Guest Chefs

Shannon Bennett

Shannon's obsession for classical cuisine has seen him reinterpret the cuisine of masters worldwide and develop an exciting, cutting edge cuisine of his own. Shannon’s dedication and pride have established him as one of Australia’s most exciting chefs.

Hiroyuki Sakai

Hiroyuki Sakai is known as ‘The Delacroix of French Cuisine’, he is a chef who specializes in French cuisine. He is known for his winning record in the popular Japanese television program ‘Iron Chef’ where he started in 1994 as "Iron Chef Hiroyuki Sakai".

Christine Manfield

Manfield is a highly regarded Australian chef, author, food writer, food manufacturer, presenter, teacher and gastronomic traveller whose culinary work draws on the exciting tastes and flavours of many cultures, whose passion and skills are world renowned

Alla Wolf-Tasker

Alla Wolf-Tasker role has evolved from Executive Chef to restaurateur and hotelier. Alla continues to be dedicated and passionate about the development of contemporary cuisine in Australia and the training of young chefs.

Mark Best

Mark opened his own restaurant in 1995 in Balmain, which developed a local following and rave critical acclaim. Furthuring his study of French Cuisine in France. It was from this that fuelled his desire to open his next restaurant, Marque.

Jacques Reymond

Jacques is known for his unique style of Australian contemporary cuisine that combines the influence of the produce in Brazil and Spain with the use of French techniques, the outcome, dishes of brilliance and sophistication.

Lauren Murdoch

Murdoch has worked her way around some Sydney's finest restaurants and is now in such demand that she’s appeared on cooking shows on the Lifestyle Channel. Lauren is now focusing her attention on the Sydney tapas-style Ash Street Cellar.

Margaret Fulton

Margaret Fulton is one of Australia’s leading and best-loved cookery experts. The matriarch of Australian cooking, she has been credited with changing the way Australians eat.

Adriano Zumbo

Adriano Zumbo is no ordinary patissier. In his pursuit of mastering the art of pastry, he has trained and worked both in Australia and France. Inspired by the world around him, his desserts tell a story or take on the personality of their namesakes.

Adam Melonas

Adam Melonas is Head Creative Chef of La Terraza del Casino and Casino De Madrid & El Bulli Catering. He is the developer of one of the most comprehensive flavour profiling projects to be used as a reference for Chefs all over the world.

Mitchell Orr

Mitchell Orr has worked in some of Sydney's highest profile kitchens and earnt himself the 2010 Josephine Pignolet Young Chef Of The Year award. This has landed him on the restaurant industry's list as one to watch.

Brett Graham

Brett won the Josephine Pignolet Award and was given the opportunity to go to the UK where he won Young Chef of the Year in 2002. Brett has swiftly been recognised as one of the most talented chefs to rise up in recent years.

Martin Blunos

Martin Blunos is known as one of the greatest chefs in the UK, having held two Michelin stars for more than 15 years. Has had a few TV series as well as cooking for Her Majesty The Queen during her Jubilee year.

Heston Blumenthal

After an amazing experience at a three-star restaurant when he was 16, Blumenthal went on to 'test' the rules of the Kitchen. Owner of the three Michelin star restaurant The Fat Duck, Heston is known for his scientific approach to food.

Jamie Oliver

Jamie Oliver is a phenomenon in the world of food. He is one of the world’s best-loved television personalities and one of Britain’s most famous exports. Jamie has had huge success with all of his television series.

John Torode

An influential figure on the UK culinary circuit, John Torode is best known as the co-presenter and judge of BBC’s MasterChef and for his well-established restaurant at the heart of London’s meat market – Smiths of Smithfield.

Gregg Wallace

Gregg Wallace is a fruit and vegetable expert, writer, media presenter and greengrocer. He is probably best known for co-presenting and judging BBC Two's BAFTA award-winning show MasterChef in the UK.

Frank Poupard

Poupard began his career working in Michelin star restaurants, he went through the ranks from Sous-Chef to Head Chef in several well known restaurants. Poupard joined LE CORDON BLEU Chef’s team in 2007.

Michael Klausen

Danish-born Michael Klause has worked with top chefs in Denmark and France. Moving to Australia, Klausen and Tony Papas established the Brasserie Bread Company where Klausen continues to this day as CEO.

Julie Goodwin

After applying to be on MasterChef in December 2009, Julie went on to win the series and was crowned 'Australia's first MasterChef'. She has gone on to write her first book entitled 'Our Family Table'.

Will Studd

After establishing delicatessens in London, Will migrated to Melbourne, where he has been creating a better understanding of what good cheese is all about in the world’s only TV series focused on international artisan and traditional handmade cheeses.

Darren Purchese

Purchese is one of the most respected pastry chefs working in Australia. Has worked in kitchens in England and France, and created desserts for such luminaries as The Royal Family. Darren is now on his next project Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio Melbourne.

Josh Emmett

Starting his career as a chef in New Zealand and Australia, Josh then travelled overseas where he worked along side Gordon Ramsay. Now back in Australia to help with the opening of Gordon Ramsay's two new restaurants in Melbourne 'Maze' and 'Maze Grill'.

Kylie Kwong

After working at some of Sydney’s finest restaurants Kylie's love for Chinese cookery was put into print form with five books being published. Kylie is a supporter of sustainable living, Billy Kwong was the first restaurant in NSW to become carbon neutral

Damien Pignolet

After studying course in catering and hotel management, Damien's career began in catering and led to teaching and the administration of a Melbourne cooking school. Has established nine successful Sydney restaurants and still continues his teaching career.

Ryan Squires

Named Best New Talent 2010 from National Gourmet Traveller Awards. Squires worked on his cooking skills around the world in countries like Spain, Switzerland, England and America. Squires is now currently in throws of starting a new restaurant in Brisbane

Maggie Beer

Maggie Beer's food journey has spanned almost three decades, an Australian culinary icon, Maggie was honoured with winning Senior Australian of the Year this year, having helped to educate so many Australians to make informed food choices.

Peter Gilmore

Peter Gilmore has been the Executive Chef of Quay Restaurant since August 2001. Peter’s creative and original style has seen Quay receive seven consecutive 3 Chefs Hat awards from The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide.

Fergus Henderson

Renowned Chef Fergus Henderson develops all projects in the name of Nose to Tail Eating, the basic principle which best sums up Fergus's approach to food and the spirit with which one should approach not only cooking but the dining experience as a whole.

Brent Savage

Head Chef Brent Savage of Bentley Restaurant and Bar has been acknowledged by both his peers and the food media alike as being one of the most talented young chefs in Australia. His approach to food and wine has earned him critical appraise.

Rick Stein

"Rick attributes his success to a simple observation; ""Nothing is more exhilarating than fresh fish simply cooked"". Since 1995, Stein has made nine TV cooking series and was awarded an OBE in 2003 for services to West Country Tourism.

Stephanie Alexander

Stephanie Alexander is a well-known former restaurateur, food writer and champion of the quality and diversity of Australian food. Stephanie was awarded an Order of Australia in 1994 for her services to the hospitality industry and to tourism.

Peter Kuruvita

Peter's childhood memories are filled with the collaborative influences of his Austrian mother and Sri Lankan father. Peter opened Flying Fish Sydney, in 2008 in collaboration with co- owner Con Dedes. Peter was then asked to open Flying Fish Fiji.

Ian Curley

After spending several years training in England, Ian moved to Australia in 1988 to continue his love of cooking. Ian is considered one of Australia’s first class chefs, having worked as Head Chef in a number of Melbourne’s top restaurants.

Frank Camorra

Frank was inspired by both the modern and traditional aspects of Spanish cuisine The 2009 Age Good Food Guide awards were a success for MoVida with the restaurant receiving Two Chef’s Hats for the restaurant, and Chef of the Year for Camorra.

Curtis Stone

Curtis Stone is a master chef, bestselling author, TV personality, and entrepreneur. Working around the world in show's like NBC's The Biggest Loser and The Today Show, Curtis has definitely made a name for himself as one of the world's favourite chefs.

Guillaume Brahimi

In late 2001, Brahimi was awarded the contract to take over the flagship restaurant at the Sydney Opera House. Guillaume at Bennelong became a two Hat Restaurant in the 2009 SMH Good Food Guide Awards, with a rating of 17/20.

Justin North

In November 2001 Justin opened restaurant Bécasse in Surry Hills with his wife Georgia North. Bécasse was named runner-up for the 2009 Sydney Morning Herald Restaurant of the year award and Justin was awarded the title of ‘2009 Chef of the Year’.

Philippa Sibley

For the last three years Philippa has been Head Pastry Chef at Melbourne’s Circa The Prince. Monikers such as ‘Queen of the Desserts’ and ‘Stellar pastry chef’ are examples of her renown. In 2004 Philippa won Chef of the Year (Age Good Food Guide).

Lovaine Allen and Adam Humphrey

Humphrey and Allen met in the United Kingdom whilst both working at the Castle Hotel. Humphrey immigrated to Australia in 2003 and called on Lovaine to come and join him in what was to be a difficult journey in opening Restaurant Arras.

Shaun Presland

Presland accepted the role of Executive Chef at Saké Restaurant & Bar in 2009. Sake is contemporary Japanese restaurant with a focus on creating first-rate dishes from sustainable produce and promoting shared dining.

Neil Perry

Rockpool is a past recipient of The SMH’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.

Luke Nguyen

In 2002 Nguyen opened his very own restaurant Red Lantern which has become an award-winning Vietnamese restaurant. Luke is also the author of two bestselling and award-winning cook books, Secrets of The Red Lantern and The Songs of Sapa.

Michel Roux

Michel Roux opened The Waterside Inn with his brother Albert in 1972. In 1985 the restaurant received three Michelin stars. The Waterside Inn has retained its top ranking ever since and is one of just three restaurants in Britain today with three stars.