July 31, 2014
The Endeavour Foundation – and the South Burnett – will lose a remarkable woman at the end of August when Hazel Patterson retires from her role as head of Endeavour’s Kingaroy Kitchen.
Hazel will be hanging up her chef’s hat on August 27 after six years of hard work spent transforming and tuning around the business.
And on Tuesday night, about 60 people converged on the Endeavour Biscuit Factory in Kingaroy to thank her and say a fond farewell.
Hazel, 74, who lives in Bundaberg, has had a long association with Endeavour and originally thought she’d go into retirement in 2008.
But the Endeavour Foundation asked her if she’d take a look at the Kingaroy Biscuit Factory operation before she left.
The factory was having difficulties, she was told, and might have to close unless a solution to its problems could be found. This would put the staff it employed out of work.
Soon after she arrived in Kingaroy, she found the factory’s biggest problem was that while people enjoyed supporting Endeavour’s work, they really didn’t really like its products.
“But I looked at the people who worked there and I simply couldn’t let it close,” Hazel said.
“So that’s when I decided there was work to be done!”
Over the past six years Hazel has revamped the factory’s traditional biscuit recipes and opened up many new outlets for the products.
She also launched the Kingaroy Kitchen range of high-quality chutneys, jams, marmalades and cakes which are now stocked by almost 40 retail outlets from Bundaberg to Ashmore, and Miami to Maleny, as well as throughout the South Burnett.
With the assistance of Stanwell Corporation’s Tarong Community Partnership Fund, she also arranged to have a complete commercial kitchen developed in the factory in February last year which now supplies meals to Stanwell contractors during shutdowns at the Tarong power stations, as well as providing catering services to the local community.
During the six years she was carrying out these projects, Hazel commuted from her home in Bundaberg to Kingaroy each week, returning at weekends – when time permitted – to briefly recuperate.
And in what little spare time she had, she also became a regular member of the Wine & Food In The Park Festival committee, ensuring that Endeavour’s name has been firmly front and centre at the much-loved March event.
Hazel said her role was now being taken over by Paul Lowe, who has been operating the Woolshed Restaurant in Nanango, and she was confident he would keep the same high standards she’d set.
Hazel now plans to do a bit of globe-trotting before finally settling down in Bundaberg … “unless, of course, Endeavour call me out again”.
- Related article: Endeavour Expands Kingaroy Kitchen
Congratulations on the amazing work you have achieved Hazel. Your work ethic is second to none and you, along with the support of your loyal and hardworking staff, produce quality cooking that is consistently of high standard. You will be greatly missed, not only by your staff but by the wider community too. Enjoy ‘your’ time and thank you !