The S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition is an annual event to support a personal vision for the world of food, demonstrating how food can have a positive impact on society at large through ethical and sustainable food practices. When it comes to choosing the judges for this prestigious award, the Academy looks for chefs who hold sustainable and ethical food sourcing as a central to their cuisine. The five judges chosen for the 2024-2025 competition are Brigitte Hafner (Tedesca Osteria, VIC, Rosheen Kaul (Etta, VIC), Josh Niland (Saint Peters, NSW), Brent Savage (Bentley Group, NSW), Jake Kellie (arkhé, SA). When asked whether I’d like to talk to one of them, I of course wanted to talk to all of them. But I have wanted to have a chat to Brigitte for years, actually from her Gertrude Street Enoteca days. I knew that I would love finding out more about Tedesca Osteria, Brigitte’s dream come true, a beautiful restaurant on a biodynamic farm and estate in Red Hill and I was also keen to know what made her become a chef in the first place. This chat was everything I knew it would be as Brigitte so articulately expressed the challenges of growing food, her passion for cooking and for the hospitality industry as well as her excitement at being asked to be a judge and working with young talent. We spoke over the phone and the only thing that would have made this conversation any better would have been to have been at Red Hill in front of the fire with Brigitte, looking out at the farm and the autumn colours she so loves.