Where did your love of food come from?
My love of food really started with the energy of kitchens. I was drawn to the pace, the discipline, the teamwork and the direct connection between cooking something well and creating a memorable experience for someone. It was also a great skill set for travelling.
What was your first role in the industry, and what was the most significant lesson it taught you at the time?
Like many chefs, my first job in a kitchen was washing dishes on weekends. It taught me an important lesson: if you want to move forward, you need to master the task in front of you, then use every spare moment to learn something new. By keeping my head down and working hard to get the dishes done, I earned the chance to step into the kitchen and start learning the cooking side of the business.
Tell us about your current restaurant and its menu – what excites you most about it at the moment?
Elliott’s is a neighbourhood restaurant in Balmain. What excites me most right now is the opportunity to continue evolving the menu and helping shape the restaurant’s next chapter. Much of our offering is centred around the open-fire kitchen, creating dishes that are both approachable and memorable. Our goal is to provide an experience that locals can enjoy regularly while still feeling like a special occasion.
What’s the most interesting ingredient, product, or technique you’ve been exploring lately—why?
Cooking over fire continues to fascinate me. It’s one of the oldest techniques in the world. Right now, we’re warm-smoking ocean trout fillets for one of our snacks, and the flavour and aroma the moment they come off the fire are incredible. In fact, we’re considering reworking the dish to better capture that freshly smoked experience and bring diners closer to that moment.
Do you do anything day-to-day that helps you to tap into your creativity or source new ideas?
It’s about maintaining close relationships with our suppliers and drawing on their expertise to understand what’s coming into season or looking incredible. From there, we let the ingredients lead the way and build the menu around them.
How are guests and their changing expectations making you think about your approach?
Guests are more informed and open-minded than ever, but they also value authenticity. People want excellent food, but they also want warmth, energy, and a genuine connection to the restaurant; it’s not just about the food, but about the service too.
Are there any food trends you’re embracing or intentionally pushing back on right now?
Right now, we’re paying close attention to what our guests are looking for and shaping the experience around them. As a neighbourhood restaurant, our success is built on creating a place where locals feel at home and want to keep coming back.
What’s the best thing about being a professional chef?
The opportunity to create experiences for people every day. There’s something incredibly rewarding about taking great ingredients, working alongside a talented team and seeing guests genuinely enjoy what you’ve created. Hospitality is one of the few industries where you can immediately see the impact of your work.
What about your current role or experience keeps you up at night?
In the kitchen, I’ve made changes to the structure of service and where the dishes come from, so I’m in a constant cycle of evaluation. Every service is an opportunity to refine the process, build on what works, and adjust what doesn’t.
How do you switch off from the stress?
Funnily enough, I cook. When things get intense, and there’s a lot of noise, I find myself taking a moment, blocking everything out and just prepping or cooking. Never forget where you came from.
What’s one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
Don’t be so hard on yourself. Learn from mistakes, but don’t dwell on them and trust the process.
Who’s impressing you in the industry at the moment and deserves a Restaurant Business shout-out?
A big shout-out to everyone in the suburbs. There’s something special about creating a restaurant that becomes part of the local community.
