Where are you from?
The Northern Beaches of Sydney – we grew up in Elanora and have ended up in Narrabeen.
Where have you lived previously?
Mostly around this area with a stint in the Turks and Caicos Islands and New York for a steamy summer where I managed to score a summer job as a private chef. I would wake up, check in with the client, then go and make a steak and blue cheese dressing, call it a day and wander the streets of New York. Even now when I daydream it is here I find myself travelling to.
Could you tell us a little about your background?
When I was at school I worked in cafes on the weekend and the Upper Crust at Long Reef, a renowned local pie shop. When I finished school I didn’t know what I wanted to do, so one day I was standing there looking at a menu with Dad and deciding what to order for lunch and he said ‘you are really fussy, why don’t you become a chef’, so I started my apprenticeship! From there I worked my way up in film catering, Women Weekly test kitchens, restaurants and private homes.
I am now a private chef, and was cooking for a client who wanted me to re-create a marshmallow that she had in St Tropez years ago. We made the rosewater marshmallows, and so Black Pantry began.
What are you currently working on?
Perfecting our recipe, scaling up our business and fine tuning. We have been on an interesting road as a small business full of twists and turns and challenges and we are ready to streamline and grow.
What are you most proud of?
Carving out a stylish and bespoke product I love. A lot of that style comes from Jessie and hard work from Jo and I, you definitely need both to succeed.
What do you see as limitations?
Time is definitely a limitation, but we are working on that.
What is most important to you right now?
Just refining and taking our business to the next level we can see it at.
