George Calombaris
George Calombaris | |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 October 1979 |
| Occupation | Chef masterchef judge |
| Known for | MasterChef Australia judge |
George Calombaris (born 4 October 1979) is an Australian chef and a judge of the Network Ten series MasterChef Australia.[1] Prior to his role on MasterChef, Calombaris also regularly appeared on the nighttime Ten cooking show Ready Steady Cook. He owns three restaurants in Melbourne and one in Mykonos, Greece. His flagship Melbourne restaurant, The Press Club, was recently awarded The Age Good Food Guide "Best New Restaurant 2008" with Calombaris named "Chef of the Year 2008". Calombaris draws on his Greek Cypriot heritage for inspiration.[2] He is also a keen supporter of the Western Bulldogs.
Education
Calombaris studied at Box Hill Institute of TAFE and won the Bon Land scholarship in 1999 while an apprentice.[3]
Career
He started his career at the Hotel Sofitel in Melbourne under Raymond Capaldi. After his apprenticeship, he teamed up with Capaldi and the Sofitel’s executive sous chef Gary Mehigan to open Fenix, where he worked for two years. He also entered the Bocuse d’Or culinary grand prix in Lyon, France, achieving a best ever result for an Australian representative.[4]
He spent two years working at Reserve, in Melbourne’s Federation Square where, at the age of 24, he won Young Chef of the Year, Best New Restaurant and two chef’s hats in The Age Good Food Guide.[2] In 2004, the Global Food and Wine Magazine voted him as one of the Top 40 chefs of influence in the world.[5] In 2006 Calombaris opened his own restaurant in Melbourne, The Press Club. In 2008, he opened 2 other restaurants in Melbourne, Maha Bar and Grill (with chef Shane Delia) and Hellenic Republic. Also in 2008, he opened his first international restaurant, Belvedere, in a hotel on the Greek island of Mykonos.[2]
Calombaris has published two cookbooks The Press Club and his second cookbook Hellenic Republic: Greek Cooking from The Hellenic Heart.[2]
References
- ^ Knox, David (11 January 2009). "Food critic becomes Masterchef host". tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 12 January 2009.
- ^ a b c d "Hellenic heart, business head". Hospitality Magazine. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ "George Calombaris TAFE ambassador". Box Hill Institute of TAFE. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ "Great Chefs". Moffat. Retrieved 19 July 2009.
- ^ "CIT ICON dinner serves up Chef George Calombaris". CIT Website. Canberra Institute of Technology. 13 Nov 2008. Retrieved 2009-07-10.