HEAD CHEF
Tanya Healy
Tanya Healy is a seasoned chef, educator, and programme leader who infuses creativity, expertise, and passion into every aspect of her work. With over 30 years in the culinary field, she has spent the last four years as Head Chef at Prepare Produce Provide, overseeing the development and delivery of numerous high-impact projects.
Congratulations!
Our own Head Chef Tanya Healy has won the WA Excellence in Volunteer Management award in the WA Volunteer of the Year Awards.
Check out the video!
In the beginning…
Originally from the Great Southern region and raised across Western Australia’s Wheatbelt and Southwest, Tanya began her apprenticeship at Louisa’s under Neal Jackson. Having trained at London’s Savoy, Jackson provided Tanya with a formidable technical foundation. During this time, she achieved excellence in numerous cooking competitions, earning recognition as both the Salon Culinaire Apprentice Chef and Pastry Chef of the Year.
Salon Culinaire Apprentice Chef and Pastry Chef of the Year.
Windows (Burswood)
She later worked alongside Marianne Kempf at Windows, the fine-dining restaurant at Burswood (now Crown), where she served the Presidential Suite and prepared à la carte desserts for up to 100 guests. Often collaborating with international chefs, Tanya earned the affectionate nickname “little Bunbury woman.” This experience helped her master sushi and sugar work while highlighting the importance of effective communication. As Tanya notes, “Our team of ten had diverse backgrounds and life experiences, but our shared passion for creating beautiful food united us.”
“Our team of ten had diverse backgrounds and life experiences, but our shared passion for creating beautiful food united us.”
Jackson’s
Following a stint at Oriel in Subiaco, Tanya became Sous Chef for the launch of Jackson’s. This contemporary fine-dining establishment maintained its award-winning status for over a decade and was famously listed as a ‘Fine Table’ by the New York Times. During her tenure, Tanya mentored more than 30 apprentices, introduced the degustation menu to Western Australia, and had one of her signature desserts featured in the book Great Australian Chefs.
An excerpt from Great Australian Chefs:
“Tanya Healy is second chef and seems very much in control. She works skilfully and quickly. Neal appears as a team player in his own kitchen and does not dominate physically or verbally. He finds little need to communicate to Tanya as she knows his dishes and style so well, having worked with him for more than five years, four as an apprentice and a year at Jackson's.”
Tanya has remained a dedicated educator throughout her career, lecturing at the Australian School of Tourism and Hotel Management and most recently at Edith Cowan University, where she focused on Food Knowledge and Appreciation. In her current leadership role, she develops and runs the Djinda Ngardak programs, as well as Teacher Professional Development, Power Up for Dust Up, Career Taster, and the WA Secondary Schools Bush Foods Competition.
A philanthropist at heart, Tanya is passionate about creating opportunities and levelling the playing field for those in remote areas while highlighting outstanding Australian ingredients.
This commitment was recently showcased at the World Indigenous Tourism Summit’s Djinda Ngardak gala dinner; Tanya led a team of students and volunteers from five Western Australian regions to create 53 intricate sugar coolamon sculptures, infused with native ingredients, for 530 guests.
Product development
Tanya continues to develop and lead diverse workshops and was integral to the research and development of Prepare Produce Provides bespoke Yarning Tea.
Tanya remains deeply committed to food as a universal connector, championing the unique nourishment and health advantages offered by native ingredients.
Djinda Ngardak
Tanya’s leadership has helped cement Djinda Ngardak’s reputation as a gold-standard initiative for youth development. The programme’s success has earned significant industry recognition, including the Industry Leadership Award for its founders and the prestigious opportunity for its students to represent Australia at the World Culinary Olympics. Under her guidance, the initiative continues to win support through major community achievement grants, ensuring that First Nations youth from remote regions have a direct pathway to excellence on the world stage.
