Saul Collins

Born: Warrnambool, Victoria.

Saul inherited his love of food growing up with his family, who were well involved in the South-west Victorian foodie scene. His professional career began with apprenticeships in Brisbane’s Italian influenced Romeo’s restaurant, Greek DaGapos and The Breakfast Creek Wharf, where he met and worked with his future wife.

Together they returned to his hometown in Victoria in 2002, where Saul worked within the fine dining scene for some years and opened his own Restaurant Proudfoots on the River in Warrnambool. Using fresh local produce to create well-cooked dishes that everyone can enjoy, Proudfoots quickly became a popular destination for foodies within the south-west.

Late 2015 saw Saul return to the Sunshine State to join family in Hervey Bay. With seafood being a particular favourite for him to work with, the produce locally sourced in Hervey Bay and surrounds has drawn fresh inspiration and passion to his menus.

As the Executive Chef of The Vinyard, Saul has enjoyed creating a fresh style menu, which is constantly evolving to highlight local seasonal ingredients in popular share-style dishes matched to exceptional wines, a complete experience.

How would you define your style?

I love working with locally sourced produce to create unpretentious Modern Australian dishes, influenced by Asian and European elements.

What is your feature flavour these days?

Fresh and zingy.

Obsessive-compulsive about?

Each menu item I create must be well balanced within itself. No essential need to order sides or extras to complete the dish.

Your greatest culinary inspirations/influences:

Classic French and Italian Chefs.

What do you love about this business?

Love that it is forever changing and there are no limits to the creation of dishes.

An ingredient you can’t live without?

Olive oil.

Most ‘eyebrow raising’ menu item?

Blue cheese and honeycomb mousse with red wine pears.

Signature dish:

Hervey Bay ceviche scallops.