Neil Perry is one of Australia’s leading and most influential chefs and is founder of the successful “Rockpool” Empire. Neil’s career in hospitality began at Sails restaurant at McMahons Point and in Rose Bay, starting at front house – Neil’s love of great food saw him quickly move backstage. By the time he was 24, he found himself gravitating towards the kitchen and realised his passion for cooking by working with, and learning from over the ensuing years, chefs such as Damien Pignolet, Gay Bilson, Stephanie Alexander, Steve Manfredi and David Thompson
In October 1986, he opened the Blue Water Grill at Bondi Beach and took the site from a 20 year failure to an overnight success.
Neil opened Rockpool in February 1989 with his partner Trish Richards, which has developed into a world class restaurant, winning many awards both here and overseas. In October 2006, Neil made his first foray interstate, opening Rockpool Bar and Grill in the Crown Complex in Melbourne.
In early 2009, Neil opened Spice Temple in Sydney, followed shortly after by Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney. Neil’s passion and the importance he places on quality produce is evident in all his dishes and the business projects he undertakes. Rockpool is a past recipient of The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year award, Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year and was voted in the top 50 restaurants in the world by ‘UK magazine ‘Restaurant’ seven years running. Additionally, Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne won The Age Good Food Guide’s Restaurant of the Year award in 2008.
Neil is also the host of five series of The LifeStyle Channel’s multi-award-winning food program, Food Source – Neil Perry (which the BBC acquired for broadcast on BBC2); the 14-part series Neil Perry Fresh & Fast where he makes sensational meals in minutes; and Neil Perry Rockpool Sessions, a seven-part series that goes behind the scenes to discover what it takes to run one of the world’s best restaurants.
In February 2009, Rockpool Restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary in The Rocks, Sydney. Over the years, it has consistently been highly recommended by food critics throughout Australia and the world. Rockpool's reputation is due to Neil’s passion for perfection, which has enabled it to train the very best staff and source the very best suppliers, who also strive for the utmost of quality in the products they supply.
Neil Perry’s commitment to freshness and quality of Australian produce, has been at the forefront in creating a distinguished style recognised worldwide. He has prepared food for Whoopi Goldberg at the Oscar Awards in Los Angeles, for the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan, for Collette Dinnigan at the Paris fashion awards and for the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Hampshire, to name but a few overseas highlights.
Neil has two daughters and lives with his wife Samantha in Sydney. He is passionate about food and wine, travel and recipe books, and continually strives for excellence of quality in everything he does.
For more information about Neil Perry click here: http://www.neilperryfresh.com
Neil Perry gets all the girls with his fresh food~
I love Neil Perry!!! What more can i say!
I'm 80 years old, and have JUST LEARNED HOW TO BOIL AN EGG from Neil Perry! Beat that, people! :-)))
Those who are looking for Neil's products, unfortunately, they have been discontinued. Read this post for your reference: http://www.rockpool.com/2011/11/neil-perry-fresh-the-end-of-an-era/
where can you buy neil perrys salad dressings
now that wooiworths does not have your salad dressings is there some where else where i can buy them
I love your chilli soy sauce and the aioli mayonnaise but was horrified to find that my local Woolworths has stopped stocking your product. I am so annoyed that I am about to put in a complaint. Is there any reason for this??
Love Neil Perry's recipes. My all time favourite is "Fish poached in coconut milk & Garam masala. Masterchef Magazine Issue 1 2010. An absolute hit everytime I have served this.
Neil, Tried your lamb stew with lime but substituted the lamb with goat. Less fat/cholesterol. It was magnificent!!!!! Could you publish some goat meat recipes and help us hard working meat goat growers? Lots of interest. Ian
Went to Rockpool at crown casino in melbourne What an absolutly fantastic dining experience, will be going again ,your staff were most professional ,well mannnered ,and nothing was to much trouble ,well done Neil,love your cook books ,love your food,and the fresh produce you use ,regards Sandy
Neil it would be a pleasure to work with someone like you. I have never seen you yell or belittle anyone. You show that you can be a great boss without the abuse...congrats!!!Also your cooking and recipes are fab and easy to follow. I hope to one day get the opportunity to visit your restaurant
Help please! I have lost the Neil Perry Greek Semolina Custard/Pudding/Pie recipe published I think in SMH Good Weekend in February or March 2011. Similar to Galactoboureko or Bougatsa. The best I have tasted, absolutely delicious, and I am desolate until I track it down.
Neil I have difficulty finding best chinese in Sydney Chinatown rather than Golden Century Any suggestions
Hi Neil received one of your cookbooks for Xmas and I just wanted to say the recipes are wonderful and I am now always confident of trying any one of them out- just fantastic Maria
I have lost the Neil Perry bread & butter pudding recipe printed in good weekend SMH april 9-10 2011. can any one help please? Megs
Neil The Sri Lanka soup currently being served in Qantas Business Class on domestic services is sensational. If you could convince Qantas to do the same on its international services, flying anywhere would become a pleasure again. They won't complain because they would have to put on more flights to cater for the demand. Please put the recipe in your web site for those of us who cannot afford to fly every day. Thanks Ross
Raspberry and pear cake in Good Weekend 26/3/11. Recipe stated 20cm springform tin. A quick look at the amount of the ingredients, plus the photo made it obvious that a 23cm tin would be the smallest that would work (and it did). 3 times in the last couple of months recipes have stated a smaller size tin. Don't the editors or stylists check these facts? It is alright if you have the experience to judge these things but it makes it difficult for beginners
Can you please tell me of a supplier of your Roasted Garlic Vinegaraite in Cairns Thanks, Sue
Attending a lunch hosted by Neil Perry today at Rock Pool Perth !!!!!
He has inspired me to cook and experiment
Loved the chocolate and cognac cake recipe in Good Weekend - but it is a bit over done. I assumed the oven temperatures were for fan forced, or should I have adjusted the temp?
can we be friend
went to rockpool for tea last year.bought your book balance and harmony you came to our table and signed it for me and i have made so many of your recipes from it for friends.all agree they are just the best.dont ever retire you are a legend in this country.cheers Eileen
A comment about Neil's Marron recipe..... We were on Hols, two weeks in Busselton South West of Perth Xmas and New Year's Eve 2011. Eating there can be fun but dissapointing as far as service is concerned (few staff working flat out constantly apologising for making us wait), hours of trading(got turned away at Woody Nook winery at 230pm, chef finished cooking???!!! ANYWAY...on the way back at the end of our hols., stopped in Carbunup, got two marron, crocodile sausages, venison sausages, goat meat and two marron...Got back to Perth, cooked the marron according to Neil Perry's marron and salsa salad recipe, just then..Mon night!!!!! ..Well, OMG, I was sweating and there is no chilly in it, LOLl!!!!And yes, it is hot in Perth today,37deg but it was soooo delicious...totally outstanding because it is so easy to cook....used butter instead of olive oil and added Sweet Margaret 2006 vintageMargaret River white wine towards the end...OMG, it was totally delicious...Well done Neil and thank you Margaret River, fabulous place to be...forever love it all....Gabs
Neil, When is Rockpool opening at the Burswood Entertainment Complex in Perth? I can not wait a minute longer. Because of you, I have now tried Harissa and tried cooking alll different Asian foods/flavours. I can't wait to visit the Spice Temple when I visit Melbourne in March to attend the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival.
went to spice temple in Melbourne last Saturday night with my boyfriend, brother and sister in law from Perth. Wow!!!!!!!!!! it was amazing, the best food experience we have had in ages, exciting, the flavours were exhillarating, the staff fabulous. Would love the recipe for the tingling prawns????????? pleeeeese................
I FOUND THE RECIPE OF LIME SYRUP CAKE IN A GREEK MAGAZINE.I BAKED IT AND IT'S FANTASTIC.THANK YOU...
Love the presentations really inspires me! Thanks Neil
Neil! your the man, you inspire me to cook, and I love your simplicity.
Neil Perry.. U R cute.. U R elegant... your recipes are delicious... I watch all your shows... U R my favorite.. <3
omg i luv neil peryy!!
Dear neilyweily (: it's mummy dearest im so proud of you and your achievements in cooking just thought id let you know that i will always love you through thick and thin (: nannykens said hello she misses you very much kisses and hugs mummy (:(: xoxooxox
Dear Neil,I would like thank you for your article that has been published in today Telegraph.(Sunday).I fully agree what you have said and understand.The Master Chef is a ****** and for the winners using the media to become successful operator it's only waste of time and money.I am a chef myself starting in Australia with the first job at the Regent with Serge was an experience and learning lot more,what I've learned after apprentiship in Europe,where I was trained.Good on You Neil,I really like the article and you are 110% right.Maybe one day you send me an E-mail.Cheers All the best for the future Tom Gerhard
Blast from the past. Date tart! schzam!!
We were celebrating the end of Mums breast cancer treatment and went off to Rockpools in melbourne. We are just a normal faimly and don't go out very often. My dad has always wanted to go to rockpools so it was time to celbreate so off we went. Mr Perry was there and made the effort to come and say hello and ask Mum how she was feeling after her treatment. I cannot say how touched she was and what a beautiful person Mr Perry is. He must have to meet so many people but we felt as though we were the most important people in the place. He is an amazing man, I have always loved hm on Tv but now i adore him as a Man. Thankyou so very much XXXOOO
do u make leb food?
u r not that good pal i ate ur food with steve snow on 1 night i have also been a 2 hat chef and to say the least it was very very average wouldnt give u a shoe or a sock let alone a HAT!!!!!
& just where is your restaurant PAL!!!! so easy to be judgemental when you don't put your money where your mouth is
........eggplant BBQ just fantastic
Neil, Have you got a good Gnocchi recipe that is easy and very tasty, many thanks
Hi! I live in Sweden and is a die hard fan of your Fresh and fast recipes. Where can we watch your shows in Sweden?
Hi, I was hoping someone could help me, I think it was a Neil Perry quote or something he had for his Rockpool restos, it went something along the lines of "man began with only fire to cook and little has changed...." I know this is not quite right but can anyone tell me the right quote. Thanks
Neil, Spice Temple is a food haven! Your wagyu beef entree and pork belly with snake bean dishes are amazing!
The passion says it all, love it
i taught his kids in ski school ahah
I have a Neil Perry BBQ and was wondering if I can roast my Christmas turkey and pork on/in it. Can anyone help me???
Inspiring us continuously for 20 years!!!
I would like to purchase neil perry products particularly the roast garlic salad dressing. I live in Northern district any help
I commented on Neil and some of his colleague celebrity chefs in the following blog post:
http://stephencoates.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/why-do-recipes-invariable-serve-four
The sooner he and the other chefs wake up to real world cooking, the better, for all of us
Neil the fish curry recipe inspired by your father is our family favorite. We use Ling or Rankin Codmwith Spinach Paneer as a side dish. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Just purchased a T Grill, Love the look of it and having read hundreds of comments, it seems there is still a need for a T Grill Cook Book... Guess I will simply COOK, close the lid, and hope for the best which I'm expecting will be fantastic. JUST SOME FOOD FOR THOUGHT FOR A T GRILL COOK-BOOK with more hints. Rosie
man.....i love him....he is great...he is also look like ROBERT DE NIRO :d
I cooked some neil perry's recipes, come out really great, better than some expensive recipe book.
I took the plunge and purchased Neil Perry's 'Balance & Harmony' and it was money very well spent. I will be referring to this book forever. Beautifully presented (in hardback) and amazing flavours in Asian style food. I became a better cook the first time I used it. Thank you Neil.
Neil-I bought one of your T Grill's(expensive) and I cant find any recipes or instruction on how to cooking various produce on it. The cross ray thing has me bamboozled and I gotta tell you my love of the Grill is not great. Would be good if every BBQ came with a Neil Perry BBQ cookbook specific to this machine!!!
I realise this is an old post, but i second this. this is my first bbq and maybe you're just supposed to know (or be a bloke :)..... id really like to know about cooking with the hood down i.e. can you/cant you. it was expensive ($1000), and im sure it is a top quality bbq, just wish there was some info floating around so that i could get the most out of it. anyone, anyone?? :)
hey niel, my mum Sue-Ann says that you are her uncle is it true cause her last name was perry and she has three sisters Lee-Ann, Jo-Ann ,Di-Ann. If you want to talk to me contact me on my email.. madison.22@hotmail.com.
Madi did you ever get an answer back. I can confirm Neil is 100% your mothers uncle
Had lunch at Spice Temple with my son...awesome! Excellent service too
love the old book simply asian ! try the pork belly with chilli caramel sauce pg 157 toooooooo good ....
music* :D
what's his rockpool sessions musis..does anyone know???
second to none except jacob emms-thomas, hes a great up and coming chef. better than you
Neil's shows are really inspiring. He taught me wonderful cooking did not need any complicated methods or technique. I was totally hooked once I knew even I could do it!
Neil, it has been TOO long, time to get back on the little screen and entertain all of your die hard fans
Just watched some of Neil Perry on the site's videos. Fantastic. Explains things so clearly. Food is magnificent.
i have been a fan of yours for years have been a cook for 22 years
we had your lamb cutlets and bbq eggplant and capsi*** salad on Austalia Day - it was great - thanks
x) csm xD
If you can't even get it right when applying for a liquor licence (which most dumbos can do) why would I expect you to be able to cook? Lindsay.
Love your food and show cant wait to go to your restaurant on day we live near Cairns so we cant just drop in but maybe one day. Using Neil Perry for a chef study for my Catering students,couldnt think of anyone better.
A great chef who uses fantastic local produce. I wish he would come down here to the Mornington Peninsula and do a series with our wonderful local ingredients and sample some of the best our wineries have to offer. What do say Neil? Should I book you a flight?
I am constantly hinting to my hubby to take me to Rockpool, Neil Perrys food makes my mouth water, always simple fresh and inspiring
Simply the best...
Thanyou for an amazing expeience at Rockpool Neil
whats with the poney, cut it off man 80's are over, still i like your food
Looking forward to getting into your restaurant Rockpool, my sister has recently moved to Sydney, so we are on a mission to have dinner at your restaurant. Which I know will be fantastic. Keep up the great shows, glad to see ozzy chef's become celebrity's
I dont think there is one dish you cook that I dont love. My highlight of my last trip to sydney was standing outside Rockpool and wanting so badly to go in. :(
Balance and Harmony... I can't stop cooking! Classy, Beautifully presented book. I feel like royalty using it. Devine and a Massive thanks to my mum who keeps buying me fabulous beautiful cook books.
The most entertaining TV chef in Australia. The programmes offer both great recipes plus take you into the lives and reasons why our produce and culture are important to our lifestyle. Neil you are an inspiration and help us people who like to cook make it simple. I have many many times taken your simple and easy to understand recipes and put in to place for that nights Dinner. it doesn't look as good as yours but it always tastes brilliant. This is really what it is all about. Giving confidence for the people who are not skilled to do something special with our produce.
possibly the best chef in australia who makes cooking thai food look easy (and its not really) i love the way he sells australia, australian produce and wines looking forward to new offerings in 09
The Food I Love a briliant read ,I enjoy different ideas and now use the BBQ more than my husband!!!!
Neil Perry BBQ arrived today, cooked rack of lamb with herb crust and quartered potatoes (wouldn't have attempted it on old BBQ) cooked to perfection with a BBQ flavour - succulent and pink inside, potatoes crisp and creamy inside-may never use the oven again. Is there a recipe book for this BBQ, or any web site recipes, can you please let me know. We're excited Cheers, HAPPY NEW YEAR Louise
We are looking at one of these but have been warned that it is good for grilling but not for baking - what is your opinion
Great chef ..his shows are informative and very easy to follow...we have done many of his recipes with no failures so far
My future employer!
What are Caper Sicillion. I know what capers are but have not heared of the Sicillian before
I would imagine that they are Capers from the Island of Sicily in Italy.
I don't care what type of food it is, it's all deeelicious. Neil, your simple approach to cooking makes me feel as though I could cook anything, time will tell.
Just love Fast and Fresh my daughter bought me the Book Neil Perry The food I love, great book, just love it.
Therese Christmas of 2006 I saw you prepare Turkey with ricotta stuffing on the Lifestyle Channel and I followed the recipe for our Christmas lunch Everyone raved about the flavours. Then I lost the recipe now I have just found it on the website so guess what we will be having for Christmas lunch. I enjoyed your TV shows and recreating your recipes
Hi I made this recipe last year and will be doing it this year again. Have sent the rec ipe to my brother in Scotland. Try the roast beetroot as well it is great. Ann
The simplicity of the pork loin dish I saw presented on TV yesterday was a wonder I look forward to many more great delights.
Neil, I bought your cookbook "The Food I Love" and the recipe Bread and Butter Pudding with Creme Anglaise dessert is just the BEST I have ever tasted and cooked. One word to sum this up is YUM!
Thank you so much! After 25 years in hospitality from around the world I know how to "throw" together a great meal but I must say I love your Fast and Fresh. Especially the fish dishes.Excellent
Thank's Neil, Your fish recipes are great. I will try some at my next dinner party, I like the steamed oysters for an Entree.
Love his show Fast and fresh. It's great, simple and the time spend to dish up fantastic meals are great for working Mum.s Thanks Neil