After starting his cooking career in Melbourne, Australia at Langton’s (2000-2002) and then Verge (2002-2003), Dan’s journey with cooking saw him travel around the globe and into the kitchens of some of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants. A highlight includes a four-year stop-over in Spain, culminating in an appointment as Head Chef under Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz (2005-2007). On returning to Australia, Dan spent six years leading the kitchen of Dunkeld’s Royal Mail Hotel (2007-2013). There, he developed his first intensive organic kitchen garden program; 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 took the establishment to its Three-Hat status.
Brae is Dan’s first solo venture, set in the Otway hinterland amongst 30 acres of vegetable gardens and orchards. 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.
Dan was named 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 and The Australian Financial Review’s 2016 Top Chef.
Describe your culinary philosophy in 4 words…
Clean, green, delicious, concise.
What is your greatest inspiration?
The day to day chance to do something that’s both insanely challenging and stimulating with the opportunity to give pleasure and happiness in unexpected ways to our guests
If you could take a plane ride to any restaurant in the world, just for one meal, where would you go?
Mibu, Tokyo
What four things would you take to a desert island?
Fishing rod, scuba gear, filleting knife, box of matches.
- 3 Hats
- Restaurant of the Year |The Age Good Food Guide
- Chef of The Year |The Age Good Food Guide’s
4285 Cape Otway Road
Birregurra
Victoria 3242
Phone: +61 3 5236 2226