q) What are some of the key aspects to consider when creating a new menu?
“There are a lot of things to consider when creating a new menu, but for our 4211 Café, we definitely focussed on incorporating dishes that we’re able to produce efficiently using the equipment that we have. It’s not only important that we’re able to cook a nice dish, but also to ensure we can deliver the food on time especially on our busy nights. Another aspect to consider is clientele – it is very important to be practical as not every dish will appeal to every person.”
Q) What is one of your favourite dishes on the new menu and why?
“I have lots of favourites! But I’d have to say the Karaage Chicken Sliders. They were special on our menu a few months ago and our guests absolutely loved them, so we’ve kept them on the menu. It’s just a tasty dish overall and the three sliders are the perfect amount – not too much, but enough to fill you up!”
Q) When you’re not at the RSL, what are you likely doing?
“I enjoy fitness and I’ve run a few half marathons, so I’m usually out running! I also really enjoy spending time with my family and we usually like to visit different restaurants, especially tapas restaurants, or visit gin bars and just enjoy time as a family.”
