One of Queenstown’s better-known hospitality professionals pulls the pin this month of a 35-year career in front-of-house roles.
Jason Medina has spent the past 10 years with Debs and John Pickens’ Artisan Catering, which also took over Lake Hayes’ Mora restaurant, formerly Akarua, in 2016.
He started his career at a truck-stop cafe in his home town, near Salt Lake City, in the United States, at the tender age of 14.
‘‘I originally got into this profession to put myself through university, and then it became my university of life.’’
He arrived in Queenstown in 2014 and, before joining Artisan, was restaurant manager at Heritage Hotel, had five years with Wai Dining Group, including opening Bella Cucina, and was opening manager at Jervois Steak House then Blue Kanu.
Since then, he says ‘‘I’ve been so eternally grateful to John and Debs and our partners, the Skeggs Group’’.
They’d supported his ‘‘journey through mental health and addiction’’, and introduced him to the world of events.
Medina says he loves Queenstown’s hospo industry and its owner/operators, in particular, and has always enjoyed bantering with guests and clients.
However, partly spurred on by turning 49 next month, he’s decided to pull back from day-to-day hospo.
Having become a marriage celebrant late last year, he intends ramping that up.
He’s also taking a part-time sales role with Nadia Lim and Carlos Bagrie’s Royalburn Station, near Arrowtown, selling their lamb, and shortly their beef, too.
‘‘I’m selling a product I love to an industry I know.’’
When originally approached, Medina says he queried why he’d ever work on a farm, but notes he has ranchers, or farmers, on both sides of his family.
Royalburn, he adds, is also starting up a wedding venue which he’s looking forward to.
That aside, he says he’ll still be available to do hospo cameos and work on big events.
