Employer: Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People

Kirsten has many titles. Chef, food writer, passionate equality advocate, activist, Instagrammer, blogger, film producer, and recipe columnist. She is often featured on ABC EveryDay and has a cooking program on YouTube. Above all, Kirsten is a dedicated vocational education and training practitioner and is a passionate advocate and ambassador of VET.  

Starting her career as the first female apprentice pastry chef in Tasmania, in a small patisserie in Hobart at the age of 18, Kirsten continues to work in the VET sector, 40 years later. In her role at Elizabeth College at the Department for Education, Children and Young People, Kirsten brings her passions as a chef, hospitality teacher and food writer together. Kirsten is fiercely committed to her students and works tirelessly to ensure their VET experiences are real, engaging, challenging, and rewarding. She has had great success not only with employment outcomes of her students, but also engaging them in the hospitality industry.  

Kirsten is committed to ensuring that all her students are given relevant and exciting opportunities to practise their craft and be involved in industry activities and real events.