Product development extraordinaire, professional eater & all round trouble-maker! Mum to two French Bulldogs: Pickles and Sprout, and a cat: Noodles Telina first dipped her toes into the culinary world when she took an apprenticeship at the Hyatt Regency Perth in 2005. Since this point, she was hooked.

Her career spans across multiple roles from Chef de Cuisine at Perth Exhibition Centre to Head Function Chef at a renowned UK catering company; National Executive Chef for Publican Group Australia to her current position as Executive Chef and Business Development Manager of Food Operations for Australian Venue Co. At Australian Venue Co, Telina mentors and trains a talented team of chefs across 15 iconic Melbourne pubs while also managing innovative and creative menu solutions for new venue projects, off-site activations, and pop-ups.

Telina is always determined to raise the bar and push the boundaries when it comes to the menus she creates and the food she cooks. A passionate advocate for mental health, culture and diversity within the industry, Telina recently championed a ‘Meals for Hospo Mates’ program which saw over 65,000 free meals provided to VISA workers and out of work hospitality staff over the Melbourne lockdown period. “They say if you love what you do, you never have to work a day in your life”