Anna Fotakis is one of thousands who applied for the position of Taste Master, one of the six “best jobs of the world” on offer by Tourism Australia. This competition saw applicants from around the world submitting a 30 second video explaining why they should be selected to have one of the best jobs in the world.
The position of Taste Master requires one lucky winner to travel across Western Australia for six months, eating and drinking their way around the state and seeking out the best produce and culinary secrets, whilst at the same time sharing their discoveries with the world. Tourism Australia received over 500,000 applications, out of which they narrowed it down to 25 finalists for each job. Anna was one of them, and now she has to compete with the other 24 hopeful Taste Masters to make it through to the next stage.
The foodie within…
Anna was raised in Crete, Greece and has always showed a keen interest in food. As a child she would often fall asleep at the taverna table until the lamb chops were placed in front of her and the first job she ever wanted to do was to be a professional chocolate taster.
Surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, where oil and wine are still customary produced from family plots, Anna grew up appreciating how food and drink can be created with pride and love.
She often seeks out the best of local eateries whenever she goes travelling, trusting that things off the beaten path will often bring the most pleasant surprises. Over the years she has attended several wine and whisky festivals and traveled across the US, Europe, and forays in Australia and the Middle East seeking the best to satisfy her taste buds.
Anna moved to Scotland to pursue studies at the University of Edinburgh in Reproductive Biology. It was here she discovered the culinary delights of the Scottish capital with great zeal and she was hired by Yelp Ltd, which was just starting out in the UK at the time. As a Yelp Scout she reviewed hundreds of eateries across Edinburgh and is still an active member today.
It was also there that she became an active member of the Mediterranean Gastronomy Society, a student run society for those who love the diverse and delicious Mediterranean cuisine. In her final year she was elected President of this society and organised society events, secured funding and promoted the society and Mediterranean cuisine to young people who in some instances had never dared to try cooking a healthy meal.
Later, Anna moved to York to complete a Masters in Bioarchaeology. She was fortunate enough to be hired by the Whisky Shop, and in the space of a very short time she came to appreciate and learn a lot about whiskies, particularly Scotch, and was soon qualified to advise customers for their best purchases and attend numerous whisky tastings.
Lifetime chance
Anna says she still “greatly enjoys cooking, sourcing out the best produce and going out to discover the best places to eat and drink.”
She described the competition as “the opportunity of a lifetime: to discover the culinary delights of Western Australia and to share them with the world.”
“Australia has grown a substantial food and wine industry and has gained world wide reputation for its wineries, micro-breweries and high quality food produce.”
The Cretan girl hopes that as a Taste Master she can share her passion and interest as well as promote West Australia and bring a new perspective and inspire a new generation from around the world to come out and discover the best Western Australia has!
In order to progress through to the next stage Anna needs as many references/ endorsements as possible, particularly from individuals related to the food and drinks industry. This can be done either by Tweeting @Australia with the tags #Anna4TasteMaster #bestjobs and short line of support, or by directly mailing your references to Anna (as long as you are happy they go public).
Watch Anna’s video that got her into the 25 finalists for the best job in the world.
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For more information please contact:
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/AnnaFotakis4TasteMaster
Twitter: www.twitter.com/AnnaFotakis
Blog: www.thefoodiewithinyou.blogspot.gr/
Email: AnnaFotakis4TasteMaster[at]gmail.com
To support/endorse Anna’s application please send your reference to the above email or Tweet @Australia #Anna4TasteMaster #TasteMasterWA.
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