The Climb to Fine Dining

We're thrilled to connect with former student Laura Baratto (left PAC 2005), who has cooked her way to the top of the competitive world of fine dining. At just 36, Laura is the Group Chef for Matt Moran, overseeing all his acclaimed restaurants and food direction across media and events.

Laura's focus allowed her to start her career path immediately.

Laura knew early on she wanted a hands-on, creative career. After leaving PAC in Year 10, she immediately enrolled in an apprenticeship. "I did both further study and entered the workforce directly," she explains. She took a job at a chicken processing factory while doing TAFE, but quickly realized she belonged in a professional kitchen. "It wasn’t long until I got bored in this role and had the strong desire to be in restaurant kitchens.”

I started at Matt Moran’s ARIA Restaurant as a second-year apprentice in July 2007 at the age of 18. ARIA was tough, fast, refined and proficient a true two hat fine dining restaurant. It took a little while to get use to this life and cement myself as part of the team, once I did it became rewarding, learning everyday something new, how to stride for perfection and working efficiently. I spent 4.5 year at ARIA where I finished my apprenticeship and worked my way through the different sections of the kitchen. I had come to a point where I needed to learn more and had made the decision that it was time for me to move on, at this point Matt offered me the Sous Chef position of the opening of his new restaurant Chiswick, this would be the next step to my career growth and learnings, being in the management team of a kitchen for an opening of a business would teach me a lot about business, people management, menu creation and costings. From Chiswick I went onto Head Chef of the Art Gallery of NSW (Chiswick at the Gallery), Executive Chef Opera Bar and Executive Chef of Together with Solotel (Large Scale Catering and catering at the Opera House) along the way I have also helped in the writing and shooting of three of Matt’s cookbooks. After 13 years of being in the kitchens of nearly all of Matt’s venues I took the role of Group Chef for Matt Moran, which is the current title I hold, my role now I oversee all Matt’s kitchens and Food direction including restaurants, bars, pubs, media and events.

Mentorship and Rewards

For Laura, the greatest professional reward has shifted from personal achievement to fostering success in others.

"The ones that make me the proudest are watching chefs who I have taught and worked alongside go on and achieve success in their roles," she says. "The position I am in now, I support and mentor a lot of young chefs and to watch them thrive and get their wins is now the greatest reward."

She remains dedicated to the hospitality industry because of its unique reward: "You are the key to people’s special occasions—birthdays, engagements, and weddings. It is a fun industry... it is highly rewarding."

Looking Back at PAC

When asked for advice to her younger self, Laura is remarkably clear: "If I had my time again, I would do the same thing, maybe listen more in maths 😊."

Her fondest memory from PAC is perhaps unsurprising: Food Technology classes. "They were fun but also the only subject that I aced."

Laura’s perspective on life since leaving school is an inspiration to us all: "There is a saying that 'if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life.' I truly believe in this. I do not wake up in the morning thinking that going to work is a chore, it is fun!"

We thank Laura for sharing her incredible story and showing our current students that a clear passion and relentless hard work are the perfect ingredients for a successful career.