Meet Our New Catering Manager: Why Sarah Chose Toowoomba After Seeing the World

“I love it,” says new catering manager and chef Sarah Walker of her first 3 months at Burstows Funerals.

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Born in Charleville and schooled in Toowoomba, including completing her 4-year apprenticeship here, Sarah has seen a good slice of the world since. She has run kitchens, opened a business with friends, worked at Mareeba and Kununurra, before spending about 5 years in Canada and Ireland, followed by Sydney and Brisbane; ultimately returning to Toowoomba 7 months ago. Her career has been incredibly varied too, from specialising in pastry to an RSL, restaurants, and even a hospital.

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“When I left, Toowoomba was just a small country town – it’s a totally different place now,” Sarah explains of her homecoming.

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With her husband having retired from Defence, Sarah is looking forward to not being constantly on the move, and having the chance to make a home and bring her daughter up in the same place she grew up herself.

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And her new position with Burstows is the icing on the proverbial cake!

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“When you go into a workplace, you get a vibe, and everyone was so respectful and welcoming here … it’s not something you get very often.”

After 5-6 weeks working with former longtime catering manager Sandy, Sarah is happy at the moment to follow in her footsteps, saying it wouldn’t make sense to “come in and change something that’s been so successful for so long”.

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That means lots of lovely handmade traditional comfort food, like scones and butterfly cakes. However, she does have a few ideas for the future to add her personal touch. Staff are already loving her winter soups.

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“I love creating new things … Everyone has a different palate, so it’s nice that you are not doing the same thing all the time,” Sarah said.

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But working at Burstows also involves quite a unique combination of cooking and caring.

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“As a chef, you are usually behind the scenes in the kitchen, but I have loved the chance to come out and meet the families we care for in the Pioneer Room … make sure that everyone has what they need, as much as we can … and they have all been so kind and thankful.”

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And at the end of a big day? Well, that’s time to head to the parks, continue setting up a new home and just enjoying family time.

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Good to have you back in Toowoomba, Sarah; we look forward to many happy years ahead!