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What motivates a person who has gained his pilots’ license at 16, and whose father was also a pilot, to change tack mid stream and become a Chef? An inherited passion for cooking from his Grandfather could be one explanation, but whatever the reason, Melbourne and its food scene, were the fortunate ones. Adrian Richardson is what you would call a “Quiet Achiever”. His restaurant, La Luna is a successful and bustling place in North Carlton, serving up clean, fresh and innovative food.
From the age of 14 this passionate young Chef began working in Cafes and bistros. After completing Year 12, his boss at the café he was working at, offered him an Apprenticeship and the rest, as they say, is history. Richardson spent time training at the Victoria Arts Centre, Le Restaurant at The Regent Hotel under Dietmar Sawyer, Liam Tomlin & Russell Armstrong, O’Connell’s Hotel with Greg Malouf, in the UK with Antony Worrall-Thompson and in Canada. But it was under the watchful eye of Michael Bacash at Toofey’s where he rounded off his experience and set upon his current course to open his own place.
Adrian has a simple philosophy with his food, which he calls “modern Mediterranean”, and that is to use the freshest ingredients and keep it simple. His rule for all his fish on the menu is fresh fish or No Fish! He is so passionate about his food; he ripens his own avocados and tomatoes, makes his own pasta daily, ages his beef on the bone and uses mushrooms that have only been picked hours before arriving at his restaurant. This must be love!
And now Adrian is receiving the recognition he deserves with his well regarded appearances alongside Tobie Puttock in “Jamie’s Kitchen Australia”. Adrian’s restaurant La Luna Bistro, even received a personal endorsement from Jamie Oliver himself in front of a live audience of 6000 people, in Melbourne during Jamie’s live tour (Sept 2006).
Adrian is one of the team of regular Chefs on Channel Ten’s new hit TV series “Ready Steady Cook”, which is now in it’s third season, and has filmed a number of cooking segments on the Channel Nine’s ‘Boat Show’ and “Car Show”. He has appeared on Channel Nine’s ‘Fresh’ and ‘Switching Lives’, and Channel Ten’s “Good Morning Australia”. Adrian has been a regular guest on talkback radio, and is in constant demand as a Guest Chef.
La Luna continues to thrive and is considered one of Melbourne’s best Mediterranean Bistros, and with various projects in progress, there is never a dull moment in this passionate Chefs’ life.
Read Adrian Richardson's Bio
You would think two thriving restaurants in food obsessed Melbourne would be enough for an accomplished chef! But not Gary Mehigan. Gary can be seen on the LifeStyle FOOD channel hit Boy’s Weekend, he is also a judge on the Australian version of Masterchef, Masterchef Australia, “Good Chef, Bad Chef” (which can also be seen on the LifeStyle FOOD channel), and is constantly in demand to appear as a Guest Chef and Speaker for Food Festivals and the Corporate Speaking circuit.
Gary Mehigan did his apprenticeship and spent his formative years of cooking in London, where being passionate about food was about the only thing that got you through. Not only was it London, but the Connaught and the Souffle, two of the most elite dining rooms in the UK at the time.
Gary has called Melbourne home since 1988 and has worked at a plethora of venues including the gracious Burnheim Beeches, Brown’s Restaurant, Novotel Melbourne, and Sofitel Melbourne. Gary has certainly covered a cross-section of Melbourne dining. Gary now runs two award-winning restaurants in Melbourne, the Fenix (opened in 2000) and “The Maribyrnong Boathouse”.
Gary is continually in demand as a guest chef and consultant, due to his clean, fresh cooking style, as well as his finally honed business skills and salesmanship. Prior to his first series “Good Chef, Bad Chef” Gary was a regular on Channel Ten’s first series of “Ready Steady Cook”, appeared in the "Just Add Braun" television commercial on the Lifestyle Channel in 2003 and in the "Great Chefs Show you how" television advertisement for La Gina Tomatoes in 2002. Expect to see his face on Australian TV for some time to come!
There are some great recipes from Gary Mehigan below.
Read Gary Mehigan's Bio
Janella Purcell is a qualified naturopath, nutritionist, herbalist, iridologist and chef. She has been working with wholefoods since childhood and special diets for the past ten years. She believes that food is medicine. Nutritional supplements are used with discretion.
For more information about Janella Purcell click here: http://www.janellapurcell.com/
Read Janella Purcell 's Bio
