Gourmet Traveller 50 most influential people in food

Looking back over the past five decades, it’s clear that the way we dine today has been defined by a great variety of Australians. In considering who’s making the waves today that we’ll still be feeling 50 years from now, we looked not just to chefs, but to restaurateurs, farmers, authors, wine folk, butchers and designers. We’re looking at the picture from the ground up – not at the giants whose shoulders today’s pioneers stand upon, but at the people who are doing the job today, from the veterans to the new blood. They’re an inspiring bunch, and they’ve got even more to give.

This destination-dining pioneer opened Lake house in then-backwater Daylesford, Victoria, more than 30 years ago and has been championing the region, small-scale producers and a seasonal-regional mantra ever since. Hugely supportive of young chefs, heavily involved in the industry at every level including government, and unafraid to tackle bureaucracy when need be, she has a stack of awards, but leading by example – keeping Lake House at the top of its game for decades – is her greatest achievement.