Gary Mehigan Biography

Gary Mehigan is a British-Australian chef, restaurateur and a judge of the Network Ten series MasterChef Australia. Gary also co-hosts two shows on Australia's Lifestyle Food Channel, Good Chef, Bad Chef, and Boys Weekend and appeared at the 2011 Good Food & Wine Show.
Gary released his first book (Comfort Food) in April 2010 and second book with mate George Calombaris (Your Place or Mine) in November 2010. The boys second book together, Cook With Us was released in October 2011. He is highly regarded for his passion and intergrity for food and cooking and the way in which he operates his two successful businesses in Melbourne.

He is Ambassador for Ariston appliances, Masterfoods, Brita and Citibank. His role with Masterfoods herbs & spices, includes his own Perfect for range. Gary did his apprenticeship and formative years of cooking in London, where being passionate about food was about the only thing that got you through. Not only was it London, but the Connaught and the Souffle, two of the most elite dining rooms in the UK at the time.

Gary now lives in Sydney but called Melbourne home since 1991, and has worked at a plethora of venues including the gracious Burnham Beeches, Brown's Restaurant and Sofitel Melbourne. He has certainly covered a cross-section of Melbourne dining. Gary is continually in demand as a guest chef and consultant, due to his clean, fresh cooking style, as well as his finely honed business skills and salesmanship. 

Gary was born and grew up in the UK, on a little place called Hayling Island on the South Coast of England, his Dad was an engineer, Mum an artist and Grandfather a chef and teacher. He attended Highbury college of Technology, studied to be chef before leavingfor London to take up his first full time position. Gary marks the two Michelin starred restaurants that were the most formative in his early career as the Connaught Hotel under Michael Bourdan where he worked for almost 4 years and Le Souffle at The Hyde Park Intercontinental under Peter Kromberg. They were at the time two hugely influential chefs in Britain with two opposing styles and ideas, one a bastion of "French haute Cuisine" and the other modern, creative and progressive.

Gary say's he feels blessed in his career, it has allowed him to travel, indulge his passions and meet some extraordinary people. he has by his own admission felt the pain and pressures of failure but enjoyed great success and couldn't wish for more. He values, honesty, enthusiasm, passion, compassion above all else and loves to teach, he's captivated by beautiful produce and has a lasting admiration for the people who grow, rear and craft wonderful things that we can eat and enjoy. 

Name: Gary Mehigan

Date of birth: 12 February 1967

Place of birth: Hayling Island, UK

Nationality: Australian

Partner: Mandy Mehigan

Daughter: Jenna Mehigan

Follow Gary on Twitter: @crispycrackling

source: garymehigan.com and www.wikipedia.org

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George Calombaris Biography

George is a restaurateur, chef, author, and TV personality. he has been awarded many accolades for his work and contribution to the hospitality industry in Australia. Recognised internationally, George was voted by the Global Food and Wine Magazine as one of the worlds Top 40 Chefs on Influence.

George's fascination for food started early. Inspired by his mother and grandmother, two brilliant cooks, George quickly learnt about food and cooking. Although born in Melbourne (Australia), his Greek heritage pathed the way of his successful future. Cooking food from the heart and drawing on childhood memories, George's philosophy on food is to cook with love, cook fresh and cook what's in season.

George's career as an apprentice began at Melbourne's Hotel Sofitel cooking under culinary geniuses and friends Gary Mehigan and Raymond Capaldi. In amongst his graduate groupe his own culinary genieus was obvious winning the Bondlan National Apprentice of the Year and also being selected represent Australian at the Bocuse d'O International Culinary Grand Prix in Lyon, France.

Opening his first restaurant in October 2006, his flagship The Press Club Restaurant & Bar, Melbourne's first Modern Greek restaurant, put George's  culinary prowess on the map, locally and internationally. The success of The Press Club snowballed as it was named by the Age  Good Food Guide as 'Best New Restaurant 2008'. George was also awarded 'Chef of the Year 2008' and was named as one of Melbourne's  Top 100 Most Influntial People by The Age Melbourne Magazine.

Following the success of The Press Club, George soon opened and has been behind a string of successful Melbourne restaurants - Little Press, Hellenic Republic, Mama Baba, St Katherines, PM24, Maha Bar & Grill as well as The Belvedere Club at The Belvedere Hotel in Mykonos, Greece.

George's busy schedule has also seen him write a host of successful cookbooks including The Press Club Modern Greek Cookery, Greek Cookery from the Hellenic Heart, Yoour Place or Mine, Cook With Us, and Georgie Porgie.

His success in Australia has been phenomenal. On top of being a chef, running his restaurants, writing cook books, his success as a judge on Australia's most successful reality TV show, network 10's cooking jugganaut, MasterChef has escalatedhis profile locally and internationally.

First name: George

Last name: Calombaris

Full name at birth: George Calombaris

Date of birth: 4 October 1978

Place of birth: Melbourne, VIC

Nationality: Australian

Partner: Natalie Tricarico

Son: James George Calombaris

Follow George on Twitter: @gcalombaris

source: georgecalombaris.com.au

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