Tori del Valle’s passion for her work has resulted in her taking home the Tafe SA Ingo Schwartz award (for excellence in Patisserie) late last year. Baking Business caught up with Tori to hear about her love for her work.

Can you tell us about yourself?

I am a Patisserie enthusiast starting out in the industry. I worked front of house for a few years but always had a passion to be in the kitchen. I got to a point where I’d been in lots of different roles and decided to go for it and study Patisserie.

When did you discover baking, and what do you love about it?

From a young age I’ve always enjoyed anything creative, but I know my love of sweets and dessert lead me to baking. I love that it’s not always easy. There’s a lot of different factors that impact if what you’re baking is going to work or not and learning the why of it all really interests me. I think it is a well-balanced passion.

You recently won the Tafe SA Ingo Schwartz award. Can you tell us about this? Did you expect to take home the award?

It wasn’t really on my mind the award was a complete surprise. I was focused on graduating and getting to experience it with my family. I really dedicated myself to my studies and put it first the entire time I was a student, wanting to learn as much as possible and get the most out of my time at TAFE so receiving the award at the end was very gratifying.

What does 2026 hold for you? And the next few years?

In 2026 I want to advance my skills in Patisserie and within my role at Prove [Patisserie]. I’ve been in my role for about six months and am looking forward to constantly learning to become better at what I do. I’d like to bake more at home too and have some really good Patisserie books I want to practice with.

In the next few years, I will be working to become a Viennoiserie professional. My obsession for Viennoiserie was unexpected but I became drawn to how technical it is and how it’s so important to get every aspect right to produce a quality product. I feel fortunate that I am working in a space where the full process is happening around me and am predominately building my experience in the proofing and baking side right now.

What are your long-term ambitions?

I’d love to work in other cities and countries. It’s something I knew I wanted to do from the start. I think exposure to different environments and learning from other pastry chefs is so important in broadening knowledge and gaining other perspectives.

What’s your favourite item to make? Why?

I get a lot of requests to make birthday cakes and it’s something I really enjoy. I’ve made a few this year and I love the process of baking and decorating but it’s also something that’s more personal because it’s made for a special occasion to enjoy with family.