Phoebe Cleland

Australian Phoebe Cleland has long understood the link between cuisine and culture, nurturing both a love of cooking and an interest in different cultures since she was a young girl.  Phoebe studied cooking, and a four-year apprenticeship in a commercial kitchen taught her everything from “chopping an onion to making beautiful desserts.”  After becoming a qualified chef, the Perth native worked in a fine dining seafood restaurant and in busy holiday resort, honing her skills in pastry.  

Eager to continue her culinary education, Phoebe left for Europe, cooking in restaurants and delighting in the new cultures and their cuisines.  Working in five-star hotels and immersing herself in the local markets and local produce was, she says, an education in itself.

After returning to Australia, Phoebe continued to diversify, working first in a French-Japanese fusion restaurant, and then a Queensland restaurant where she admits she was spoiled with the wide array of fresh, local seafood available.     

Says Phoebe, “There is nothing I love more than to be able to go down to the local market, buy live seafood, great quality fruit and vegetables and unusual local foods, and then make all of that beautiful produce into a memorable experience for our guests.”