Vocational Service Award – 2011/2012

The Rotary Club of Melbourne established the Vocational Service Award in 1964.  It is presented annually to a person who has achieved a high level of excellence in their vocation and through such vocation has rendered outstanding service to the community.

The 2011-12 Rotary Club of Melbourne Vocational Service Award recognises the service of distinguished cook, restaurateur, and author, Stephanie Alexander OAM.

Ms Alexander’s story began, when after studying to become a librarian and with no thoughts of working in food professionally, she left Australia to travel the world, which for her at that time was primarily France. 

Stephanie’s first restaurant was Jamaica House, which opened in 1964.  Her iconic Stephanie’s Restaurant, first opened in 1976 in Fitzroy, and moved 4 years later to its well-known home in Hawthorn.  Over 21 years Stephanie’s Restaurant became known as an Australian culinary benchmark, breaking new ground in service, innovative use of ingredients, and championing small producers. In 1997, with three other partners, Stephanie opened Richmond Hill Cafe & Larder.

Having published 12 books, Stephanie is a widely recognised author.  Her Australian classic, The Cooks Companion, was expanded and revised in 2004.  Her Kitchen Garden Companion, published in 2009, is designed for families wanting to garden, cook and above all, eat together, embodying the spirit of the Kitchen Garden Foundation.

Ms Alexander established the first Kitchen Garden at Collingwood College in 2001.  The project reflected her belief that the earlier children learn about food through example and positive experiences, the better their food choices would be through life.  The Collingwood College kitchen garden demonstrated great success in inspiring primary age school children to learn about food by cultivating, picking, preparing, cooking and sharing food.

In 2004 The Kitchen Garden Foundation was established expanding with hard won Government support initially in Victoria, and in 2009, with Australian Government assistance, to nearly 190 primary schools nationally.

Stephanie Alexander is an exemplar of the Rotary ideal of Service above Self and joins a distinguished body of men and women who have been previous recipients of this award.