By Leigh O’Connor.
From award-winning Chefs to innovative mixologists, women are shaking up the culinary scene and paving the way for future generations of female trailblazers in Australia.
Join us in recognising and applauding their achievements, as we celebrate International Women’s Day today and take an in-depth look at five women spearheading the charge around our country:
Ashleigh Pattinson started in the industry young due to a turbulent early life which created constant curve balls for her, however being placed with an incredible Chef showed her a way into the hospitality industry and ignited a culinary competitive side she didn’t know existed.
Now co-owner of Chef-hatted Nextdoor on Angelo Street in South Perth, Ashleigh delivers a contemporary refined dining experience designed to evoke an emotional sensory reaction from diners with offerings like Skull Island prawns, cooked over fire with chipotle and tomato water.
Inspired and transformed by her experiences with different cultures in remote and regional areas of Asia, Old Quarter Coffee’s CEO and founder, Amelia Hicks, is a self-taught businesswoman with a decade of experience in the social enterprise and start-up world.
Along with her partner, Yose, she co-owns Australia’s only roastery importing and roasting 100% Southeast Asian specialty coffee with the goal of improving the lives of the farmers they directly work with – including helping to build a much-needed water well for farmers in Laos.
Sommelier at The Ritz-Carlton in Perth and Hearth Restaurant, Camila Luzzi’s specialty lies in sustainability and bringing a passion for local and biodynamic wines to diners and guests. Graduating in Tourism Management and a qualified Sommelier, Camila has developed the hotel wine list to feature more than 30 WA wines by the glass and 180 by the bottle.
She continues to push boundaries with innovative wine pairings, including a Nebbiolo to accompany fish, orange wine to go with pork and a chilled Shiraz to accompany octopus; as well as organising wine tastings twice a week at Hearth, focusing on a different style and region each session.
Since 2017, Christine Chen has dreamt of opening a Japanese restaurant in Melbourne with friend and Chef Winston Zhang – leading to the stunning Chef-hatted dining destination Akaiito on Flinders Lane. The restaurant is full of brooding black marble and dark granite, as well as a luminous red thread installation that leads to the underground bar.
Christine installed the feature herself, which is mirrored in the red plates on the table, along with a seasonal Kojin menu offering robata grill choices, sushi prepared in front of you and an open kitchen to watch the creative Chefs in action.
In February this year, Mindy Woods became AGFG’s first indigenous female Chef Hat winner for her restaurant Karkalla on Fletcher Street in Byron Bay. A proud Bundjalung woman of the Widjabul Wia Bul clan, Mindy’s love of food started from a very young age and comprises some of her very first memories – family life centred around bringing people together through food.
Featuring locally sourced seasonal produce and native indigenous ingredients, alongside native-infused cocktails and Australian wines, Karkalla takes ancient ingredients to create modern flavours – it is not just a dining experience; it is a cultural adventure offering a true taste of country and connection to the world’s oldest living civilisation.
We have just scraped the surface of amazing women all over Australia making their mark in the hospitality industry…make sure to celebrate the woman in your life today!
