Amanda Smith wins VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year Award @ The Australian Training Awards 2011

Amanda Smith is passionate about food and wine. For more than 30 years she has worked in the hospitality industry in both Australia and the United Kingdom as a chef, manager and trainer. Since 2005 she has been providing off-the-job training in Commercial Cookery to apprentice chefs from the Margaret River region.

Through her training, Amanda aims to give students an appreciation and understanding of the South West’s local produce. In her highly practical ‘Paddock to Plate’ class, students meet with farmers, foragers, olive oil experts, truffle growers and vignerons. Students also have the opportunity to press grapes and hunt for truffles and native bush foods indigenous to the area. At the conclusion of this unit, students prepare a long table lunch for local producers and chefs using their new found skills.

To continue her professional development, Amanda recently visited China as a guest chef and also spent a week in Singapore where she had the opportunity to visit the At-Sunrice Global Chef Academy