The Goods from Banda Volpi

Banda Volpi Executive Pastry Chef Tanis Petrin doesn’t like sweets. What she does like is making people happy, and dessert happens to be one of the best ways to do that.

Tanis celebrated her 30th birthday with dinner at Savio Volpe, where the simplicity of the food, the warmth of the wood fire, and the unmistakable sense of hospitality left a lasting impression. When the opportunity to join Elio Volpe’s opening team as Pastry Chef came along in 2023, it felt like the natural next step. Since then, Tanis has taken on the role of Executive Pastry Chef across all four Banda Volpi restaurants – Elio Volpe, Savio Volpe, Pepino’s, and La Tana – bringing her nostalgia-driven, joy-first philosophy to each.

Her proudest creation to date? Elio Volpe’s tiramisu cheesecake, “a crossover between people’s two favourite things.” In her words, it “evokes those happy food memories – the nostalgia of something you’d have with your parents out for dinner, or your grandparents for a birthday.”

As much as she loves inducing time travel through tiramisu, Tanis loves mentoring her team and inspiring their own abilities. She finds just as much fulfilment in giving them the confidence to succeed as she does in seeing guests light up when they receive their final course.

Outside the kitchen, Tanis is a self-described old lady at heart. You’ll often find her reading in the park, camping with her partner, planning a craft night, spending time with friends and family… or happily making a case for popcorn as the world’s most underrated dessert.