Latest development: Moturiki-born chef Priscilla Serevi has taken the reins as operations manager and executive chef at Toorak Central in Suva, formalising a leadership role she moved into after joining the dining precinct in late 2022 as a consultant. Her appointment marks a fresh phase for the venue as Serevi shifts from helping design kitchen, café and bar operations to running them day-to-day while shaping a menu that blends international favourites with stronger local flavours.
Serevi brings nearly two decades of experience in Fiji’s tourism and food-and-beverage sector. Her culinary journey began at 16 while she was completing high school in Australia, where a part-time job at a small bistro and the mentorship of a local chef introduced her to professional kitchens. That mentor arranged holiday placements across restaurants in Melbourne and Adelaide, giving Serevi early exposure to a range of styles and operations before she finished school and completed two years of apprenticeship training in Australia.
After returning to Fiji with her family, Serevi plunged into the local hospitality circuit, first working on Captain Cook Cruises — memories she recalls fondly, including stretches when crew wouldn’t set foot on land for a month as the vessel toured Fiji’s islands. Over subsequent years she was part of notable projects across the sector, including the pre-opening team at Sofitel Fiji Resort and a stint at the exclusive Laucala Island resort. At Laucala, she oversaw the dramatic Rock Lounge bar, built into a cliff overlooking the sea — an experience she describes as “literally hanging off a cliff and watching the sunset.”
Her work at Toorak Central has involved both operational design and menu development. As executive chef, Serevi has crafted a diverse offering intended to “have something for everyone”: pastas, pizzas, burgers, Tex-Mex, Asian dishes and healthy salads. The latest stage of the menu’s evolution adds Fijian dishes more prominently and commits to sourcing ingredients locally, a priority Serevi highlights as important for taste, sustainability and supporting local producers.
Beyond food preparation and management, Serevi says mentorship will be central to her tenure. She aims to pass on the practical skills and industry insight she benefited from as a young worker, encouraging entrants to start at the bottom and build their careers. “Hospitality is one of the biggest industries in Fiji and it can take you around the world,” she said. “But you have to start at the bottom and build yourself up. Passion and drive are the most important things.”
Serevi’s move from consultant to operations manager and executive chef at Toorak Central is the latest development in a career that has spanned vessel galleys, luxury island resorts and hotel pre-openings. Her leadership at the Suva venue signals a push toward broader local representation on menus and more structured on-the-job mentoring for Fiji’s next generation of hospitality workers.
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