The story of Thiruni Thanthirige's journey to becoming a successful Chef de Partie at Cinnamon Lakeside - Colombo.

I embarked on my career as a trainee in 2014 at Cinnamon Lakeside, a leading hotel in Sri Lanka where it was a challenge to be a female chef. At the time, the kitchen department staff only had two female employees and I was lucky enough to be one of them. I was in charge of the chocolate room as my first duty, and I took that responsibility quite seriously and with dedication. As a result of this, I was promoted to the role of III Commis within a short period of 10 months. Marking the first reward for my hard work and commitment I received my first medal in 2015 at the Chefs’ Guild. After that, I won three gold medals and three silver medals in the Chefs’ Guild for 6 consecutive years. I am proud of myself for receiving these awards consecutively in a competitive industry like Hospitality where there are a lot of young talented professionals.??

As my debut international competition, I participated in the EXPO Culinaire Featuring the 25th EMIRATES INTERNATIONAL SALON CULINAIRE in ADNEC, ABU DHABI, UAE, held from 30th May to 2nd June 2022 in UAE, where I was able to secure three medals; Gold Excellence for ‘Dress the Cake’, silver for the ‘Open Showpiece’, and a bronze for the ‘Petite Four’. The Gold Excellent medal which I received at the live event is indeed the greatest achievement for me in my career and I should specifically mention how important Expo Culinaire is because it is the only event in the UAE, which is dedicated to chefs, pastry chefs, bakers, cooks, students and professionals in the Hospitality industry. The Expo Culinaire is hosted in partnership with the Emirates Culinary Guild which is the home to the Emirates International Salon Culinaire, featuring the 25th edition of the largest and most prestigious culinary competition in the Middle East.?

Becoming the Chef de Partie within eight and half years was not an easy journey for me but I learned lessons which were worth a lifetime while making connections with the best people in the industry. It is because of these people, I was able to tread this far on this journey. Cinnamon Lakeside gave me the best kickstart for my profession after I had completed my vocational education at the Ceylon Hotel School.?

I would like to tell all the girls who are aspiring to become future leaders in any industry, to defeat the obstacles on their way, chase after their dreams, and not forget to be brave, all the time. No matter how big of a challenge you are facing, always remind yourself that challenges are meant to be won, and barriers are meant to be overcome and there isn’t anyone who would do that for you, but yourself! Success will always follow you if you adopt this attitude!