Giovanni Pilu’s connection with the Shoalhaven goes well beyond his reputation as one of Australia’s leading chefs and champions of Sardinian cuisine. His relationship with Di Laver began through the hospitality training world, where Di spent 35 years leading Tourism and Hospitality at Nowra TAFE and building strong relationships with chefs and industry leaders who could inspire the next generation.

Giovanni Pilu’s connection with the Shoalhaven goes well beyond his reputation as one of Australia’s leading chefs and champions of Sardinian cuisine. His relationship with Di Laver began through the hospitality training world, where Di spent 35 years leading Tourism and Hospitality at Nowra TAFE and building strong relationships with chefs and industry leaders who could inspire the next generation. Giovanni has been part of that journey, sharing his knowledge, opening the doors of two-hatted restaurant, Pilu at Freshwater, and recently opened and hatted restaurant Flaminina, to local students and showing young people what a career in hospitality can become when passion, skill and hard work are combined.

That relationship continues today through the Shoalhaven Food Network and its Gaining Through Training program. Giovanni has welcomed SFN students into the world of a hatted restaurant, giving them an opportunity to experience professional kitchens and see first-hand the standards, teamwork and dedication required at the highest level. For young people who may never otherwise have the opportunity to step inside a restaurant such as Pilu, that exposure can be life-changing. 

Giovanni represents much of what the Network is about — connecting the Shoalhaven’s young people with the people at the top of their profession, creating pathways into hospitality and encouraging those who have made their mark beyond the region to give something back. His involvement in the Shoalhaven Food Network’s Autumn Celebration of Food has further strengthened that connection, bringing his skills, profile and passion for food back to the region and helping showcase the depth of talent and opportunity within the Shoalhaven hospitality industry.