Meticulous attention to detail and a strong work ethic, complemented by a small and talented staff, ensured that Catering Manager at St Dominics Newcastle, Pinky Ajudhiya, brought home the gold.

She was recently awarded the ‘Most Improved Catering Manager of the Year’ award through Capitol Caterers, at an exclusive conference held at the Drakensberg Sun Hotel. “I was nominated by my Area Manager, Michelle Dobbie, and was up against quite a few other talented nominees,” she explained. “I’m really happy to have won – this motivates me to improve even further!”

Who is Pinky Ajudhiya?

Pinky has been with St Dominics Newcastle for 17 years, and Capitol Caterers (which is based at the school), for five years – she has thus spent the last 22 years at St Dominics. For Pinky, a normal day starts at 05:30 and ends at 16:00. “We start the morning with breakfast for the boarders and filling in the daily logs. We then move onto mid-morning snacks and refreshments for the other phases of the school, as well as the boarders. Next up is lunch for boarding, Nursery School and aftercare, and then onto supper and any other catering requirements as needed.” In between the catering duties, she takes care of admin duties and the planning of events.

As a professional, Pinky recommends that parents should ensure their children drink lots of water, eat plenty of vegetables, include proteins and a small amount of starch in their diets, and as a treat, enjoy a small amount of chocolate. “Receiving this award was an honour, as my skills have improved. I would like to sincerely thank St Dominics Newcastle and Capitol Caterers for trusting me with the operations of its kitchen and catering facilities.” Well done Pinky – we are so proud of you!