Kitchen Garden Companion: Growing

Stephanie Alexander AO is regarded as one of Australia’s great food educators. Her reputation has been earned through 30 years as an owner-chef in several restaurants, as the author of 18 influential books and for her groundbreaking work in creating the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation. Everything she has achieved and worked towards has been driven by her desire to break down anxieties about cooking, to emphasise the beauty of produce fresh from the garden and to promote the pleasures of sharing around a table. Her fifth book, The Cook’s Companion, is regarded as an Australian classic, and has sold over 500 000 copies and has won many awards. In 2013, Stephanie self-funded an easy-to-use digital app The Cook’s Companion App. In 2014 Stephanie became an Officer of the Order of Australia in recognition of her work with the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation now found in over 1000 educational settings across Australia. The program caters to children and young people of all abilities and backgrounds, with more than a million students engaged since the program started. She was named Victorian of the Year in 2010 and, in 2012, appeared in the number one position on Crikey magazine’s list of the most powerful people in Australian food. Her strong belief is that the earlier children learn about food through example and pleasurable hands-on experience, the better their food choices will be throughout life.