- For full coverage of the 2014 Margaret River Gourmet Escape, click here.
FORTY four year old Peter Gilmore is said to be one of Australia’s most innovative chefs, with his cuisine evolving constantly and always questioning how to use fresh produce.
Hailing from Sydney Mr Gilmore started his career at the tender age of 16 and is now the executive chef of Quay restaurant, a facility renowned and awarded nationally and internationally for their dishes, thanks to Mr Gilmore.
Receiving three chef hats for twelve consecutive years and being named Restaurant of the Year five times in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide, Quay restaurant has also been listed for five years on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants and been dubbed Australasia’s Best Restaurant three of those years, all with Mr Gilmore at the helm.
Releasing his own cookbook and receiving Chef of the Year are some of the individual accomplishments of Mr Gilmore, his Quay restaurant aside.
Inspired by nature, Mr Gilmore has constantly sought fresh and unique produce over the course of his career, being a passionate gardener, an artisan producer collaborator and always taking the time to make connections with those who produce locally to use in his restaurant.
The Mail spoke to Mr Gilmore ahead of his sold out Siemens Collaboration Dinner at Vasse Felix with Massimo Bottura and Aaron Carr.
East coast produce versus west coast produce, whose is best?
All Australian produce is amazing.
WA has some wonderful produce, but so does the east coast, it’s a very impossible question to answer.
What will you be bringing that is unique to the Gourmet Escape?
What I will try to do is impart my own philosophy and experience as a chef into the Escape.
What have you learnt most about yourself during your career?
Anything you do in life, the more you put in the more you get out of it.
Never rest on your lorals, you have to keep being passionate about what you do. Keep discovering.
One ingredient you can’t live without?
The amount of times I have been asked this question, there’s always too many things to choose from. I’d have to say salt.
What will be your highlight of the Gourmet Escape?
Cooking the collaborative dinner with Massimo I’m very much looking forward to. He’s based in Italy and I’ve never had a chance to work with him before, yes, I’m very looking forward to this.
If you missed out on the dinner, Peter Gilmore will be making an appearance at the Gourmet Village.
Tickets are available through Ticketek.
