• Restaurant: Brae
  • Role: Chef & Owner
  • Hats: 3

Dan started his cooking career in 2000 in Melbourne, Australia at Langton’s before moving on to Verge. After three years, Dan’s cooking journey took him around the globe working in some of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants, including an appointment of Head Chef at Mugaritz, Spain (2005-2007).

In 2007, Dan returned to Australia and spent six years leading the kitchen of Dunkeld’s Royal Mail Hotel. There, Dan developed his first intensive organic kitchen garden program and was awarded:

  •  Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine’s Regional Restaurant of the Year for four consecutive years
  • The Age Good Food Guide 2011 Restaurant of the Year; and
  • Three-Hat status.

In 2013, Dan started his first solo venture, Brae, set on a working organic farm in Victoria’s Otways. Here, Dan leads a team of chefs and gardeners committed to a sustainable method of farming and cooking. Together, they grow organic fruit and vegetables and use only ethically-grown produce from the surrounding land and local farmers to offer a unique, contemporary cuisine built around an immense respect for nature and seasonality.

Awards

  • 3 Hats
  • The Age Good Food Guide’s 2012 Chef of The Year
  • The Age Good Food Guide’s 2016 Chef of the Year
  • Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine’s 2016 Chef of the Year
  • The Australian Financial Review’s 2016 Top Chef