Matt Moran – Restaurant Aria, TV Shows, My Restaurant Rules, The Chopping Block, Heat in the Kitchen
Matt Moran of award-winning Sydney restaurant Aria has certainly made his way around the city’s food scene.
One of Moran’s early ventures was working in the kitchen of La Belle Helene on Sydney’s North Shore. Here, he befriended his colleague Peter Sullivan, and in 1991 the duo opened Paddington Inn Bistro. This partnership proved years of fun for the food-loving pair.
Next on Moran’s agenda was the 1999 opening of Aria in Sydney’s Circular Quay. The renowned restaurant has experienced great success by winning many Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide’s Chef’s Hats over the years. It is certainly well earned due to Aria’s revolutionary menu, spectacular venue and indulgent but discreet service. And of course, Moran’s commitment to the industry and overriding love of food!
Moran’s title as a Celebrity Chef is definitely fitting; writing several cookbooks and appearing on television shows My Restaurant Rules as well as The Chopping Block. With more culinary-based projects surely up his sleeve, the sky’s the limit for talented Moran.
Curtis Stone - Surfing the Menu, Take Home Chef
Curtis Stone is a masterchef, best selling author, TV hostand entrepreneur. His food philosophy is to buy locally produced seasonal andorganic ingredients, keep recipes simple and allow the food to speak foritself. After studying at Victoria University in Melbourne, where Stone wasborn, he decided to pursue his culinary career by working in top Europeanrestaurants. Then, in 2003 Stone began filming his first TV show Surfing theMenu, which ran for four seasons in 26countries. He has also featured on TLC’s hit show Take Home Chef. In Autumn 2008, Stone launched his line of sleekand eco-friendly kitchen solutions at Williams Sonoma, where he was the firstchef to have an eponymous product line sold at the prestigious retailer. On topof all that, Stone’s fourth book Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone:Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood willbe available in stores on April 7 2009.
Armundo Percuoco – Buon Ricordo
Armundo’s love affair with food begain at age 14, when he began working in his family’s restaurant in Naples. Living in Australia since 1972, his first foray was at Arriverderci in East Sydney. He went on to open Buon Ricordo in 1987, is an author and founder of the ‘Five Chefs Dinner’ for the Starlight Foundation. He spends his weekends escaping to his Hunter Valley farm.
Stewart White - President of the Food Media Club
Stewart White is the President of the Food Media Club with a background in advertising, marketing and 30years in public relations. He also has a food blog called DigestiveTract on Business Spectator, Gottliebsen and Kholer’s website which receives6.6. million impressions a month. A member of both the WineCommunicators Australia and the AustralianSociety of Viticulture and Oenology, Whiteacquires wine marketing qualifications with viticulture and oenology skillsfrom Roseworthy (Adelaide University). Additionally, he successfully completedthe first stage of the international Court of Master Sommeliers program. Whitewas a judge in the inaugural FOOD Magazine Challenge Awards, a former judge of the Australian FoodMedia Awards and a reviewer for thepublication Sydney Eats. Amongstall his ventures, White still finds the time to eat between meals and drinkbetween drinks.
John Lanzafame- Lanzafame Trattoria
Born in Australia to Sicilian parents, John Lanzafame hashad a passion for food since birth. He began his training at an early agealongside his mother, and today at age 35 Lanzafame is still inspired by herand her cooking. Before joining Hugo’s Group as Head Chef in 2004, Lanzafametravelled extensively where he cooked in the Pyrenees Mountains in Andorra,Barcelona and throughout Italy and Sicily. His culinary talents have beenrecognised through winning many awards, including ‘Best Pizza’ at WorldAmerican Plate in 2005, ‘Best Pizza’ at Australia’s Best of the Best in 2005and Winner of the One World Competition in Iceland in 2006. In 2002 he openedhis own restaurant ‘Lanzafame’ in Haberfield, which went on to win a place inthe ‘Top 3 Best Italian Restaurant and Wine List Awards’. Also, 2005 sawLanzafame joining the Australian Olympic Culinary Team. Most recently he openedhis new restaurant in Sydney’s Star City Casino, ‘Lanzafame Trattoria’, andpublished his first book Pizza Modo Mio(Pizza My Way).
Anna Lee – The Wine Society
Anna has always had a passion for good food and wine, whichexplains why she has been part of The Wine Society for almost four years. As awine advisor for The Wine Society, she hosts ongoing wine education and weeklytastings. These involve introducing a number of wines to a group of people fortasting, which may be chosen on a theme of region, by which foods they match orwines from a particular time period. Sometimes … will host a theme dinner whereeight or more wines are presented over an evening alongside a particularcuisine style. She explains that the highlight of a wine advising session is acombination of exploring a range of fine wines, the food that accompanies themand the pleasure of sharing the experience with others.
Justin Walters – Moet Hennessy
Justin Walters has spent his entire working life in the wineand spirit industry and currently represents the distinctive and unique familyof sparkling and still wines distributed by Moet Hennessy Australia. Hegraduated from the prestigious Roseworthy College Wine Marketing course in 1991and has also studied at the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in London and withthe German Wine Academy in the Rhinegau, where he received a Certificate inGerman Wines and Regional Styles in 1993. Walters has also worked across almostevery aspect of the Australian wine and hospitality industries. In 2001, he wasthe national employee Winner of the Negociants Australia ‘Working with Wine’Scholarship, which enabled him at 23 to visit and study the leading wineproducers in Italy, France and Germany. As the ‘face’ for two thirds of MoetHennessy Australia’s extensive portfolio, Walters plays a significant role inthe communication efforts of the business, where he travels extensively acrossAustralia and often internationally.
Philippe Million – Guylian Chocolates
Million is the Guylian Retail Manager for both GuylianBelgian Chocolate Cafes in Sydney. He migrated to Australia in 1990 and drawson his European experience across France and Switzerland. Million previouslyworked as a chef and chef patissier and owned a catering company. Later, duringthe 1990′s, he progressed to retail management where he has worked forprestigious companies including David Jones and Myer.
Adam Humphrey – Restaurant Arras
Born in Beverley Yorkshire, Humphrey’s love of fooddeveloped from an early age. Whilst growing up he loved to cook and he extendedhis food knowledge by travelling extensively with his family. After school heenrolled in Beverley College of Further Education, taking a GNVQ Advanced inHospitality Management and NVQ II in Cookery. After graduating college withdistinctions, Humphrey gained valuable experience by working alongside topLondon chefs such as Marco-Pierre White and Tom Aikens. Following hisemployment at many eating establishments, Humphrey decided to immigrate toAustralia in 2003. In Sydney he gained a role as Sous Chef at Park Hyatt Sydney,where he learned the value of managing a large team and large budgets. Thislaid the foundation for him to achieve his dream of owning his own restaurant,which occurred in December 2007. In partnership with Louvaine Allen, whom hemet when working at The Castle at Taunton, Humphrey opened ‘Restaurant Arras’in the heart of Walsh Bay in Sydney, which serves British food with Europeannuances.
Peter Conistis – Civic Dining
Since the closure of the much-loved Omega, Conistis hasresurfaced at The Civic Hotel in Sydney City. The food served at The Civic isGreek influenced, which Conistis is so well-known for. Yet, the menu hasrelaxed to include more influences from Greece’s Meditteranean neighbours, suchas Asia. Located in the heritage listed Deco Pitt Street hotel, this firstfloor dining room has proven a hit for lovers of Conistis’ Greek-inspired fare.
Gina, Vicky and Aileen Young – Vellutto Nero
Velluto Nero, the only in-store roaster coffee shop in Sydney’s CDB, is the brainchild of owner/operators – and three sisters – Gina, Vicky and Aileen Young. Awarded accolades by everyone from the SMH to the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show’s top gong – the Champion Espresso Award – these three feisty, savvy and funny loving girls have traveled the world together in search of the world’s finest coffee blends. The taste of success goes better with three.
Opulent wine-bar and favourite chic haunt, Beluga wine bar in Sydney’ Surry Hills, is the home of award winning chef, food stylist – and “Sex in the Kitchen” author – Opel Kahn. “Sex in the Kitchen” is sold in more than 8 countries worldwide, making Opel a household name. He brings his considerable expertise (having owned 11 restaurants in Australia over the last 18 years) and inimitable style to Beluga’s signature 10-course degustation menu.
Joanna Dark is a one-woman food media juggernaut. Armed with a PhD in nutrition from Sydney University, she appears regularly on Channel 9’s Today show, is a health writer for Life Etc, co-author of Gut Reactions (ABC Books) and co-author of The Low GI Diet. Joanna was awarded the Australian Fitness Network’s presenter of the year award in 2006 in recognition of her work developing the BodyRevolution: a 12 week weight loss program incorporating personal training and good nutrition.
Eliza Brown – Brown Brothers Wines and Rutherglen
Wife, mother and the first female Director of the renowned Brown Brothers Wines, all by the age of 34, Eliza Brown is a CEO to be reckoned with. 2007 finalist in the prestigious Telstra Business Awards and named as one of the Future Leaders of the Australian wine industry. After pursuing successful careers in photography and advertising, the tragic passing of her father was the impetuous for Eliza, along with her two siblings, Angela and Nicholas, to continue the family business with a single-minded commitment that could only ever result as it has, in yet more success.
Ben Davidson - Ambassador for Pernod Ricard Australia
Three times crowned Australian Bartender of the Year, Ben Davidson is one of Australia’s most respected and accomplished. 20 years behind the bar has garnered Ben a reputation for being one of the most knowledgeable professionals in his field, now sharing that knowledge as the Spirit Brands Ambassador for Pernod Ricard Australia. Ben is also co-creator of the elixir group bar consultancy, in operation since 2005.
Anjali Patak- Patak’s
The grand daughter of L.G Pathak, (who founded Patak’s in 1957), and daughter of Meena, (Britain’s leading Indian cuisine authority) Anjali’s spice credentials couldn’t be hotter! Drawing on her experiences in India for inspiration, Anjali has developed Coat & Cook, a range of quick and easy, fresh and light coating sauces for authentic Indian in minutes. At 26, Anjali spends most of her time in the new product development line, experimenting with different flavours.
Raymond Ang – Zushi
Chris Cranswick-Smith - Emmilou
Having spent time working for the likes of Aria, Assiette, est. and Michelin-starred European restaurants, Chris Cranswick-Smith now turns his attention to Emmilou, a late-night tapas and cocktail bar on the resurrected site of Moog’s on Bourke St, Surry Hills. Bringing his sense of European style to a local locale, Chris has created a stylish late night eatery on par with those found in Paris, New York and Barcelona.
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