When asked what her favourite dish to make is, Fiji Chef Tracy Powell says without hesitation, “Coconut Cream Pie, because everyone loves it”.
Taught to cook by the remarkable women in her family—her grandmother, mother, and aunt Elizabeth Sorby, who was regarded as one of Suva’s finest caterers, Chef Tracy aims to bring joy to people’s palates with her culinary creations, while remaining a champion of Pacific cuisine.
Pride in Pacific cuisine
She will be doing just that, at the upcoming Ocean of Flavours: One Ocean, Many Flavours event, at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) School of Hospitality and Tourism, from September 21-22, 2026.
Proudly presented by Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand (PTINZ), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL), and supported by New Zealand Chef Peter Gordon ONZM, Ocean of Flavours will see celebrated Pacific chefs from Fiji, New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea traveling to Aotearoa to join forces with some of the country’s top chefs to demonstrate their culinary skills.
Chef Tracy is part of the Pacific cohort, who, along with renowned chefs from New Zealand, will take part in a high-energy culinary collaboration on day one, and engage with food writers, influencers, and industry stakeholders on day two, culminating in a dinner for the public on September 22.
Working with the Pacific chefs, Chef Peter will help develop the dinner menu, using Pacific-sourced products for guests, to showcase the flavours of the Pacific and celebrate what the Blue Continent has to offer.
Raised in Fiji, of Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Scottish and European descent, Chef Tracy kickstarted her career in 1989 at just 18 years of age, managing the American Embassy Café,
She has built an extensive resume, across commercial catering, restaurant ownership, resort kitchens, embassy functions, film and television production catering including for the cast of Anaconda 2 and Australian Survivor, and for large-scale corporate and government events.
Currently a hospitality consultant at resorts, cafés and restaurants, Chef Tracy is a mentor to chefs and kitchen teams, developing innovative menus, and supporting businesses to elevate their food and beverage operations.
Surrounded by inspiration
She is inspired every day in her role, she says.
“I am really motivated to create dishes with local ingredients, and new locally produced products on the market, and watching new chef techniques on social media and TV keeps me striving to keep learning,” Chef Tracy says.
It is her hope to absorb as much knowledge as possible from the Pacific and New Zealand chefs at Ocean of Flavours, she adds.
“I am especially looking forward to experiencing what the Pacific chefs create with Pacific foods, found in Fiji.”