Born: Dublin, Ireland
History: Gavin started his career as an apprentice working in some of Ireland’s leading restaurants, including La Stampa (a unique hotel located in the heart of Dublin city centre). He gained his professional qualifications at
the City and Guilds of London Institute, the leading provider of vocational
qualifications in the United
Kingdom.
In 1994, he came to Australia
and spent a year working as sous chef at the Park Royal, gaining an
understanding of Australian food. Over
the next few years, Gavin acquired considerable experience in managing several
high profile restaurants including the Tuscany Terrace restaurant in Newcastle. Two years later, he was given the opportunity
to open an informal fine dining restaurant, the Kurrajong.
A major highlight of Gavin’s career was his three year appointment as
Head Chef of the Newcastle Club – a very old institution of Newcastle’s business community, offering an
exceptionally high standard of dining and old-fashioned traditions of service,
courtesy, comfort and charm.
Gavin then turned his hand to opening his own restaurant, The Mortar
and Pestle, in Newcastle
and for three years offered casual fine dining experience. Always keen to increase his skills base and
gain valuable experience, Gavin spent 12 months learning resort management as
the General Manager of a tourist resort in Pokolbin.
Gavin’s passion for creating fine food and the overwhelming desire
to once again be involved in the day to day kitchen environment saw him take on
the role of Executive Chef and restaurant manager of the renowned Wyndham
Estate, one of the oldest and most respected wineries in Australia. His role included being responsible for all
management functions of the kitchen, management of kitchen and floor staff, as
well as the overall profitability of each restaurant and event. As well as other events such as ‘Opera in the
Vines’, Gavin was also involved in the ‘Seasons Plate Lunch’, an event which
regularly attracts up to 400 diners and gave Gavin the opportunity to work with
other high profile chefs such as Steven Snow and Maggie Beer.
Gavin has cooked alongside respected Hunter
Valley chefs including Robert Molines,
managed a degustation dinner for some 400 diners in Darwin,
appeared in lifestyle cooking programs on Foxtel, and been both involved in and
consulted with on the opening of many successful Hunter Valley
restaurants.
Gavin has been the Head Chef at The Old George & Dragon
Restaurant since the ownership changed hands in July 2009, making him only the
second chef in the restaurant’s 30 year history.
Have you always wanted to be a Chef?
Yes, since the
age of 7 years old, when I worked with my father in my family’s fish supply
business in Ireland. While this experience reinforced the fact
that I didn’t want to work in the seafood supply industry for the rest of my
life, it did ignite a passion for fresh produce and their uses.
How
would you define your style?
A desire to take fresh ingredients and produce dishes of outstanding
quality that customers will want to return for time and time again.
What
is your feature flavour these days?
Slow braised dishes with rich intense flavours, mainly using game
and the ‘holy trinity’ of ingredients – butter, cream and wine.
Obsessive
compulsive about?
Fresh seasonal ingredients, locally sourced produce, and Tottenham
Hotspurs football team!
Your greatest culinary
inspirations/influences?
Marco Pierre White and Keith Floyd.
What
do you love about this business?
The challenge of continually improving myself and my skills in all
areas of the industry, and guiding and mentoring my apprentices and encouraging
them to be the absolute best they can be.
An
ingredient you can’t live without?
The ‘holy trinity’ – butter, cream and wine.
Most
‘eyebrow raising’ menu item?
A slow braised venison shank...of mammoth proportions.
Signature
dish: Slow
braised beef cheek, served with a traditional bacon clapshot puree (a mix of creamy
potato and turnips), and a rich red wine jus.