Career
"My time as a Chef has been marked as quality focused, team oriented and demonstrating great initiative and entrepreneurship.
In my 25 year career I have always directed kitchens at the leading edge of one the worlds most dynamic cuisine styles - Modern Australian.
A mix of South East Asian flavours, European techniques and new frontier enthusiasm. A respectful balance between old world and new, between innovation and tradition.” 2011- Current Executive Chef / Owner of the Dandelion, Melbourne In April 2011 Geoff and his wife Jane opened the modern Vietnamese restaurant, Dandelion. From the beginning Geoff was responsible for all aspects of the business from conceptualisation, set up, menu design, staff recruitment and opening. Today, Geoff manage ongoing day to day running of the business including menu design, front and back of house recruitment, budgets, staff education and marketing strategies and actions Dandelion is now Australia’s most awarded Vietnamese restaurant.
2000 - 2010 Executive Chef/Co Owner of the Pearl Restaurant Group, Melbourne During his time at Pearl Geoff was responsible for a multi outlet environment including an iconic fine dining restaurant, a bustling daytime café as well as a catering company providing corporate, event and contract catering. Geoff wrote all menus, provided recipes, staff training and profit engineering the three businesses over three different sights. Beginning in late 1999 he was responsible for the original conceptualisation of the restaurant, its food style, the look and all key recruitment as well as marketing strategies, business development and media. Handling the ongoing well being and results of the team, from pre-opening until the sale of the business in 2010.
Through his time at Pearl it was well known worldwide for its innovative Modern Australian cuisine. Pearl was one of Australia’s best-‐known and respected restaurants. Achieving an enviable 2 out of a possible 3 ‘Hats’ in Good Food Guide for all 10 years of operation. Pearl won Best New Restaurant in its first year of operation. In 2010 Pearl ranked nationally as the 17th best Restaurant in Australia. The café received distinctions as Cheap Eats Champ, sighting its food quality and value for money and a regular award for Best Breakfast. The restaurant group turned over $AU8 million annually and employed 100 staff. During this decade Geoff presented guest Chef promotions in 5-star hotels in Toronto, Dubai, Singapore, Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain, Bangkok, across Australia and New Zealand as well as in New York at the famous James Beard Foundation.
2006 - 2008 – Executive Chef Pearl on the Peak, Hong Kong As key project participant Geoff established joint venture with Hong Kong’s pre-eminent restaurant group Maxim’s to establish a Pearl Hong Kong at the newly refurbished Peak Tower. His roll was that of Executive Chef writing menus, working on all aspects of pre opening kitchen management, including kitchen design and recruitment as well as all media liaison and all special event coordination. Geoff split his time between Melbourne and Hong Kong over these two years. The contract was completed in 2008. Pearl on the Peak still trades now but without any connection to Geoff.
1993 - 1999 Executive Chef Stella and Stella@Heide, Melbourne From opening to the sale of Stella and its sister restaurant Stella@Heide at the Museum of Modern Art in Melbourne Geoff was the Executive Chef writing all menus and responsible for all recruitment and day to day team management. Stella received the award for Best New Restaurant in 1994. The business was sold in 1999. 1992 -1993 Head Chef Blake’s Restaurant, Melbourne Head chef at one for Melbourne’s most loved restaurants, Blake’s on the Yarra River. In charge of a team of 18 chefs. Geoff left Blake’s to take on the roll as Executive Chef of Stella 1986 -1992 Chef Stephanie’s Restaurant, Melbourne During this period Geoff worked in all areas of what was at the time Australia’s best restaurant. For his final two years he worked in the role of Head Chef of a brigade of 20.
