I drove to Geelong on a sunny day at the start of January to talk to Eddie Basich. We had a coffee at Pavilion Geelong, and it was full summer carnival vibes. People were having picnics, the pool and waterfront were packed and there was a cruise ship out in the bay. Eddie is a private chef with 37 years’ experience cooking in hotel and restaurant kitchens here and in the UK. What he loves most about being a chef is the opportunity to teach people about food, younger chefs but also the diners. He delights in watching peoples’ faces when they taste his food. We talked perfect pomme purée, how to correctly season and the importance of family and where your family is from. ‘Food, glorious food’ is one of Eddie’s mantras and that really came through as we spoke. As well as his private chef gigs, Eddie is looking forward to more media and networking opportunities and he is all about sharing his love and knowledge about food and cooking.