
The first day of the Noosa Food and Wine Festival the gates were opened to by 200 women for the Westpac Ruby Luncheon. Guest speakers Stephanie Alexander, Nicky Riemer and Jane Ferrari talked about how they got started in business. The challenges, changes and how they gained success.

ABOVE: from left to right; Jane Ferrari, Stephanie Alexander, Nicky Reimer and Larke Riemer
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation has just been granted three years of support from the Federal Minister for Health. Stephanie Alexander is educating children of what goes in and out of the soil, to what ends up on your plate. As a librarian she thought, food was for fun. Opening Stephanie’s, her own restaurant in Melbourne, filled with pleasure and difficult decisions.
Working in the industry for over 30 years, Alexander has made marvelous friendships with colleagues, inspiring and influencing them, to seeing them now in their own restaurants. Admitting “It is hard to run a restaurant with your own money” said Alexander, especially while you have young children. “We all came out of it the best we could,” said Alexander, in life “you should be able to discuss and communicate the things that went wrong”.
“I did not have good enough grades, to be a vet” says Jane Ferrari, PR for Yulumba wines. Ferrari trained as a wine maker, in the Barossa, after 15 years in production for Yulumba, she was offered to become the storyteller for Yulumba wine. Speaking honestly about doubt, weighing up the pros and cons of the job, Ferrari still compared herself to other PR’s looks. Turning down the job because of her appearance, Ferrari’s boss assured her, that they did not want someone from the tits and teeth brigade. The audience went from laughter to feeling compassion of Ferrari’s story. Now with the support from her family and a boss who believes in her, Ferrari explains “Public speaking is the most difficult thing I do.”
Nicky Riemer studied engineering, before realising she was not doing what she loved. “Do what makes your heart sing” advice given by her “father” said MC Larke Riemer. Riemer started as an apprentice, in her second year working under Stephanie Alexander. Now at 40, finally owning her own restaurant, Union Dining, Melbourne, with a business partner who she trusts taking care of the front of house, Reimer admits to enjoying being in the kitchen.
The three women left us all assured that things will get easier, that working hard does pay off. With support of friends, family and business partners, success is possible. Nurturing as we are, to remember that we need to push more for our own careers.
For advice about Women in Business, visit Ruby Connection http://rubyconnection.com.au/

The entrée was put together by Stephanie Alexander, an autumn inspired salad with soft and crunchy leaves, apples, fruit complemented with something salty like bacon and rich like quail eggs.

(PHOTO) baked barramundi mustard herb curst, parsley purée, balsamic shallots w Yulumba eden valley viognier
Dessert was a Yarra Valley cheese platter, yering camembert, black savourine, toasted walnuts, muscatels, honeycomb w Yulumba scribbler

ABOVE: Y series by Yulumba
BELOW: The packed Auditorium
