The Penny Drops

Instead of starting at the start (which would be far too logical), I thought I’d start at the point in my life that really made everything fall into place – that moment when the penny dropped and I started to understand more about my cooking style and, importantly, more about myself, too.

That penny-dropping moment happened when I was working at Lotus in Sydney’s Potts Point in March 2008. I’d taken over the head chef position from Lauren Murdoch, a really well respected chef with a similar background to mine in European technique. Lotus had a dedicated following. There was also a real traditional sense of formality, with the menu divided into entrées, mains and desserts. At that time