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Aaron Ross was born in Winchester England and spent his first six years roaming the world with his family, until moving to Sydney. He became interested in cooking at age 10, when his Mum wouldn’t buy him a cake and suggested he make his own.
Throughout his teenage years, Aaron continued his interest in cooking. At university, he began working as a food runner and kitchen hand. Although Aaron found he was not suited to university, he realised he really enjoyed the food industry.
He started as an apprentice chef at Restaurant 391 in Sydney, where he worked for just over a year. He moved to the Blue Mountains in NSW and worked at both The Mount Inn and then Vulcan’s with Philip Searle.
A short stint in London in 1996, taught him how not to run a restaurant and he was soon back in Australia, taking a position with Tim Pak Poy at Claude’s in Sydney.
Aaron had first met Tim years earlier, selling him walnuts and spending a few weeks filling in for his apprentice. After a very successful and happy period at Claude’s, Aaron knew he should move on. He had already organised work in the Bahamas when Tim was in the position to offer him The Wharf Restaurant to run. Aaron loved the idea and started at The Wharf in October 2000.
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Alain Fabrègues, was an apprentice in Bordeaux under the late Jean Delaveyne, the noted master. A chef in the classic mould, Alain is dedicated to producing the finest of French Cuisine with a strong Australian Influence.
He moved to Australia and opened The Loose Box in 1979, since then he has been 'Chef of the Year' four times in a row and barred from further entry. He has personally won the Salon Culinaire Gold Medal for nine consecutive years (1980 to 1989). The Loosebox has won and will continue to win awards and prizes, but Alain may not, since in 1991 he became a holder of the prestigious 'Meiller Ouvrier De France' and is now prevented from entering any personal competitions.
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On his 19th birthday Andy Evans started at Rockpool, an award-winning restaurant located in The Rocks in Sydney. Over the next seven years Andy worked with mentor Neil Perry picking up many of Neil’s culinary skills and proficiency in Asian cuisine. These days when Neil and Head Chef Khan Danis are away, Andy is left in charge of the team.
In 2001, Andy spent time as Head Chef at the MCA Café, another arm of the Rockpool empire, situated in the Museum of Contemporary Art with views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour.
Andy plans to travel overseas to work in the restaurant industry in France.
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"I am sick and tired of finding beautifully presented dishes - then you eat them and you cannot taste anything, I want a bit of guts". Armando Percuoco is described as a taste maker amongst the Sydney food scene. He is often around town at lunch, checking on the latest restaurant and/or chefs on the scene. If he approves, and he likes to talk, the place will go well for as long as it stays hot, though in Sydney, the restaurant climate is variable.
Armando is a man of strong opinions and good taste. He has been running restaurants successfully in Sydney for more than 20 years, first at Pulcinella and now at Buon Ricordo in Paddington. The room is cosy, the welcome warm. Upstairs is a spacious room often used for parties. All of this is served from one small kitchen with an old Garland range and limited equipment. Half-a-dozen staff huddle round waiting for the action early in the evening. "It all comes at once", complains Armando. There are many things he complains about, talking so quickly that he can barely draw breath. It's because he hates mediocrity and has a passionate opinion about just about everything - food, art, wine, women, taxes, quarantine restrictions...
Armando
Armando Percuoco has worked in restaurants since the age of 14. His family were restaurateurs in Naples and made him work for others "who kicked me and I hated them but I learnt, and loved my father because he did that to me. In the restaurant business you have to suffer". He came to Australia in 1972 and joined his father, Mario, at Arriverderci restaurant in east Sydney. For four years he worked as head waiter and day manager at Chianti before he and his father opened Pulcinella Restaurant in Kings Cross in 1979. In 1986 he published his first cookbook, re-published in 1992 as Modern Italian Cooking in Australia, and the following year opened the award winning Buon Ricordo. In 1994 came his second book La Cucina Italian, the four seasons of Italian cooking and the planting of extensive olive groves.
As with the growing of olives, patience is required with staff, says Armando. "It takes a long time to get the staff that you want and that is why I always say to them that three to six months is not enough, you have to come for a little bit longer. I like people that follow me, but they have to pay attention, then I'll put them at the head of the class, if they don't follow me, they go to the back of the class." And the good pupils might get sent to Italy to familiarise themselves more fully with Italian cuisine. Armando explained that he will have staff who eat and absorb what is in his kitchen but then go out and eat other foods. Here he shuddered at the sort of things they eat outside his world. "But when they are in Italy they have the total environment, the smell in the air, everything. I want the kids to absorb it all, the philosophy, the traditions, but they have to live and breathe it."
I was surprised to learn that Armando did not then want these chefs back in his kitchen. "It is wrong to take them back, they have to find their own space, become their own chefs. Because they are Australia's future and they have to develop their own ideas." And Armando's ideas have developed too. "My food has changed rather a lot, if we don't change we become stale." But he is concerned that some of the changes are forcing out all the old (Italian) ways and is worried that "we are going to lose our culture. It's too hard to achieve simplicity in this country so we need to cut back to the original. Italian food is losing its identity in this country and that is what I am angry about. Good young chefs from Italy don't come here, because they are looked after extremely well. The wages are huge there for chefs that have gone through the proper training, but we need those sort of chefs over here, to pick up the authenticity of the cuisine. Forget about me, but how many Italian chefs are here that are really authentic? Who can continually pass their skills on to the young person? So in 10 years time we will have lost our identity completely. I will retire then so I am now trying to train these boys in order to maintain it."
With regard to other styles of food, Armando has equally strong opinions, "to really create a dish with a modern identity here you have to be a master of what you do. And I get told by young chefs that they want to be half Italian and half like Tetsuya , and fancy they can be a master at both. To understand the logic in putting together a dish you need to understand the culture. How can you do that with a whole lot of different cultures? Life doesn't work like that".
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Growing up in Kuala Lumpur, Cheong Liew’s life was filled with the aromas and spices of Malay, Indian and Chinese cooking. At the heart of his love of food were the days spent in his grandmother’s kitchen. When he arrived in Australia in 1969, he supported himself working in Melbourne in pubs and railway cafes and ended up cooking for most of his housemates. He then moved to Adelaide, in the early 70’s, to be near his brother and found himself working as a grill cook, from here he was headhunted by a Greek restaurant, where he swiftly mastered Greek cooking. It was during this time that Cheong bought an Elizabeth David cookbook and began to teach himself French cooking, which led in turn to a job in a French restaurant. He had no formal training, but his enthusiasm, his desire to experiment and his uncanny ability to blend cuisines with his Malaysian heritage made every chef, and every diner around him sit up and take notice.
In 1975, “Neddy’s” opened, a wine bar and restaurant that would for the first two years have the freshest smartest chalkboard menu in Adelaide. On the Queen's birthday in 1999, he was bestowed the Medal of the Order of Australia "for service to the food and restaurant industry through involvement in developing and influencing the style of contemporary Australian cuisine." His exquisite Edible Harmony menu brings together the world’s cuisines in a transcendental union that is surprising, artistic, heartfelt and wholesome. US Food and Wine named him in the top 10 “hottest chefs alive”.
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The day I visited Bistro Moncur there was a French ex-pat dining alone at the front table. He dines at the restaurant once a week to reminisce about Paris, and he tells me this is as good as it gets. Damien Pignolet’s food does that, it transports you to another place. Through his dedication to perfection Pignolet has earnt a reputation as one of Australia’s finest chefs.
Damien is a second generation Australian of French decent. His mother was a wonderful cook whose craft inspired him to make restaurants his career. In 1966 Damien began a four year comprehensive course in catering and hotel management at William Angliss College. His career began in catering and led to teaching and the administration of a Melbourne cooking school.
His dream was realised six years after graduating when he was appointed Executive Chef of Pavillion on the Park in 1978, then one of Sydney’s top restaurants. It was there he met Josephine Carroll, who became his wife and his inspiration, they worked alongside each other at Pavilion, The Old Bank and ultimately at their own restaurant, Claudes, from 1981.
In 1987 tragedy struck when Josephine was killed in a car accident. In her honour Pignolet set up the “Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award” an award designed to encourage young chefs to excel.
In 1992 Damien went into partnership with Ron White and purchased the Woollahra Hotel creating Bistro Moncur. The partnership also owns the Bellevue Hotel in nearby Paddington offering a high standard of pub food.
In 2005 Pignolet wrote and published his first cook book, French, a comprehensive guide to French cuisine. The book is dedicated to Josephine and his mum, whose cooking he fondly remembers. His tip to budding chefs and home cooks alike is to “…buy the freshest, best quality raw materials and take as much time as you can to do the job perfectly.”
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“From the age of twelve I knew that I wanted to be a chef. I decided to leave school at the end of Year 11 and go over to the U.S.A. where my father had just recently been transferred and do my chef training there.
I arrived in Grand Rapids, Michigan in July 1994 and started a two year Associates Degree in Culinary Arts, at Grand Rapids Community College. Upon graduating (second in my class), I returned to New Zealand for a year and worked at a couple of restaurants before moving to Melbourne in January 1998. In September 1998 I was employed by Andrew Blake and went through various sections in the kitchen before becoming the Senior Chef de Partie. In January 2000 I left to go to New York where I worked at Daniel for the French chef Daniel Boulud. After a few months, I decided to move back to Australia and returned to Blakes in September 2000. I quickly slipped back into my old section until I became Sous Chef in February 2001.”
Daniel has become Head Chef of Andrew Blake’s restaurant Blakes Cafeteria which opened in November 2001.
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Owner and chef of Brisbane’s Two Restaurant and Wine Bar, David Pugh’s professional experiences encompass working with a diversity of talented chefs in some of the finest restaurants in the world. His acquired skills have led to an international cooking style with great respect for the classics and confidence in utilising the many new and exciting products in the marketplace. These skills combined with a willingness to teach others have made David one of the great Australian chefs.
Read David's response to the LifeStyle FOOD top five below -
(1) Most thumbed cookbook? Charmaine Solomon: The Complete Asian Cookbook
(2) Last meal you cooked at home? Thai Green Curry of Chicken
(3) Guilty pleasure? Scrambled Eggs with W.A Truffle
(4) Kitchen tool you can't live without? Ken Onion parring knife
(5) Favourite ingredient(s)? Pumpkin and Honey
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Frank McWilliams was just 15 years old when he began his career in Pastry under Master Baker Gunther Uellendahl at the German Cake Shop in Hahndorf, a small town in South Australia.
After completing his four-year apprenticeship, Frank moved to the Conrad International Hotel at Jupiter’s Casino on the Gold Coast.
Frank continued to work in pastry both in Australia and overseas until 1995 when he
joined the Magill Estate restaurant in Adelaide. Under Ali Seedsman he was encouraged and helped to expand his cookery skills by working in their entrée section.
Frank moved to Henley on Sea, a café brasserie to become their Head Chef. He stayed for a year and a half before Genevieve Harris, Chef and Owner of Nediz offered him a position. Frank had heard about Genevieve when he worked with Ali and decided that he wanted to work with her. Frank says that Genevieve is a wonderful teacher who leads by example. “I have learned so much here, mostly about balancing flavours, in dish construction and in menu planning.”
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Genevieve Harris has been a chef at Nediz in Adelaide for 18 months, after five years as Executive Chef at Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral in Sydney. Genevieve is acknowledged as being at the forefront of Modern Australian cuisine and the book of some of her recipes – The Bathers Pavilion Cookbook – was a best-selling food book both in Australia and the USA.
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Geoff Lindsay is the man behind one of Melbourne's finest restaurants: Pearl Restaurant and Bar, and was named Chef of the Year 2005 by "The Age Good Food Guide".
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After studying one year of a Bachelor of Arts Degree at Macquarie University, Jane Booth decided she’d prefer to be cooking and found work in a local bistro. She soon moved on to manage a bakery, before opening her own catering business.
In 1996, Jane started her apprenticeship at Rockpool in Sydney - under multi award winning Chef 'Neil Perry'. While at Rockpool, she also trained with Lorraine Godsmark for eight months in the pastry section and spent four months at sister restaurant Bistro Mars.
After completing her apprenticeship, Jane wanted a break from Sydney and decided to move to Melbourne. She worked in an Italian restaurant for five months before starting at Langton’s in September 2000, as Junior Sous Chef and Pastry Chef; under Executive Chef, Jeremy Strode.
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MG Garage is Janni Kyritsis’ first restaurant, after working for Stephanie Alexander in Melbourne and then, with Gay Bilson at Berowra Waters Inn and at Bennelong Restaurant; at the Sydney Opera House.
One of the most innovative chefs in Australia, Janni combines solid techniques with traditional ingredients and bold, full bodied Mediterranean tastes.
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Jo grew up in country Victoria and had access to fresh, quality produce. As a child, she would often cook the family meal while her parents and siblings were working on their property, hydroponically growing tomatoes. They traded their vegetables with neighbouring farmers, to get fresh meat or they would hunt and fish the local game.
After completing her high school studies, Jo gained an apprenticeship at Chatlers Restaurant, an a-la-carte restaurant in Victoria, whilst completing her trade studies at Gordon Technical College.
In 1990, Jo worked as a Commis Chef at Café La, a brasserie style restaurant at the Regent Hotel in Melbourne.
Jo moved to Adelaide in 1993 and joined the five star hotel, Hitlon International in their brasserie restaurant. Her true style and ability was quickly recognised by world-renowned chef Cheong Liew who seconded her to The Grange Restaurant kitchen.
Jo has left The Grange restaurant, a position that she held for 7 years. She has moved to Sydney but will continue her association with Cheong Liew in various projects both here and abroad.
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Kate Lamont’s philosophy is to ‘take the best produce you can find, you treat it with respect and intelligence and then let the food speak for itself’. Kate has gained a reputation for serving fresh seasonal produce, an essential simplicity is the focus of the dishes using superb fresh locally farmed ingredients.
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Food and cooking were an important part of Lee Hokianga’s childhood. She grew up in a small town on the York Peninsula two hours out of Adelaide. Her mother cooked country-style food while her Maori father introduced her to the local seafood - diving for abalone and having sea urchin roe sandwiches were not out of the ordinary. Lee would often visit her grandmother and they would cook Cornish pasties together. It was her grandmother who suggested that Lee would make a great chef.
Lee moved to Melbourne when she was 17 years old to get a taste of the restaurant industry and first worked at Finney’s Café and then the Sir Robert Peel Hotel. Lee returned to South Australia, to study at Tafe and was fortunate to be tutored by one of Australia’s most outstanding chefs, Cheong Liew. She worked at the Universal Wine Bar in Adelaide, under Chef Brian Smith - before moving to Sydney in 1996.
It was here, that she first worked with Janni Kyritsis at the Bennelong Restaurant. This marked the beginning of a very happy and successful working relationship, that continued while setting up the Olympic Hotel and then MG Garage.
Lee feels that Jannis has taught her so much; to go with her instincts and to develop her own style. Lee loves working at MG Garage; the adrenalin rush of the kitchen, the great people and the time and support she has to create dishes.
Lee balances her hectic life at work with her other great passion, riding her horse Twinky.
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Based in South Australia's Barossa Valley legendary Maggie Beer is a self-taught cook, food author, restaurateur and food producer. She and her husband Colin, established the Barossa Pheasant Farm Restaurant in 1978. This became famous for serving locally raised pheasant, along with a high quality paté known as Pheasant Farm Paté. They operated the restaurant until 1993. Later, she became a partner in the Charlick’s Feed Store restaurant in Ebenezer Place, Adelaide.
Maggie co-hosts the cooking show: The Cook and the Chef with Simon Bryant, Head Chef of the Hilton Hotel Adelaide. Her Barossa business produces a range of specialty gourmet foods, including Pheasant Farm Paté, Quince Paste, Verjuice and a range of quality ice creams.
Her hands-on and approachable style have won her a legion of fans and awards that range from Best Regional Cookbook in the World Cookbook Awards (for Maggie’s Farm) to being named 2010’s Senior Australian of the Year.
For more information about Maggie Beer click here: http://www.maggiebeer.com.au/home/
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Marieke Brugman, suggests that the new generation of young cooks; should understand the origins of what they are working with. They should understand the place, it’s geography, climate and style of wines, grown locally so they can cook food to suit all elements.
This is precisely what Marieke Brugman and partner Sarah Stegley established over 20 years ago, when they created their gourmet getaway in the foothills of the Howqua Valley, Victoria. Being the first to include a residential hands-on cooking school, where leading Australian chefs demonstrated - Marieke and Sarah, teach the secrets of Australia’s modern cuisine; as well as hosting gourmet tours in Australia and overseas.
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After completing school, Martin enrolled at Hastings College of Arts and Technology; to study cookery and won most outstanding student award’s two years running.
After graduating, Martin worked in a succession of restaurants in London. In June 1992, he started at Le Meridien Piccadilly Hotel, a five star hotel and worked in the Terrace Garden Restaurant as Second Commis Chef and then as First Commis Chef. He then moved to The Oak Room Restaurant, as Demi Chef De Partie.
In August 1995 he started at The Criterion Canteen Restaurant to work with one of the most well regarded chef’s in England, Marco Pierre White. Martin then worked at The Landmark London Hotel for six months as Demi Chef De Partie.
Martin left England to travel through Europe and then Africa before arriving in Australia in November 1996.
He found work in Sydney at Forty One, under executive Chef 'Dietmar Sawyere' as Chef De Partie and then as Sous Chef.
Martin researched the restaurant industry in Sydney and decided that the chef he most wanted to work with was Tetsuya Wakuda. In June 1999, Martin was employed as Sous Chef at Tetsuya’s; with an ambition to one day become Head Chef, which he achieved in September 2000.
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Morgan McGlone, has always had a passion for food. His favourite book as a child was a cookbook and he would make various dishes from it - with his dad coaching him from the side. Morgan’s father was a chef and so was his grandfather.
In Year 10, Morgan was accepted for work experience in the kitchen at the Menzies Hotel. After completing Year 12, he was taken on as an apprentice chef; at the Summit Restaurant at the top of Australia Square, in Sydney. He completed his apprenticeship at CBD with Luke Mangan, before working in a succession of restaurants in Cronulla. In 1999, he linked up once more with Luke, this time at Luke’s new restaurant Salt.
In April 2001, Morgan left Salt and Australia to work as a personal chef for a family based on the east side of New York. His job entailed travelling with them to Paris, London, Cuba, the Bahamas and Bermuda.
In January 2002, Morgan and a friend started their own catering and chef agency based both in New York and Los Angeles.
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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
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“I doubt that I could be more passionate, motivated or happy in any other career. Cooks rule! My all-encompassing desire to cook, eat and learn, coupled with an enthusiasm that at times - borders on manic, enabled me to move quickly through the ranks and earn the respect of the other cooks and my employers.
It was at Stella in Melbourne, that I really began to understand what cooking and hospitality were about, exceeding expectations and making people happy. After Stella sadly closed her doors (as I knew her anyway), I moved down to Blakes and took on a senior cooks position in the large and very busy restaurant.
It was in this highly staffed kitchen, that I learnt about the necessity for clear communication and effective leadership; two attributes that are paramount to the success of a professional kitchen. I was approached by Geoff Lindsay in late 2000, to run his new kitchen at Pearl, an offer that was impossible to refuse. Since its opening in November 2000, I have pretty much lived in the tiny and beautiful kitchen.
At Pearl, I have been able to express myself professionally to a greater degree than ever before.” - Nick Holloway
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Born in Melbourne but raised by the beach on Queensland’s Gold Coast, one of the reasons a career as a chef appealed to Peter Evans was the lure of surfing all day and working at night. After opening his first restaurant, Pantry, in Melbourne’s bay side suburb of Brighton in 1993 with his brother David and his brother’s best friend, Daniel, Pete moved to Sydney in 1996 where the team established Hugo’s in Bondi, Hugo’s Lounge in Kings Cross and Hugo’s Bar Pizza. The latest addition to the group is the waterfront Hugo’s Manly which opened in 2008.
Pete is a regular at cooking schools and food events around the country. He has written two cookbooks, “Fish” and “My Table” and has worked as a TV presenter on both The LifeStyle Channel and Channel 9.
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New Zealand-born, Philip Johnson has become one of Australia's most celebrated chefs, honing his skills in Australia, London and New Zealand before settling in Brisbane which he now calls home.
Philip opened his landmark bistro, e’cco, in 1995 and very quickly made a name for himself with his win of the 1997 Remy Martin Cognac/Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year award, a stunning achievement for Philip, but also a coup of Queensland.
He has since continued to receive national and international acclaim for his flair and elegant simplicity, a virtue he has instilled in the dedicated and innovative team of chefs he leads.
Philip conducts numerous cooking classes, demonstrations and guest chef appearances, both nationally and internationally. He has also donated his services to many charities, working alongside a stellar line-up of industry peers to raise much needed funds for many worthwhile causes, including the Starlight Children's Foundation, Bestest, Mission Australia, AEIOU and The Leukaemia Foundation.
As one of Australia’s leading chefs, Philip has contributed recipes to a multitude of book publications. He featured as a weekly columnist for The Courier Mail's Good Life supplement from 2002 until 2008 and is a current contributor to Brisbane lifestyle magazine, Brisbane News.
Philip has also authored six of his own cookbooks. They all include a wonderful collection of recipes that are distinctively Philip Johnson - unpretentious food, simple yet stunning - and a reflection of the ideas and beliefs that have made e'cco the success it is today. His latest offering, Eating In, was released in August 2010 and what Philip considers his best work yet.
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Although just 30 years old, Simon Sandall has been in the restaurant industry for 15 years. He attended South Warwickshire College for three years where he studied traditional French technique.
Simon has worked in many restaurants including: The Ritz Club in the Ritz Hotel in London, Les Ambassadeurs Club also in London, Swallow Royal Hotel in Bristol, the Brownsover Hall Hotel and the Grosvenor House Hotel both in Rugby. He also spent time in Greece working at the Cactus Restaurant as Chef de Partie for two years.
Simon was awarded various medals for excellence, including gold medals from both Torquay International Festival of Food and Wine and The West of England Salon Culinaire.
Simon then decided to travel to Africa, where he bought himself a 1971 Chevy and drove it around the south of Africa. He then hitched his way through central Africa, taking in the various styles of cooking and produce along the way.
Simon eventually found his way to Australia and found work as a Sous Chef at the Sydney Opera House at both the Harbour Restaurant and then at the Bennelong Restaurant with Andy Turner and Michael Moore.
Simon was approached to work as Head Chef at Aria by owner Matthew Moran and commenced six weeks before it opened in 1999.
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