FROM A FESTIVAL STAGE TO REACHING FOR THE CULINARY STARS – TOP CHEF GOALS FOR DARCY CALLANAN.
Ballarat’s Darcy Callanan has always wanted to be a chef. And when a humble meatball recipe caught the attention of an iconic Australian chef, it sent the teenager on a trajectory of working with famous chefs every year at one of the country’s biggest food, wine and music festivals, Grampians Grape Escape.
Now, the 18-year-old Loreto College graduate is pursuing her dreams at TAFE, with the help of two scholarships.
Darcy explained she had always enjoyed cooking, so when a competition came up on the Grampians Grape Escape Instagram to win the chance to cook on stage with Australian chef and presenter Geoff Jansz in 2022, she decided to enter.
Only 15 at the time, her meatball recipe won the competition, which saw the young woman cooking her own recipe in front of a crowd, alongside Jansz, who has cooked on Australian screens since 1992.
“It was amazing,” Darcy Callanan said.
“It was really cool to cook with a chef, and for him to actually like my recipe.
“I’m not a big public speaker but I felt it helped with my confidence.”
For the years following, Darcy returned to the festival, this time backstage, preparing food for the celebrity chefs’ masterclasses, completing jobs like preparing yabbies for Miguel Maestre’s paella.
She said it was a really fun experience she would encourage other aspiring chefs to consider.
“It was amazing, I would recommend it to anyone who wanted to do it,” she said.
“It just made me more excited about becoming a chef.”
Darcy is currently studying a dual qualification in Cookery and Patisserie at the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne.
She said she loved the course, enjoying cooking everyday as part of her studies.
She was awarded two scholarships to assist with her tertiary education: The Aspiring Dream Scholarship from Loreto College and the Victorian TAFE Network Hospitality Scholarship. She has used the money to fund her equipment and classes.
This year will be the first time in a while that Darcy will be heading to the Grampians Grape Escape festival as a patron rather than a volunteer – supporting another talented member of her family. Her uncle, accomplished country music artist Aaron D’Arcy, is performing on the Sunday on the main stage.
She will no doubt pop her head into the cooking tent to see Australian culinary stars and this years’ guests, Dani Venn and Justine Schofield in action.
The Grampians Grape Escape is on at Halls Gap Recreation Reserve from Friday May 2 – Sunday May 4.
There is still time to apply to volunteer at the 2025 Grampians Grape Escape.
Volunteering is a rewarding way to support a not-for-profit festival while gaining valuable skills like customer service, problem solving, and event operations, all in a fun and lively environment.
Work one 5.5-hour shift at Grampians Grape Escape and earn a free Saturday & Sunday Tasting Ticket ($185 value).
Click HERE to apply to volunteer.
