Declaring his passion for the hospitality industry and his concern over the future of the restaurant concept itself, We find out the insights of a true Australian Chef. “I feel that it is not only a reset, but a real change that will significantly impact our industry for many years ahead”.
As is so often found amongst the most dedicated of chefs, Luke’s passion was sparked from childhood. His love of food, and learning all about how to create a recipe from family and friends.
At the age of 14, Luke instinctively knew his future path lay in seeing food not only as a creative art but also fundamental to human “comfort, nourishment and community”.
Luke believes, however, that the industry has evolved to become more mindful about flavours, textures, sustainability, and most importantly for the current generation, the appearance!
Reaching the age of 30, Luke decided it was time to make a career move to the Kimberley region of WA where he saw an opportunity to further his knowledge and hone his skills, and was soon promoted to Executive Chef of Eco Beach Resort in Broome WA.
Luke recalls. “the honour of going to the bush, learning about the land, and utilising all the great native ingredients”. He and his team would create long table dinners on the sand while hanging whole
Barramundi over flames and creating Boab tree desserts using native ingredients.
When it comes to the high-pressure environment of the traditional restaurant kitchen Luke believes the personal chef service could very much be the future in bespoke dining experiences, far away from the high-pressure environment of the traditional restaurant kitchen.
Luke feels that the most common cause of stress for chefs in a typical kitchen environment is the lack of a system and communication. “Chefs and management tend to overcomplicate things when sometimes the answer is simpler than it seems. Communicating and streamlining processes can make our lives so much easier”.
Luke believes a work life balance is also key to managing the demands and stress of the kitchen. Educating the next generation of chefs in future sustainability Luke is a firm advocate that educating the next generation of chefs in the future of sustainability within the hospitality sector is a key point for growth.
“The culinary identity of Australia is undergoing a radical transformation. We are just starting to see the fruits of locally sourced and sustainable eating, and soon this will include native and indigenous ingredients.
I have seen many young chefs learning more about these practices, and developing a keener knowledge than I ever did back in the day”. Luke is committed to drive the changes he describes by wanting to help educate and inform the next generation of chefs in the all-important areas of sustainability, right across the cheffing industry.
When asked what advice he would give to anyone who is considering a career in hospitality the veteran chef considers that the industry is tougher than it was when he was starting out. Luke thinks that this is due, ironically, to the “expectations that we have to be healthy, local, and sustainable, plus dietary requirements – and making sure your food is Insta worthy”. The pressure to perform, says Luke, has never been as great as it is today.
Ultimately, his advice to younger chefs is to, “soak it up, learn, stay positive, respect, do the hard yards, because you eventually look at a future generation of chefs and say, ‘remember what we were doing in the 2020s!”
WAMC is excited to also let you know that Luke has come on board as the Australian Cuisine Ambassador. His experience and insight will be a great addition to the WAMC Family.
Today, Luke along with his friend and business partner Cameron are busy building their ‘Butler and The Chef’ enterprise to ensure they continue to serve only the finest food and top-class hospitality to their home dining clients.
