Tracey Kellock still vividly recalls the day, 30 years ago, she went to work at a school for young people with autism .
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"I was 17 and I was so disheartened by how these people were treated and the institutionalised setting that I became a chef," she said.
Fast forward to the bustling kitchen at City Central Church Albury this week where Tracey presides as head chef of Purple Chicken.
Ask her what she enjoys most about the enterprise designed to equip young people with a disability with the skills to find meaningful employment in hospitality.
"Everything - it gives me goosebumps," she replies before racing off to help one of her team turn out a delectable-looking cake for an upcoming cake stall for local firies.
Purple Chicken founder Jen Tait says the program, which grew wings in October 2019, is already full to capacity.
And, she points out proudly, some of the participants are demonstrating "real skills" which could - and should - take them into paid employment in cafes, kitchens and other hospitality related industries across the region.
Currently there are 20 team members, between the ages of 15 and 30, learning all the skills needed to begin a career in hospitality in a hands-on cafe environment.
From coffee to cake-making, food preparation, meal planning, customer service and even budgeting, these budding masterchefs are sharpening their skills with the help of a dedicated team of support staff.
"We don't want to be a disability cafe," Jen says firmly.
"Purple Chicken is an art cafe, which happens to be training young people with a disability to prepare them for employment."
To that end, Jen has been turning her own artistic talents to decor for the cafe that is expected to open within the next four months.
Initially the plan was to lease a space elsewhere for a commercial cafe but the City Central Church is more than happy for this little flock to stay put.
"They like having us here and we like being here," Jen says.
"It's a good values match; the church supports positive projects in the community."
There's renovating to do and benches, coffee machine and cake display unit to add before the space opens to customers.
Jen, who wants this cafe to be a truly inclusive hub for food and art, has started developing the Purple Chicken "brand".
There's funky cushion covers, tea towels and other merchandise on the cards.
She's also been busy painting tables for the cafe with famous works by Monet, Van Gogh, Matisse and Sidney Nolan - and, if you look closely, you'll spot a purple chicken Jen's cheekily painted into each piece!
(Why the name? "Purple is my favourite colour and chickens are my favourite animal," Jen has explained previously.)
But at the heart of the art and the food are these incredible young people.
Wonderfully warm, insightful profiles of Purple Chicken team members have started going up on the Facebook page and are proving particularly popular with followers.
Jen says so many of the team are showing a "real passion" for food and the industry while gaining invaluable life skills.
Liam Knight, 20, has already become the king of coffee and is "actively seeking" a barista position.
Then there's Hannah Clarke, 19, who is so passionate about food she grows her own vegetables and recently hosted a dinner party, to which Jen was invited.
She's knowledgeable about ingredients and would be a perfect accompaniment to a team in a small cafe.
The bubbly Alex Cottrill and Alannah McKeown are both work-ready and would suit people-focused roles.
Nathan Pearce not only likes "loading the commercial dishwasher" and "tackling complex recipes", he's also interested in the mechanics of coffee making.
Chris Kerr is a "good all rounder".
He's happy to do the jobs that aren't always the most fun - like cleaning and dishes - and when he's not in the kitchen you'll find Chris playing footy for the Jets.
Meanwhile Jamie Weber, 22, who loves chicken schnitzel and corn, is developing her skills as a team assistant.
Jamie has proven a great asset to her Purple Chicken peers and would ideally love to work in education support.
"Jamie is there if someone is struggling or just needs that extra support - she's a great role model," Jen explains.
The group has started a social club, where members not only organise outings but hold meetings where they learn about committee roles, agendas and skills in negotiation, conflict resolution and self-advocacy.
Jen is very clear the aim of Purple Chicken is to put these young people into "meaningful" paid employment.
"People with disabilities are often under-employed and we want to bridge this gap," she says.
"They won't just leave here - we will work with employers and the young person for as long as they need.
"It might start as a work trial with a view to employment - I'll talk to anybody about opportunities available."
Leonie Heir, whose daughter Melissa is a team member of Purple Chicken, says the value of this practical, hands-on learning environment can't be measured.
"As a mum of a child with Melissa's needs, she could sit in a classroom all day and be verbally taught OH&S, for example, but it wouldn't sink in," she says.
"This is learning as you go with real-life practice."
Jen describes Purple Chicken as "whole of life learning" in a hospitality setting.
"If we can support young people's learning and support the employer, we will get good outcomes."
Tracey pops her head out of the kitchen and declares many of her team would make more valuable employees than most.
"These guys are very capable in a nurtured setting - they are reliable, loyal and keen to learn," she said.
"You don't get that every day."
- Employers can contact Jen Tait on 0409074793 or jentait.create@outlook.com