Meet The Team
Both Quay and Fink are supported by a longstanding team of passionate executives and staff working to create personal dining experiences for our guests, underpinned by a generous dose of humble hospitality and a sense of understated luxury. Read on to learn more about the team behind Quay.
Peter Gilmore
Executive Chef, Quay & Bennelong
Peter Gilmore is the Executive Chef at two of Australia’s most exciting dining destinations; Bennelong at the Sydney Opera House and Quay across the harbour at Circular Quay. Born and bred in Sydney, Peter is now one of the most awarded chefs in Australia.
Peter describes his cuisine as food inspired by nature. As a passionate gardener himself, he was one of the first chefs in Australia to embrace heirloom varieties of vegetables and continues to work in partnership with small and artesian producers who cultivate bespoke produce exclusively for both Quay and Bennelong. Peter’s appreciation of nature’s diversity and his endless experimentation in his own garden are the driving forces in his cooking.
Peter has released three cookbooks, Quay: Food Inspired by Nature published in 2010, Organum: nature, texture, intensity, purity in 2014, and From The Earth: World’s Great, Rare and Almost Forgotten Vegetables in October 2018.
Keep ReadingJosef Neumeier
General Manager, Quay
Josef Neumeier is the General Manager of Quay.
Born in Munich to restauranteurs, Josef has a natural affinity for creating guest experiences. After studying Hospitality Management at Oxford and the Swiss Hotel Institute Montreux, Josef oversaw food and beverage operations across Germany, the U.K., Switzerland, and South Africa, before relocating to Australia. In Sydney, Josef held managerial positions at some of Sydney’s most successful establishments, before joining Quay in late 2023 as General Manager.
At Quay, Josef delights in delivering the Quay experience as a true icon of the Sydney dining scene, and is inspired every day by the dedication and talent of Executive Chef Peter Gilmore and the team.
Tim Mifsud
Co-Head Chef, Quay
Tim Mifsud is Co-Head Chef of Quay.
Tim joined the Quay family in 2015 after several years training and working in the UK. His international experience notably included a role in the kitchen for James Knapett at Kitchen Table in London, during which the restaurant was awarded their first Michelin Star. Tim has also worked with chefs including Francis Atkins from the Yorke Arms and Tim Hughes of the Caprice Group in London.
Tim ventured to Australia and began his Fink journey as Chef de Partie at Quay, where he worked his way to Senior Sous Chef in 2018. He was offered a position as Co-Head Chef in 2019 where he continues to lead the team under the guidance of Executive Chef Peter Gilmore.
Tim’s cooking is influenced by his love of nature, as well as his admiration for late culinary icon Anthony Bourdain’s approach to cooking and to the world.
Troy Crisante
Co-Head Chef, Quay
Troy Crisante is Co-Head Chef of Quay, leading the kitchen team with fellow chef Tim Mifsud.
Troy joined the Fink family in 2012 as a fourth-year apprentice, where he graduated through various roles in the Quay kitchen. Troy left Australia in 2014 to work abroad in London, where his career highlights included a stint alongside fellow Aussie Brett Graham at The Ledbury.
On his return to Sydney, Troy worked as Senior Sous Chef at Bennelong where he was awarded Time Out’s Hot Young Talent Award in 2016, and was runner up in the 2016 Appetite for Excellence Young Chef of the Year Award. He continued to progress throughout Fink’s restaurant portfolio, working as Senior Sous Chef at Firedoor before re-joining the Quay kitchen as Senior Sous Chef in 2018. In 2019, Troy became Co-Head Chef at Quay where he continues to work and grow under Executive Chef Peter Gilmore.
Wilem Powell
Head Sommelier, Quay
Wilem Powell joined Quay in July 2022 as our Head Sommelier, leading and working closely with our award-winning wine team.
Wilem first became enthralled with wine whilst studying theatre at university. He began training as a Sommelier in 2015 and was appointed to a Head position at the Hotel du Vin in York in 2017. In the years afterwards, Wilem worked in the wine teams of some of the U.K.’s most prestigious fine dining institutions, including Michelin-Starred restaurants The Clove Club and later Moor Hall, where he was promoted to Head Sommelier in 2021.
In 2022, Wilem moved to Australia and began his next adventure at Quay. With his expertise, Quay reintroduced the Benchmark Pairing, featuring some of the most coveted premium wines from the Quay cellar.
Wilem has a passion for all manners of beverages, from a good cup of tea, through to sake, beer, and spirits. He is currently studying for his Court of Master Sommeliers’ Advanced Exam, which will continue to elevate the Quay wine offerings to even greater heights.
