Alysia Chan, head chef, The Black Swan

ALYSIA CHAN WAS filleting a fish for the first time at the now-defunct Sage when she found herself fascinated by the challenge of removing flesh off the bones while ensuring as little as possible went to waste. This one task sparked her interest in whole animal butchery and it later formed the foundation of her minimal-waste cooking ethos.

Chan is now the mastermind behind The

Black Swan’s new nose-to-tail dining concept.

Armed with butchery knowledge gained from her other past stints at modern steakhouse Meat Smith and Sydney’s Feather and Bone Providore, Chan is focused on minimising food wastage and respecting the ingredients and producers she works with.

She is also a firm supporter of female chefs. As one of the few female head chefs and a founding member of The Anna Alliance (a support network of female hospitality professionals in the region), Chan hopes to shatter archaic stereotypes that often plague women in the industry. The Anna Alliance, which was conceived by a two-woman team in 2017, has grown a hundredfold since its genesis. Today, it continues to nurture a collaborative community for women in the F&B and hospitality industries to celebrate and support each other.