Page 41 - foodservice magazine September 2018

WOMEN IN FOODSERVICE AWARDS 2018
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CHEF OF THE YEAR
“My aim is to create original, deliciously crafted food with a focus on clean, balanced flavours. I want people to relate to what they’re eating, have fun and feel a sense of warmth and honesty. Over the years, my food philosophy has evolved into a personal style that celebrates cook- ing in Australia, along with my travels and experiences. I am also passionate about sourcing high-quality and handpicked local produce, in particular working closely with farmers.”
EMMA MCCASKILL,
head chef, The Pot by Emma McCaskill (SA)
LEGEND OF THE INDUSTRY
“For me, striving for excellence and running a successful business has meant staying true to a vision of ‘food from our farm produced in a sustainable way’. This has entailed respecting and promoting the environment, supporting the community and being financially responsible. Having created a much-recognised and loved brand in Meredith Dairy and having the raw ma- terials grown on our farm transformed into beautiful products is simply wonderful.”
JULIE CAMERON,
co-owner and manager, Meredith Dairy (VIC)
LEADERSHIP IN FOODSERVICE
“Success over the years has meant many different things to me. Cur- rently working with the training and education of today’s young chefs and upcoming hospitality professionals, I view my success in terms of their growth, development and achieve- ments. It is great to be at a stage in my career that I can give back to the industry that has given me so much.”
KAREN DOYLE,
president of Australian Culinary Federation and program manager at
Le Cordon Bleu Australia (NSW)
“The profession chose me. I wanted to channel my creative ideas into something that everyone could enjoy and share together. So I switched from project management to become a chef. It’s been a long road, but I never feel more sure about what I should be doing than when I am in the kitchen.”
CHRISTY TANIA,
owner and head pastry chef, Glace Frozen (VIC)
“I have always been prepared to stand up and be counted. I don’t believe in asking anyone to do something I would not be prepared to do myself. Hopefully with age and experience we do become wiser. I think that now I am more strategic, investing time in thinking, to work on my business, and not just in it. It is important to be clear-sighted and to ensure that staff and colleagues understand their roles and aren’t replicating the work of another.”
LYNDEY MILAN,
director, Lyndey Milan Enterprises / Flame Media (NSW)
“The greatest lesson I have learnt – and this applies to my personal and professional life – is just to give things a red-hot go.
I constantly tell the Ozganics team there is no point wondering, ‘What if?’ Instead ask yourself, ‘Why not?’ I have found that by simply being open to failure extraordinary things can happen. And with the prospect of ‘wellness’ entering the mainstream market (finally!) the Ozganics team is set for a very exciting future.
ANNI BROWNJOHN,
managing director, Ozganics Australia Pty Ltd (NSW)