The initial shock of lockdown has subsided and after nearly a year and a half we're starting to see what a post-pandemic economy will look like.

Restaurants and the people that run them have always had to think on their feet, adapting in the moment to an endless stream of urgent challenges.

COVID-19 stretched those coping capabilities to and beyond the limit for many venues, reshaping the way we dine and the way restaurants operate.

Orange and the Central West found an upside in a huge boom in domestic tourism.

Diners from Sydney and elsewhere, many of them accustomed to winter holidays overseas, started to explore regional Australia.

Our fabulous food and wine scene provided the ideal drawcard and reopening restaurants were finding themselves busier than ever.

Demand for our products is terrific but hospitality venues face a massive challenge in finding the staff to produce them.

The closure of international borders has denied us a vital component of our workforce. International students and backpackers have long made up a big part of restaurant teams, both front and back of house.

Foreign workers have brought to Australia a much-needed work ethic and global standards that have enriched Australian dining enormously.

The loss of overseas workers has been felt well beyond restaurants and cafes.

In recent months orchardists have been left with fruit spoiling on the trees as they can't get it picked at a worthwhile price.

The problem also extends beyond our region.

Restaurants in major centres are just as desperate for staff, diminishing our hopes of drawing tree-changers.

Global cities such as London and Paris are facing the same difficulty as they begin to reopen to the public.

Sarah Crowley, venue manager of The Union Bank, is at the front line of the staffing crisis.

Despite offering above award rate wages, in-job training, free staff meals, roster flexibility and a supportive work environment there is a constant battle to find enough staff - "we could take more customers but without the staff we'd have to jeopardise our standards and we can't do that."

In an industry with a large labour component and notoriously low profit margins, offering higher wages isn't usually an option.

But wages have increased.

As have other costs, including produce, rent, insurance, alcohol tax, and the many costs of keeping up with the ever increasing expectations of diners.

Shows like Masterchef have convinced many that great dining experiences come easy, while in reality restaurant menu prices have barely risen in decades.

Having to compete with shady businesses that flaunt the law, offering cash wages or not paying suppliers just adds another layer of cost and difficulty.

Encouraging the next generation to enter the industry is critical.

In Australia an imported culture of overworked staff and abusive behaviour is increasingly fading into the past and young people should know that hospitality training can lead to a rewarding and fulfilling career with global demand.

Institutions such as TAFE Orange and Kinross Wolaroi's hospitality program are doing a great job inspiring the region's youth.

"It's hard work but there are so many perks," Crowley tells me.

"Hospitality teaches you great skills that are useful in life. Our young people are learning to problem solve and think on their feet."

For consumers, a little appreciation goes a long way.

Hospitality is hard work when it's done well and our best people are often stretched pretty thin.

We're fortunate here to have a terrific dining scene and with some positivity it can continue to flourish.

1x puff pastry sheet

2kg quinces

2kg sugar

2x vanilla bean

600ml cream

1C icing sugar

Richard Learmonth is an experienced chef who will be contributing a food column with the Central Western Daily every fortnight.

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