Peter Gilmore – Executive Chef

Peter Gilmore is the Executive Chef of Quay restaurant in Sydney. Since 2001, Peter’s creative and original cuisine has seen the restaurant receive an unprecedented number of Australian and international awards, and establish itself at the forefront of Australia’s food scene.

Peter describes his cuisine as "food inspired by nature". A passionate gardener, Peter was one of the first chefs in Australia to truly embrace the vegetable garden and its diversity. Sourcing rare plants and heirloom vegetable seeds, he forges unique relationships with small farmers to grow bespoke produce exclusively for Quay. He collaborates with fisherman who hand dive and line catch seafood in pristine Australian waters, and farmers who rear rare breed animals with superior flavour and texture for the table. Peter plans his menus from the ground up a season ahead; a way of working which has strengthened his appreciation of the seasons and the natural world, and is directly reflected in his cuisine.

Peter plays with ideas about food, its provenance and its natural environment. A recent dish was inspired by the beauty of the coral reef in Australia's north. In another, he evokes the environment of a hand-caught flathead, pairing it with wild oysters, periwinkles, wakame seaweed and abalone that the fish might feed upon in its cold Southern ocean home. Peter places great emphasis on texture in his cuisine, so a rare breed pig cheek is first slowly braised for twelve hours, then lightly smoked, and teamed with hand dived sea scallops, shaved Tasmanian shiitake mushrooms and crisp Jerusalem artichoke skin to create a perfect interplay of just four ingredients.

Says Peter: “What we try to do is to produce original, beautifully crafted food with a big emphasis on layers of texture and flavours to create an overall sense of balance. Food that tastes beautiful, that takes you on a journey of different sensations, that makes you think about where it came from.”

 Peter is a 44 year old Australian, born and bred in Sydney. He was inspired to cook at a young age and started his apprenticeship at 16, then spent his twenties working in kitchens overseas and in country New South Wales, developing his own style. Critical recognition came in 2000 when Peter was the Head Chef at De Beers Restaurant at Whale Beach and Terry Durack, food reviewer for The Sydney Morning Herald, wrote “De Beers houses a young chef with a real talent for sending out beautifully structured food with innate simplicity”. Peter’s next step was as head chef at Quay, and he has never looked back.

Quay has been awarded Three Chefs Hats for ten consecutive years and named Restaurant of the Year four times in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. It has three stars and has been awarded Restaurant of the Year twice in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. Quay is also the only Australian restaurant to currently appearon the fabled S Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants. In 2012, Quay was named Best Restaurant in Australasia on the World’s 50 Best for the third year in a row and ranked 29^th.  At The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2012 Awards, Peter Gilmore was named “Chef of the Year”, a celebration of his ten years at Quay.

In 2010, Peter released his first cookbook Quay: Food Inspired by Nature, a sumptuous book which captures Peter’s nature-based philosophy and the organic presentation of his stunning cuisine at Quay.

Peter regards himself as immensely lucky to be a chef in Australia today, with access to extraordinary produce and with the freedom to explore new ideas and draw on a culture which embraces so many people and parts of the world. He continues to refine his food, bringing new and exciting dining experiences to the table, with picture perfect dishes that celebrate nature’s beauty. He is a chef in his prime, whose combination of extraordinary talent and rare humility has won him not just the highest accolades in the food world, but also the respect of his peers and admirers all over the world.

John Fink - General Manager

Fink Group General Manager John Fink is a third generation restaurateur. John spent his formative years working in kitchens and watching father Leon working closely with grandfather and Polish immigrant Jack Fink. Leon and Jack owned and operated the Southern Cross Hotel chain in Sydney and Melbourne. John now continues the family tradition, working closely with his father Leon in the day to day business of running two of Australia's most acclaimed restaurants.

Kylie Ball - Operations Manager

Kylie Ball has a passion for hospitality. Following school, she studied Hospitality management at university, all the while working in bars and restaurants and learning the more practical elements of the business. Her first major job was working with the Polese family, an iconic Sydney restaurant dynasty, working and managing their Potts Point venue, Mezzaluna. She worked for the business for five years, managing functions, reservations and accounts for this thriving inner-city restaurant. In 2000, Kylie joined Quay as financial controller, managing the books for another fabled restaurant family, the Fink Group. She soon took on responsibility for functions, managing events, partnerships and all functions held in the Green Room, Upper Tower and restaurant.

The travel bug bit in 2005, and Kylie set off for the United Kingdom. She settled in London where she worked in human resources for two and a half years, and made the most of her proximity to Europe; eating, drinking and travelling her way across the continent at every opportunity. In 2008, Kylie returned to Sydney and was offered the position of Operations Manager at Quay, which she accepted, as she says, “on the spot”.  In this role, Kylie oversees the day to day operations of the restaurant, supporting all departments and acts as a personal assistant to Peter Gilmore. Her passion for the industry remains and she continues her education with food, wine, and business courses. Kylie is a vital part of the team that has seen the restaurant establish an unrivalled reputation and list of industry accolades.

Sam Aisbett - Head Chef

Growing up in the Whitsundays, Sam Aisbett’s love of food started with him working as an apprentice butcher with his father in the family butcher shop.  It was here where he learnt the basic fundamentals of butchery and soon after decided on a career in the kitchen. After completing his apprenticeship in some of Queensland’s best restaurants, Sam travelled to Europe to broaden his knowledge and experience, before returning home and moving to Sydney. Sam first began working at Quay in 2006 and quickly worked his way up to Senior Sous Chef.  In 2009 Sam got hungry to travel again and spent time completing stages at several Michelin starred restaurants throughout Europe and Asia.

Returning to Sydney Sam spent two years working at Tetsuya’s restaurant as Sous Chef before spending time in the Blue Mountains as Head Chef at Darley’s restaurant.  It was here Sam gained recognition in the industry with his own style of cooking and received a 16/20 review by Terry Durack in the Good Living. While in the mountains, Sam gained a greater appreciation for nature and a passion for using sustainable produce.  It was not uncommon to find Sam foraging through the mountains searching for wild herbs and flowers to incorporate into his menus.

Sam also has a strong love for animals and is an active volunteer with animal conservation groups, which aid in the protection of endangered species.  Because of this, Sam would research to ensure he only used sustainable and humanely treated animals. In 2012 Sam was given the opportunity to return to Quay as Peter Gilmore’s Head Chef and accepted the role instantly feeling he has more to learn working alongside his chef and mentor. Sam has a deep understanding of Peter's ‘food inspired by nature’ philosophy and his desire and ability has prepared him to continue to lead Quays kitchen team with excellence.

Robert Cockerill - Senior Sous Chef

After completing his Apprenticeship Robert worked in a small seafood establishment in Newcastle that worked closely with the local Fish Co-op. Through this and his passion for spear fishing he established the appreciation of marine life, aqua culture and the importance of sustainability. In 2002, Robert studied in Viticulture at Sydney Uni. This education grained his appreciation of the harvesting process and importance of seasonality.  Knowing where the product has come from and the journey from the land to the plate was in grained early in his learning of his career. In 2006 he headed to London to work at Electric Brasserie in Notting Hill.  He worked up the ranks to Junior Sous Chef and was exposed to the varied produce of Europe and it’s cuisines in a high-pressured environment. From here he heard of what Peter Gilmore was doing at Quay and returned home to Sydney with the ambition to work for him.

In 2008 a Demi chef position was available and Rob was more than happy to accept for the opportunity to work with Peter. Here he worked up to Junior Sous Chef for two years and became Senior Sous chef late 2012. Ecstatic to be working in this position with his colleague and close friend again, Sam Aisbett as Head Chef. Rob believes in the paddock to plate philosophy and shares Peter’s passion and drive to continue to move Australian cuisine further and deliver excellence.

Sharon Collins - Restaurant Manager

Sharon began working in the hospitality industry while attending University in Adelaide. She subsequently spent several years travelling throughout Europe & the UK, during which time she filled pretty much every role imaginable within a restaurant (with varying degrees of success!). On returning to Australia she moved to Sydney, where casual work transformed into a full-time passion. After several years managing the 3 hatted Pier Restaurant in Sydney Sharon moved to Quay, starting as Assistant Manager in 2010. Lured back in late 2012 by Quay’s ongoing reputation as one of Sydney’s best Restaurants and the opportunity to work alongside Peter Gilmore again, she is now Restaurant Manager, in charge of managing a floor team of over 40 staff and is regarded as one of the best front of house teams in the country.

Sharon’s vast experience and continual strive for excellence means she continues to raise the bar for service at Quay.

Robert Luther Moon - Maitr'd

Robert has over 25 years experience in the hospitality industry. He started his career  in Australia at such renowned hotels as the Sheraton on the Park, Hayman Island Resort and the Ritz Carlton, Sydney. He then headed overseas to gain international experience working at the famed London eatery Quaglino’s in Mayfair before returning to Sydney to take up a position at the legendary Sydney restaurant Level 41 as Assistant Manager.

Robert took up the role of Maitre d’ at Quay in 2006. Robert is passionate about fine food and wine and consistently inspires Quay’s team to give the restaurant’s discerning clientele the highest possible standards of service. His career highlight was meeting and serving the late Princess Diana.

Amanda Yallop - Head Sommelier

Amanda Yallop is one of an increasing number of women sommeliers making waves in the Australian hospitality industry. As head sommelier Amanda manages the wine programme at Quay. Amanda’s passion for her craft is evident in Quay’s highly respected and awarded wine list.

Amanda joined the Fink Group six years ago, starting as a member of the floor team. Developing a passion for wine and through constant learning and personal development Amanda achieved her Court of Master Sommeliers Certification in 2009.  In 2010, in recognition of her skills and expertise, she was promoted to Head Sommelier, responsible for a cellar of over 500 bottles and some of Australia’s most exciting food/wine matching.

Amanda is now furthering her studies by completing a Wine and Spirit Education Trust diploma at the Sydney Wine Academy. She then has her sights set on completing the prestigious Master of Wine exam.

Her quest to discover new wines and share them with Quay customers led to the addition of a small champagne producer’s page on the Quay wine list, and her love of Loire Valley wines and Rieslings is also reflected in the list’s extensive selection.  

Michelle Cook - Functions Manager

As Functions Manager at Quay, Michelle manages the private dining and special events department at Quay. With close attention to detail and a focus on creating an exceptional event and a lasting impression whether for a corporate event, a special birthday or your wedding day.

Michelle collaborates with the Front of House team and kitchen team to personalize every experience. She entered the hospitality industry in 1998 and worked in events and catering in organisations which include following Ritz Carlton Hotel, Taronga Centre, Gastronomy Catering, Toast Food (Museum of Sydney) and Truffle Group (Opera House). Michelle joined the Quay team in position of Functions Manager in 2005.