Mariana Chedid is an exquisite pâtissiere. She also wants to change the world for the better, starting with the people she meets on her life journey as well as those she works with and who come into Brulee Patisserie in Port Melbourne. Mariana discovered a love for cooking by accident when she was working in hospitality while studying architectural technology. Around the time she decided to pursue cooking, she was reading Julia Child’s book, My Love of France, and decided to follow in her footsteps and learn cooking at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. After internships at both the prestigious Parisian institution, La Tour d’Argent and iconic patisserie, Gateau Thoumieux, Mariana brought her love for cooking back to Melbourne. Brulee Patisserie is like a little portal into France in its décor, music and the delicious croissants and French cakes and the aroma as you enter the door is enough to transport you. And as if Mariana wasn’t already quite the wonder woman, she recently teamed up with podcaster, JP, to create Through the eyes of a chef, a YouTube channel and Instagram account which sees the pair embark on a mission to explore new tastes, textures, and aromas, and sharing their discoveries with the viewer. Despite JP’s vision impairment, he exudes a passion for exploration, adventure, and a deep appreciation for life's finer aspects. This was such an inspiring conversation and I came away feeling all the better for having met Mariana.