Gavin Robertson

1. Your Restaurant/Business: Crowne Plaza, Hunter Valley

2. About Your Kitchen: My kitchen is full of dynamic, passionate chefs who thrive under pressure and love having the opportunity to work with some of the finest food available in Australia. Whether we are preparing a meal for elite sporting groups or the finest race horse trainers, the passion for good food is my kitchen’s priority.

3. Your Favorite Chef Works Item: The entire Egyptian Cotton collection!

4. First Job: An apprentice at Gleneagles, Scotland.

5. Your Cookbook: My own, the one I have yet to write.

6. Your Awards: I was a Finalist in Scotland’s Young Chef of the Year contest and have also won numerous Beef and Lamb awards.

7. Your Cooking Inspiration: My Mother

8. Your Speciality Dish: Fillet of Beef Wellington with wild mushroom and truffle duxelle, served with roasted baby vegetables and Shiraz jus.

9. Favorite Dish To Eat: My Beef Wellington

10. Weirdest Thing You Ever Ate: Fruit bat curry, whilst working in Fiji.

11. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: White Chocolate

12. Favorite Drink: Beer

13. Favorite Wine: Pinot Noir

14. Who Would You Most Like To Cook For: Billy Connelly, my favorite Scottish comedian, musician and actor.

15. Who Would You Least Like To Cook For: Anyone who does not appreciate the hard work that goes into creating a great dining experience.

16. Favorite Things To Do When Not Cooking: Play rugby

17. Your Latest Project: My move to the Hunter Valley Wine Country. I am excited about revamping the menu of this beautifully situated hotel.

18. Favorite City and Why: Christchurch, New Zealand. I had my first Sous Chef job there and hold a lot of fond memories of that time in my life. The hotel that I worked in was destroyed in the February 2011 earthquake.

19. Your Greatest Indulgence: Wine and whisky

20. Your All Time Best Culinary Tip: Keep everything fresh, fresh, fresh.