Grand Hotel head chef back to cook up a storm

SHE'S a true local Gladstonian at heart and that's what's brought her back to our town, into our kitchens and into our hearts.

La Toya Redman has moved back to town after working in Brisbane as apprentice chef at the prestigious E'cco Bistro under head chef Phillip Johnson.

WELCOME HOME: The Grand Hotel’s new head chef La Toya Redman. (Picture: Mike Richards)

Ms Redman is now the head chef at the Grand Hotel and said she had progressed a long way.

"I used to live in town, then moved away to Cairns and Brisbane and now I'm back and loving it," she said.

"The advantage is that I've worked in all sorts of restaurants and environments now from fancy to traditional home cooked meals and I think I've learnt enough now."

Ms Redman has big plans for her time in Gladstone and, with her partner, she has no plans of leaving.

"I've got family up here and love my work so I'm quite content."

"I plan on having a stall at the next Harbour Festival to show off cuisine you can create with seafood, my favourite."

With no other help, this head chef caters anywhere from 10 to the 120 she covered a couple of weekends back.

"One thing you've got to have is the ability to multi task and have good time management skills," she said.

"I cook, I clean, I present and I get a real thrill from the excitement of dishing up."

Ms Redman was named as one of the top 10 apprentices of the year in 2013 and said she specialised in homely meals with a jazzed up feel.

"My favourite thing to cook for myself is a classic Reef and Beef," she said.

If you're visiting The Grand Hotel Ms Redman encourages anyone to pop in and say G'day.

Source: The Gladstone Observer  Rosie O’Brien  June 9th 2015