After 21 years at the Manukau Institute of Technology as head of the Hospitality and Culinary School, Johann Wohlmuther is leaving the facility he played a huge role in establishing. But fortunately his skills will not be lost as he launches his own business in consultancy and training called hospitalityonthemove.
He’s 63 now and unashamedly emotional about his impending departure from MIT. But, there’s still plenty of passion for the hospitality industry and his eyes sparkle with enthusiasm when he talks about his new venture.
At MIT, Wolmuther has also handled the role of Dean of the Faculty of Consumer Services and is the longest-serving member of staff. He finishes his tenure there at the end of September.
He has never left the industry he was born to, growing up in a small pub his grandparents owned in an Austrian village.
“As a little boy I was fascinated by the guests – since then I’ve been a people person. When I left school my father arranged an apprenticeship for me as a chef. He thought I was always in the kitchen because I enjoyed watching my grandmother cook, but it was really the food I was after,” he says.
Following his apprenticeship, Wolmuther saw his “opportunity to get out into the wide world” and he’s loved to travel since then. He worked at the grand old Randolph Hotel in Oxford, England and then with the United Nations Catering Corps in Geneva, Switzerland.
“I loved this job as I met people of so many different nationalities and I was fascinated by the various cultures. This had a great impact on my life, but I realized then I was never going to be a great chef and that I belonged at the front of house.”
He moved on to supervisory roles with the German restaurant chain Wienerwald and was working in Munich at the Olympics during the drama of the 1972 Games. By this stage he’d met and married a New Zealander and was determined to check out her country.
“In1975 toured nearly every corner and came back to live three years later. I worked for Lion Breweries managing a Cobb and Co. restaurant - very popular at that time.”
Wohlmuther’s career in hospitality education was launched when he applied for a job as a tutor at AUT (then called AIT).
“It had a good cooking school, but was not strong in front of the house studies and so I had the opportunity to develop it. Ted Bryant was the course supervisor and became my mentor. He gave me the opportunity to go ahead and build things – such as turning a classroom into a restaurant.”
In 1990 when he took over his job at MIT in Otara the facility he helped develop into an international model for hospitality training facilities of the future was then very basic. Local and overseas visitors often visit for ideas now.
“There was a butchery school, one very small prefab for the catering school and glass houses for the horticultural students.”
Wohlmuther is not only a great ideas man, but he has a reputation for getting things done.
“My concept was always to supply the most realistic learning facilities for the students. That’s how the European hotel schools work and how we do it here,” he says pointing out the hotel-like reception area and the Palms Restaurant with a dramatic pitched glass roof.
“That glass roof I really had to fight for as I did many things, but I was given the opportunities to make differences in my students’ lives. I’ve always been very close to the students and worked with good people who have shared my vision.”
When MIT’s Catering and Hospitality school opened in April 1993, it opened with a logo and brand, which soon became well recognised – winning many national training awards. About 10 years ago he went on to establish a school of baking with an emphasis on baking and bread-making. A hair and beauty school and a Barista school within the complex have followed.
“Soon I will sign the last pile of certificates and diplomas for MIT students and with my new venture, I will be doing customer training and consultation work.
“Service has improved in this country but still has a long way to go and I would like to do some work to improve the status of a waiter. I also would also like to teach advanced skills in areas such as flambe cooking, silver service, cheese boards and wine. New Zealanders soon will have had enough of casual dining and demand a more formal service.”
After 21 years at the helm, Johann Wohlmuther leaves the School of Catering and Hospitality in good heart with about 350 students representing about 19 nationalities. And we can look forward to hearing about the success of the next stage of his working life at front of house.