Best of Australia

Peter Gilmore is the Executive Chef of Quay restaurant in Sydney. Since 2001, his creative and original cuisine has seen the restaurant receive an unprecedented number of Australian and international awards, and establish itself at the forefront of Australia’s food scene. Peter describes his cuisine as "food inspired by nature" and is always playing with ideas about food, its provenance and its natural environment. A recent dish was in fact inspired by the beauty of the coral reef in Australia's north.

“What we try to do is to produce original, beautifully crafted food with a big emphasis on layers of texture and flavours to create an overall sense of balance. Food that tastes beautiful, takes you on a journey of different sensations, and that makes you think about where it came from,” says Peter.

Amongst its many accolades, Quay has been awarded Three Chefs Hats for eleven consecutive years and has most recently been named 2013 Restaurant of the Year in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide and 2013 Restaurant of the Year in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. Quay is also the only Australian restaurant to currently appear on the fabled S Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants.

Dan Hunter has been at the helm of the Royal Mail Hotel’s kitchen since 2007. During this time, the Hotel has evolved from a small country Hotel to the internationally acclaimed fine dining establishment it is known for today.

Chef of the Year in the 2012 Age Good Food Guide, Dan’s food philosophy and commitment to sustainability and regional produce is second to none. One of the first chef’s in Australia to truly understand the journey of a dish, Dan works closely with a dedicated garden and kitchen team, and local producers to create a unique style of food that blends his understanding of modern technique with an immense respect for nature, produce and seasonality.

The Royal Mail Hotel Restaurant has received a number of accolades during Dan’s tenure, including The Age Good Food Guide’s Restaurant of the Year (2011) and Gourmet Traveller’s Regional Restaurant of the Year (2009 – 2012). Most recently, the Restaurant has been awarded Three Chefs’ Hats, The Age Good Food Guide, and Three Stars, Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards. In both instances, the Royal Mail Hotel is the only regional restaurant in Australian to receive these highest ratings for dining.

Our very own Alastair Waddell is the Executive Chef at qualia and previously held the position of qualia Sous Chef for three years.

Prior to qualia, Waddell was Chef de Partie at the two-hatted Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne. Preceding his move to Australia, Waddell worked in his home town in Glasgow, Scotland with renowned chef, Paul Tamburrini. He held the position of sous chef at The Bistro, at One Devonshire Gardens hotel and the Georgian room in Cameron House, Loch Lomond. Both hotels were awarded the prestigious 3 AA Rosette rating.

Classically trained, Waddell’s cooking is motivated by modern influences including the “multicultural cuisine in Australia and this country’s world class produce including cheeses that rival some of the best in Europe.” He’s passionate about the ‘nature cuisine’ movement led by Noma restaurant in Denmark and believes in giving the greatest respect to nature in his cooking, always using local produce when possible and recognising the importance of flavour, texture and presentation.

At qualia, Waddell’s cuisine is inspired by the resort’s stunning island vistas, creating menus that are light, fresh and healthy.