Growing up helping his Nan and Mum in the kitchen, Sam Kissell has always loved cooking and baking. “I enjoy how aspects of cooking and baking can be so different from each other,” he says, “how baking can be very methodical and then with cooking you can lean more into intuition as you get more confident. “But with both, I love being able to be creative and learning new techniques and methods.”
For the past year, the 21-year-old has been working as a Chef De Partie at the Voyager Estate winery in Margaret River, Western Australia. “I recently moved to the pastry section, where I’m responsible for breads, the dessert course, pre-dessert course and petit fours. “I’m really excited to be more involved in the menu and am currently helping to create a new dessert for the menu.”
After finishing Year 13 at Verdon College in Invercargill, Sam enrolled in Hospitality at the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT), where he completed two New Zealand Certificates in Cookery (Levels 3 & 4), before graduating with a New Zealand Diploma in Cookery (Advanced) in June 2025.
“I really enjoyed my time at SIT. Not only are the tutors really knowledgeable about food and hospitality, but they are so willing to share their knowledge with students and really want to see us succeed.” Sam enjoyed taking part in different events while studying, including catering for the Rakiura Challenge on Stewart Island, and helping out at different fundraising events. “I got to meet and connect with some of New Zealand’s best chefs and learn from them, connections I still look back on to this day and lean on for advice sometimes.”
During his time at SIT, Sam was encouraged to enter a number of competitions, including the Nestlé Golden Chefs Hat Award. In 2025 he won the South Island regional competition and competed in the finals in Sydney, walking away with three gold medals. Representing SIT, he also took part in the ‘Proud to be a Chef’ mentorship programme, a four-day programme in Melbourne where he got to experience different hands-on activities and master classes and compete in a cook-off. “Experiences like these, and the support from the tutors along the way, have definitely been some of the best memories from studying at SIT and made the journey even more rewarding.” Of the subjects he took in Year 13, Sam says Home Economics and Maths have been the most helpful. His advice to school leavers is to pursue something you’re truly passionate about, and really lean into it.
If you’re considering Hospitality at SIT, his advice is to take advantage of the tutors and how much knowledge they have to share. “Listen to what they have to teach you and make sure you ask lots of questions. “If there are any events going on and you have the opportunity to participate and learn from other chefs, really take advantage of it and start creating great industry connections.
Writer: Sara Carbery from Leaving School Magazine