On-line course whets Dereke's appetite

Graduation Feature

Dereke Bruce is a citizen of the world in every sense. The New Zealand chef lives in Taiwan, has just completed a Masters degree on-line from the University of Adelaide, and last month he travelled to Hong Kong for his graduation.

As the holder of a Le Cordon Bleu Master of Arts in Gastronomy, Dereke is now qualified to teach culinary skills after 25 years in the industry.

It's a journey that has taken him from New Zealand to Shanghai, and now Taiwan, where he lives with his wife and two children, running a delicatessan/bakery and an Italian restaurant in the bustling city of Taichung.

Somehow he managed to find time, sandwiched between his family and work responsibilities, to churn out two 500-word essays every week for 12 months.

"I love cooking, but I was at a stage in my life where I needed to use my brain more and plan for the future. After searching on the Internet I found this program on Gastronomy at the University of Adelaide. The content was excellent and the course offered a lot of flexibility," Dereke said.

Under the tuition of the Gastronomy program manager, Dr Barbara Santich, Dereke did his thesis on the changes to Taiwanese food habits in the last 20 years.

"The biggest changes include the introduction of bread and cakes to their diets and the inclusion of raw food. Bread has replaced rice as a staple food for breakfast in Taiwan. People are also becoming more adventurous and trying foods from other countries."

Dereke does foresee some problems for the Taiwanese ahead, however, if they fully embrace the Western diet at the expense of their traditional foods.

"Up until very recently, the Asian diet was predominantly two thirds carbohydrate and one third protein. It is now about 50/50 and that protein component is bound to increase with the emphasis of meat in the Western world. This will inevitably lead to obesity and you can already see signs of this in Taiwan."

The Gastronomy program covered a whole range of culinary issues, including the history and sociology of food, contemporary eating habits and the globalisation of food.

"I enjoy the culture behind food and that is why I can cook so many different dishes. The on-line course actually started out as a hobby because I felt I needed to use my brain, but it may very well end up being my security ticket to the future. I can teach for longer than I can cook, so this qualification might give me an income for the last 10 years of my working life," Dereke said.

After leaving New Zealand, Dereke built an impressive culinary reputation with the Sheraton Hotel chain, working in Shanghai and Taiwan.

He then helped open the Westin Hotel in Taipei, which features 12 different restaurants, before taking on another project, teaching culinary art.

In 1994, Dereke opened Finga's Base Camp, a delicatessan/bakery, and an Italian restaurant, Finga's, in Taichung.

The first name reflects the experiences of many of his customers - "a lot of people who come to Taiwan for the first time try out my deli and bakery. I set them up and they launch their travel adventure from here."

Dereke was one of 73 people to graduate at an offshore ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Hong Kong, on 30 April.

Story by Candy Gibson