Kevin Gilbert became president in July 2016.
Kevin Gilbert started baking straight out of high school and has never left the hospitality industry, having spent time in kitchens as well as running restaurants and bars. Now in Dunedin running Gilbert's Fine Food and its gluten free division Lievito Bakery, Kevin couldn't be happier.
Lievito Bakery focuses on gluten free products, but he is probably best known for the Gilbert's stall at the famous Otago Farmers Market where he sells at least a dozen varieties of breads, with a special emphasis on sour dough, and upwards of 15 Danish varieties, not to mention several "whims” each week. Kevin says he has a deep passion for the baking industry as a whole as well as the traditions, recipes and techniques that have developed over centuries.
In 2011, Kevin graduated from Otago Polytechnic with a Bachelor In Culinary Arts. He is a sought-after guest speaker, demonstrator and consultant on baking in general as well as more specialised talks ranging from product design to gluten free. Having spent so much of his life in baking he is excited to have the chance to give something back to an industry that he loves.