Chef’s sweet win

By Dion Teasdale
A YARRA Glen apprentice chef has been awarded the inaugural Suzanne Halliday Perpetual Trophy for her creative use of Yarra Valley produce.
Tammie Albert, a third year apprentice chef currently studying at Swinburne University in Lilydale, was awarded the trophy as part of Swinburne’s Apprentice of the Year awards.
The awards were staged in the university’s restaurant, Mitchell’s View, last Tuesday, 15 November in front of more than 100 food and wine industry guests and university staff.
Ms Albert, who has been employed as an apprentice chef for the past two years at Mt Rael Retreat in Healesville, was awarded the Suzanne Halliday trophy for creating the Best Original Dish featuring Yarra Valley produce.
This year marks the introduction of the new award which was named in honour of Mrs Halliday, the founder of the Yarra Valley Regional Food Group.
Ms Albert, who created an orange almond mousse with blood orange sorbet and Kennedy Wilson chocolate shards, said she was delighted to win the award.
“Winning the trophy means everything to me. Being a chef is what I want to do with my life and this award is definitely a real boost to my confidence,” she said.
“It has helped me decided what direction I want to head in as well. Up until I won the award I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, but now I know I want to be a pastry chef.”
Ms Albert said she used the juice from an orange taken from a tree at the front of her Yarra Glen home to give her award-winning dessert an additional local flavour.
Mt Rael Retreat head chef John Knoll said he was very proud of Ms Albert’s success.
“It is quite an honour for Tammie to be the very first recipient of the Suzanne Halliday trophy and she fully deserves it,” he said.