Meet the women making their mark on Victorian food, wine, hospitality and tourism

Whether it’s in food and wine, hospitality or tourism, these makers and creators are breathing new life into cities and towns.

Beth Connor is a fourth-generation paddlesteamer worker and one of only two female skippers on the Murray River. PICTURE: ANDY ROGERS

Women are making their mark in and on Victoria, with female makers and creators paving the way in the food, wine, hospitality and tourism sectors.

From a paddle steamer skipper, to an assistant winemaker, jewellery designer, serial entrepreneur keen to escape corporate life and a chef championing the paddock-to-plate approach, these women are following their passions.

Between them they are bringing joy to wine lovers and fans of authentic flavours, inspiring visitors with historic tales of the Murray River, creating simple but beautiful bespoke jewellery and reimagining Halls Gap — the gateway to one of Victoria’s most awe-inspiring national parks.

Get more travel inspo and ideas in Space magazine, only in the Sunday Herald Sun on March 21.

Jerry Mai, Bia Hoi and Pho Nom, Melbourne

The culinary brains behind several restaurants, Jerry Mai champions locally sourced ethical produce.

She says the fresh ingredients come direct from some of Victoria’s best farms, which use sustainable farming practices.

For the past few months, Jerry has been hosting Vietnamese barbecue pop-ups at Mornington Peninsula’s Ocean Eight Winery.

“We thought we’d do something different, and who doesn’t like a barbecue,” she says.

And while the Saigon-born chef admits she’s biased, she believes it’s the light, delicate and interesting flavours that make Vietnamese food so appealing.

“My predecessors did a really good job in laying the groundwork, and I’m very excited and proud of the next generation who have come up and changed the face of it, and made people think about Vietnamese food differently,” she says.

“It can be delicious, it can be really fancy, and the produce we’re using now is so much better.”

When it comes to her paddock-to-plate ethos, Jerry says: “We deserve to eat well, we should all be eating ethical and sustainable food. And we need to support local farmers, I wholeheartedly believe that’s where our future is.”

Brigitte Rodda, assistant winemaker, Best’s Great Western

Unlike many winemakers, Brigitte Rodda didn’t have any exposure to vineyards while growing up.

However, the self-proclaimed “science nerd” did always have a natural affinity and love for science, and her father was keen to help her brainstorm a future career path.

“He would rattle off all these different jobs to me as we were chatting, and I remember one day he said winemaking … it just stuck in my mind,” Brigitte says.

The New Zealand-born winemaker, now 33, studied viticulture and oenology, before honing her craft in places including Hawke’s Bay, Marlborough, California and Western Australia.

Brigitte Rodda, of Best's Great Western, is one of the few female winemakers. Picture: Supplied.

At Best’s Great Western she produces wines including shiraz and the Old Vine Pinot Meunier, which is made with grapes from some of the world’s oldest vines.

There have also been other vintage moments; her now-husband staged a surprise marriage proposal among the vines.

Brigitte, still one of very few female winemakers, says she loves putting her stamp on the wines, then seeing people enjoy her creations.

“I love the science about it, I love that it’s super creative — I guess it’s a marriage of the two which I find really fun.”

Carly Flecknoe, Grampians music festival director

Some would see a treechange as the perfect opportunity to wind life back a little.

But Carly Flecknoe, who moved from Melbourne to the Grampians with husband Richard in 2015, instead decided to embrace her entrepreneurial side in a village she saw as brimming with opportunity.

First, the couple turned a rundown Halls Gap backpackers’ hostel into a popular cafe, which they transformed into Raccolto Pizzeria during lockdown.

Carly also opened two Airbnbs, built three shops (including her own, Dot and Frankie) and is director of the Grampians Music Festival.

Carly Flecknoe has made the most of opportunities in Halls Gap to help its transformation. PICTURE: Zoe Phillips

“I think if one woman can be a restaurateur, an accommodation owner, a property manager and a retail owner, as well as running a music festival, it tells you how much opportunity is around here,” Carly says.

Just in case there was any time to get bored, the pair has also adopted three siblings under five.

Carly is excited to be part of an image transformation in the Grampians, though she admits she has had to get used to sharing the national park now that visitors are flocking back.

“I’ve got to get over having to share the waterfalls; it’s just how it is,” she says with a laugh.

Lucinda Newton, Luone jewellery, Port Fairy

Jewellery designer Lucinda Newton left the PR world to run her own business, Luone.

“I’ve always been obsessed with jewellery and constantly dreamt up ideas as a child, always eyeing off pieces and thinking of ways I would make my own unique pieces,” Lucinda says.

She juggled her business part time, showing her pieces at shows and markets, before expanding into a full-time operation, including a shopfront in the heart of the coastal town.

Lucinda Newton left PR to open Luone Jewellery in Port Fairy. Picture: Supplied.

“Port Fairy is such a pretty, unique little place; it’s idyllic,” she says.

“There’s a beautiful community here, paired with great shops, cafes and restaurants.”

Lucinda launched a side business selling Australian-made wares and art in the annex of her shop during last year’s lockdown.

She says she was touched by the community outreach to small businesses, including her own.

“I feel so lucky, people from not only Port Fairy but surrounding towns have been so supportive.”

Beth Conner, Murray River Paddlesteamers

For much of 2020, the distinctive whistles of Echuca’s historic steamers fell silent.

“If you’re around here long enough, you can tell what time it is by what whistle is where,” Beth Conner says. “Nobody quite knew what time of day it was.”

The fourth generation paddlesteamer worker fell in love with the boats aged five, when her grandfather popped her behind the wheel.

Now 31, the Murray River Paddlesteamers captain is one of only two female skippers on the river. It’s her dream job. “For starters, my office is awesome,” she says.

“Just on the PS Canberra (built by her great-grand uncle), you look around and think this boat is coming up on 108 years old, she’s had 30 or 40 different skippers … she’s seen about 10 million passengers.”

Sharing that history is one of the things Beth loves about life on the river.

Get more travel inspo and ideas in Space magazine, only in the Sunday Herald Sun on March 21. Discover more of Victoria’s creative thinkers at visitvictoria.com/makers