LOVE ON A PLATE
As co-owner of Pottsville restaurant Pipit (alongside head chef and husband Ben Devlin), Yen Trinh knows first hand the trials and triumphs of being the partner of a chef and restaurant owner, in love, life and business. This is how she dreamt up Chef Widow Club, an illustration project where Trinh chats to and draws chefs and their partner’s first meals, and discusses how they met and furthermore, navigate their relationship.
The idea was sparked when Trinh was struggling with her own relationship. “I was actually wanting to find role models and positive strategies,” says Trinh. “How were [others] making it work?” Covid-19 was the push Trinh needed to start the illustration project, and she’s now interviewed and depicted 40-plus couples from across Australia. Trinh used the project as a creative outlet but also got a kick out of shining a light on the partners who are often behind the scenes, and a major support network for chefs. It’s also unveiled some patterns and other practical strategies, like routines and dedicating time together. “It reinforced some of the thoughts and feelings I had struggled with, and understood they were common to others too,” says Trinh.
The couples Trinh has illustrated aren’t always both from the hospitality industry, but both often have a strong connection to it. Chefs include Darren Robertson (Three Blue Ducks) and partner Magdalena Roze, David Lovett (Ethel
Food Store) and partner Sarah Millet, and Sam Young (Merivale) and partner Yongen Chen (Poly). Trinh is always on the hunt for more hungry and happy couples to immortalise in drawing, and gifts the image to the couples to keep. Along with a sense of camaraderie, the project has also solidified Trinh’s love for illustration and its storytelling ability.
“One of my favourite and surprise learnings is realising that most couples actually don’t have any visual record of these dishes,” says Trinh. “It’s oddly refreshing and special in this Instagram age to not have photos, to have just great memories, and how drawings can give them life in a different way.” chefwidowclub.wordpress.com