BARB Sartori has a tried and true recipe for helping troubled teens, writes SARAH HUDSON

King Valley restaurateur Barb Sartori's efforts to teach troubled teens kitchen skills are often compared with those of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

"I do get that sometimes but I'm definitely not similar to him at all," says Barb.

Like Jamie's social project, Fifteen, Barb has been working with disadvantaged teenage boys in her restaurant, King Valley Cucina, giving them some life skills and hope for the future.

But unlike the Naked Chef's project, her kitchen is much more supportive.

"We don't yell or swear and it's not a hostile environment," she jokes. "But it does feel like Jamie when you help these kids."

Where Jamie works with his charges for 15 weeks, Barb does it in just three days. And, since 2007, Barb has run the annual Chef's Special, part of the Evolve program at nearby Typo Station.

Chef's Special, which will be held on May 7, sees six boys aged 14 to 17 years learn hospitality skills, including menu planning, food handling and preparation and presentation.

Their efforts culminate in a gala dinner that night.

All boys are part of the two-year Evolve early-intervention program at Typo Station, a not-for-profit organisation helping youths with difficulties at home or school.

Typo Station is based at a former grazing property, named after nearby Mt Typo.

Since Evolve began in 1993, the lives of hundreds of boys have been transformed.

The King Valley community has also been an integral part of the program, offering support and fundraising.

Barb, and husband Wally, work for three days at a time with the boys, with proceeds from Chef's Special going to Evolve.

She says that while the experience can be intimidating, it is also enormously rewarding.

"It is a big responsibility. I'm not even a trained chef," says Barb, who opened Cucina in 2005 after years as a successful home cook.

"But if it helps one or two kids to turn their lives around, then great.

"The program (Evolve) can't change their circumstances, but it can change how they view their circumstances, it teaches them anger management and empowers them."

Barb says the past two Chef's Specials have seen some humorous bungles, with a sticky-date pudding more like a spicy, sweet dish.

"They thrive on praise and you encourage them to do their best, allowing them to make the connections rather than telling them how to do everything," she says.

"The Typo Station staff work with us in the kitchen and they weave their magic with them, talking to them, never down to them.

"You get to see the transformation, that is the beauty of it."

    CHECKLIST
  • Chef's Special, May 7, King Valley Cucina, 4515 Wangaratta-Whitfield Road, King Valley. Bookings: 03 5729 3621
  • Cost: $30 per head. Details: www.evolve.org.au/