Starting her apprenticeship as a chef at age 15, Emma Shearer quickly fell in love with the industry. Working in restaurants in the Barossa and the Clare, she completed her apprenticeship before travelling to France at age 19 where she attended the le Cordon Bleu cookery college in Paris.
Inspired to become a pastry chef, Shearer returned to Australia and studied patisserie full time. Landing a job at The Manse as pastry chef, she worked with Lachlan Colwill to open two other restaurants which achieved numerous accolades between 2008 and 2010, including Restaurant of the year at the Advertiser Food Awards, Restaurant and Catering Awards and the National Cooking Competition during Tasting Australia.
In 2011 Shearer was a national finalist in the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Young Chef competition.
To then moving on to head pastry chef at Penfolds Magill Estate, working with Jock Zonfrillo, and now running her own business, small artisan bakery The Lost Loaf, specialising in sourdough breads and French pastries which celebrate the best local seasonal ingredients.
Shearer has won many accolades in professional baking at the Royal Adelaide show and the states Australian Baking Association competitions.
