ALLA WOLF-TASKER

CULINARY DIRECTOR AND CO-PROPRIETOR OF LAKE HOUSE DAYLESFORD

I am happiest when … I feel I’ve been productive. I’m not a great time-waster. But being still and in the moment, gazing at some of the magnificent views we have here, doesn’t go astray, either.

You wouldn’t know it but I … was a fairly shy and retiring young woman. Perhaps it’s because I was in a profession so dominated by men. The last time I cried was … yesterday. I was in an aeroplane and watching a movie. Movies, books and music often make me cry. The last book I read was …

The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld, an intriguing murder mystery woven around Sigmund Freud’s only visit to the US in the early 1900s.

I’d really like to … contribute to the development of a strong and lasting Good Food culture for Australia. We might end up needing fewer hospitals.

My guilty pleasure is … binge-watching films in the early hours of the morning. Life has taught me … to be less adamant about most things. I’m about to … get involved in examining the potential for an Institute of Gastronomy at Daylesford. It’s been a three-year project for me so far. What I enjoy

about my work is … being surrounded by dedicated young people who are passionate about what we do. I love the fervour of their ideas. Their boundless energy keeps me going. My first job was … working as a dish-washer for a caterer.

Join Alla Wolf-Tasker on Tuesday at the Tasmanian Hospitality Association’s two-day workshop at Wrest Point Convention Centre, Sandy Bay. The workshop, which starts on Monday, costs $280 a person. For more information, visit australianhotels.asn.au/conference