Daniele Barresi's passion for vegetable and fruit carving began eight years ago, when he discovered the "refined and delicate" art of food carving, an ancient practice that originated in Thailand during the XIV century.
Daniele, born in Calabria 26 years ago, has recently been sponsored by a catering company in Sydney thanks to his impressive talent.
Hailing from a family of fishermen, Daniele has always loved cooking. He started carving fruit and vegetables during his student years at I.P.A.L.B.-TUR at Villa San Giovanni (Reggio Calabria) and today he is an established chef and food carver, and an expert in plate decoration.
"You need a whole lot of imagination, patience and love for what you do."
"At first I put in a lot of hard work - says Daniele - and after about a year I started taking part in some national and international championships, winning my first medals." Daniele won the title of European Champion in his category and was recently involved as a judge for a competition in China.
"I always work with the same knife. It has a very thin and sharp blade. Sometimes I find myself amazed at what it can do!"
Daniele arrived in Australia with a Working Holiday Visa and after a few months he was sponsored by a Sydney based company that specialises in fruit and vegetable carvings, weddings and other events.
Sydney is where Daniele sees his future, together with his wife. For those who wish to establish themselves Down Under his advice is to be really determined.
"Australia offers many opportunities but you have to really believe in what you do."
