Why I Chose Hula.

After a long process of trying to get a visa and enough money together to move to Canada it all just fell apart. I chose to move to Edinburgh as I knew the process would be easier and cheaper, it was neither moving to any new country is an expensive and lengthy process. When researching Edinburgh I had an idea set in my mind of what I wanted. For a long time now I have known that my direction in the industry of being a chef was changing, no longer was I thinking in the short term but now thinking what do I want to do in the long term. Doing the BA Hon culinary arts course has opened my eyes to just how many doors are open to me and the rest of my class mates.
When choosing where to work in Edinburgh I knew I wanted something I has never done before, something New.... something Fresh....something in Trend. For awhile now I've known that I want to eventually own my own business. Healthy sustainable cooking and farm to fork foods are all something that I have a great passion for and an sector in the industry that I feel is very much in trend at the moment.

I applied to lots of well known healthy food eateries in Edinburgh, Susan Doherty a fellow Irish woman and the owner of Hula Juice bar Edinburgh replied to me quickly saying she was very interested in my CV and wanted me to do a trial as soon as. I flew to Edinburgh on the 28th of August 2017 I did a trial in Hula the next day and was given the job that day. Hula is a well known eatery open for 11 years so I knew I would learn a lot about how to run a successful business from working there. I was given so much responsibility, within the first month of working there I was opening the cafe and doing most kitchen produce and equipment orders. Space is limited in the establishment therefore produce orders are done as mush as twice daily which means the produce is very fresh and always of good quality. Working in the busy Grassmarket area of Edinburgh has been a whole new pace for me with people wanting healthy lunches quick on the go. The cafe opens at 8.00am for breakfast and closes at 6.00pm not the usual times I am used to working but I am enjoying having the evening free after work. The manager has allowed me to be trained in on all sections in the cafe so I get an overall feel for what the business needs. I enjoy working on the juice section making super juices, smoothies and health boosters but my main priority is the kitchen food, I have never seen so much Avocado eaten as I do in Hula. The food in hula ranges from Super smoothie bowls (Acai bowls) to healthy poke salad dishes, lets just say Hula is very instagram friendly with many bloggers and instagrammers posting daily . Hula is also very vegan, vegetarian and intolerance friendly, all foods are available in Gluten free options and all take away packaging is compostable (Vegware).  The team in Hula are very much a family and I have been settling in nicely. My first week in Hula the whole team went go karting which was so much fun and really helped in the bonding process with the team.

The moral of this blog is don't be afraid to go in a different direction and don't be afraid to choose something different when looking for placement there are so many options open out there. I am beyond enjoying myself over here and I hope all my classmates are enjoying themselves as much!!

Sarah Kehoe