This week, Mrs Laver had tears in her eyes when she oversaw her last one.

After 40 years working at TAFE and organising 12 celebrity chef scholarship dinners, she is about to retire.

At Tuesday night's function, where Colin Fassnidge mentored commercial cookery students, Mrs Laver was recognised for what she had achieved.

"You will always hear Di say 'there is nothing special about me, I am a cook, I am a teacher and that is what I do'," TAFE Illawarra Institute director Dianne Murray told those at the dinner at Destiny's Restaurant.

"But ... over the last 12 years of this event, what Di has shown is that she is certainly something more than that."

Ms Murray said the annual celebrity chef dinner was testament to Mrs Laver's passion, professionalism and leadership.

Mrs Laver started cooking classes in the Shoalhaven 37 years ago after moving from Sydney as a home economist with commercial cookery qualifications.

"There were no cooking classes, so I started them here in a little hall at Erowal Bay and another one at Sussex Inlet."

Mrs Laver said while she was proud of what had been achieved since those humble beginnings, "I could not have done any of it without the most amazing team of people that I work with".

Celebrity chef Giovanni Pilu said that in Sydney, there was nothing like what the Nowra TAFE campus offered.

"No-one puts up something like this," Mr Pilu said.

"You should be all very proud you have something very amazing and important for young students and chefs. You have to keep it going for all the young waiters and chefs."