Felix Sekulla spent much of his teen years working with his brother and sister in his parents’ restaurant in Christchurch, New Zealand. “My mum’s a pastry chef and my dad’s a chef. I learned the art of working really hard and when I worked front of house, I learned a lot about relationships and people,” the 35-year-old says.

Being a waiter ignited a love of cooking and taught him the value in making connections. One evening, during his last year of high school, a diner he was serving at the restaurant offered him a job combine harvesting.