Prepare Produce Provide Chef’s
Chef Tanya Healy
It is our pleasure to introduce Prepare Produce Provides Head Chef Tanya Healy who is an integral part of the 2023 Djinda Ngardak Kinjarling program.
Raised in the ‘Wheat Belt’ of Western Australia Tanya undertook a chef’s Apprenticeship at Louisa’s under the helm of Neal Jackson, who trained at the Savoy in London, and instilled in her the importance of Mise En Place and gave her a solid technical foundation.
Tanya then worked under Marianne Kempt at the fine dining restaurant, Windows (Burswood now Crown) serving the Presidential Suite and specialising in desserts a la carte for 100 guests. Predominantly working alongside International Chefs, Tanya was referred to as “little Bunbury woman”. It was here she honed her skills in Sushi and Sugar making and learnt the importance of good communication. “Whilst the team of 10 had significantly different life experience and cultural upbringing, our culinary world was the same and our passion for creating beautiful food was universal.” says Tanya.
Tanya then completed a stint at the Oriel in Subiaco gaining Café experience before taking on the role as Sous Chef with the opening of Jackson’s contemporary fine- dining restaurant which remained a formidable award-winning restaurant for over a decade.
During this time Tanya mentored over 30 apprentices, introducing Western Australia to the degustation menu and featuring a dessert in ‘’Great Australian Chefs’’.
Tanya has lectured at the Australian School of Tourism and Hotel Management focusing on ‘Mine Ready’ ‘kitchen hands, Pastry and Commercial cookery. Having the opportunity to travel extensively through Asia, to run workshops, cater for private dinner parties, and venture out in cake decorating.
Tanya now works as a freelance chef with Perth Chefs and lecturers on Food Knowledge and Appreciation at ECU
Her role as head chef at Prepare Produce Provide focuses on 2 programs: 5000 meals, addressing food insecurity through innovative training programs and Djinda Ngardak, a program focussing on empowering Indigenous youth, channel industry employment pathways and educating on nourishment and wellbeing.
“After an ambitious trip to the central desert this year catering for 350+ community students and teachers, I realised that some of the most important journeys we make aren’t measured in kilometres but in the strength, wisdom, and love found along the way and the people we do it with.”
Chef Rohan Park
West Australian born Rohan Park spent his early years living and schooling across WA before basing himself in the southwest. Although coming from a long line of chefs and food industry professionals, he first tried his hand in mining and viticulture before following his roots into the hospitality industry.
Starting at the ground floor Rohan worked his way up through the ranks at several well known wineries in the Margaret River region before qualifying and finding his own feet. His keen interest in native ingredients and foraging led him to Paul Iskov and Stephne Pronk and he joined Fervor in 2016. The three year stint with Fervor allowed Rohan to travel across the country providing a unique dining experience in some of Australia's most breathtaking locations. During this time, his passion and understanding of native ingredients strengthened and grew.
After moving to Perth, Rohan joined The Royal Hotel’s powerhouse team to open its fine dining restaurant Fleur. Fleur opened in February 2020 offering seafood-focused tasting menus inspired by Japanese techniques and native Australian ingredients. Within the first two years, Fleur received many accolades including WA Good Food Guide’s Best New Restaurant and AHA Restaurant of the Year and received two chefs hats by the Australian Good Food Guide.
In 2021, Park joined forces with Old Young’s Distillery’s founder James Young to create the company’s first hospitality venture, Old Young’s Kitchen. The restaurant and bar was designed to complement the existing tasting room with the team setting out to elevate the face of drinking and dining in the Swan Valley.
Old Young’s Kitchen
The menu at Old Young’s Kitchen invokes a real sense of place, drawing on Rohan’s love for native foods, with a genuine focus on fresh, hyper-local and sustainable produce. There’s intention behind every ingredient on the plate, with little wasted and nothing there without a distinct purpose - an ethos that runs throughout the whole venue. The menu is not pigeon-holed to any one cuisine.
Old Young’s gin permeates the menu, with spent botanicals perfuming a smoked risotto with local mushrooms, and becoming the main aromats for cured kingfish with horseradish, samphire and geraldton wax.
Local produce comes in the form of the familiar (Shark Bay scallops, Linley Valley pork fillet, macadamia and honey from Gin Gin) as well as the more exotic. Dishes like crocodile chorizo with black garlic and lilly pilly and a kangaroo tartare with a native radish called youlk, emu egg yolk and ‘yesterday’s bread’ introduces diners to delicious native ingredients scarcely seen on a Perth menu.”
Chef Paul ‘Yoda’ Iskov
Paul Iskov established Fervor in March 2013, with the aim of providing a “culinary experience you can’t get anywhere else.” Fervor harness locally sourced native produce and share it with diners at unique locations across WA, including salt lakes, beautiful bushland and pristine beaches.
Paul boasts an outstanding resume, including experience in highly acclaimed kitchens around the world, including Vue De Monde, Amuse, D.O.M, COI, Pujol and Noma. He has a great love and respect for the land and endeavours to portray this through his food, locations, dedication and passion. Prepare Prodcue Provide and the Djinda Ngardak Kinjarling team are thrilled to have Paul returning to program in November to work alongside particpants.