Alla Wolf Tasker has enough national and international awards to fill virtually every wall of her house on the lake. Recent accolades include a listing in Tatler’s Top 100 hotels in the world, listing in The Australian’s Hottest 50 Restaurants and Australia’s Best Country Winelist from Gourmet Traveller.
Widely credited for getting regional destination dining started in Australia against all odds; Alla’s tenacity and a belief in what was possible is indeed legendary.
Her pursuit of excellence at Lake House and her continued successes over the ensuing three decades has led many to emulate her aspirations and standards for culinary tourism in regional Australia.
An icon in regional dining, Lake House in Daylesford has long been considered to be one of Australia’s best restaurants, championing local seasonal cuisine long before it became a mantra for many. The hotel and all manner of indulgent facilities that have grown around the restaurant over the past three decades continue to delight visitors from near and far.
Alla’s work with small scale producers in her immediate region and also from across Australia is also legendary, often providing a voice for the unsung hero suppliers of the culinary world. Her networks now extend across the continent and she is an inaugural national judge in the delicious Annual Produce Awards – a program that has grown to include 3,800 nominations from small scale artisan producers this year.
Alla is also founding chair of Daylesford Macedon Produce – a 14 year old organisation linking, growers, producers, chefs and retailers in a true local food system for that region.
Committed to the development of young people in her industry, Alla has chaired the selection panel for The Age Good Food Guide’s Young Chef of the Year Award for many years. She continues to serve on a plethora of industry boards and committees including The Victorian Food and Wine Tourism Council and the Tourism Victoria Board. She is also Patron to the Daylesford Primary School’s Kitchen and Garden Project and amongst a myriad of fundraising projects has just completed a cookbook for them.
Her own book was launched in NYC in 2006.
Although her role as chief to the 110 strong ‘tribe’ at her award winning Lake House remains closest to her heart, she’s also an ambassador for the regions, champion of producers and food provenance, mentor to a generation of young industry, ambassador for good food, sustainability and best practise, public speaker, writer, educator, trendsetter and hero to a long list of self-confessed food lovers. Lake House also continues to garner awards and accolades in this, its 30th year of operations.
Alla has been recognised with two Living Legend Awards and the Australia Day honours for her contribution to the industry at large.
