Chef Darryl Zeitzen
Private Chef In Chermside West
Get to know me better
A chef that is always learning, changing and adapting but forever finding joy in cooking and being creative in and out of the kitchen.
I began my culinary journey in Hobart, Tasmania. It is here that I developed a passion for using fresh and local produce, with an abundance of small and micro producers in the area, it just made sense for us to source what we could locally. I started my apprenticeship in an Italian cafe/restaurant, transforming local produce into Italian fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
I had a thirst for knowledge and a desire to do well in the industry, however, there came a time when I decided to travel to learn from other chefs. I travelled around Australia and Europe for 7 years, working in a mixture of cafe's, restaurants, function and conference centres, 5 star hotels and resorts, learning about different techniques and flavours from some incredible chefs. After travelling abroad I then spent some time working in ski resorts in Australia, gaining experience in re-launching hotels and restaurants with new menu's, from empty fridges to a full house, just in time for each ski season, and in the off-season I would work short-term contracts in different parts of Australia, learning from more interesting chefs, expanding on the variety of cuisines and restaurants that I was exposed to.
Finally my journey took me back to the original restaurant where I completed my apprenticeship. It was here that I began writing menu's, designing kitchens and managing large multiple restaurant requiring me to draw on all the experience that I had gained travelling. We launched a brand new Italian Restaurant in the newly redeveloped space where I completed my apprenticeship years before, to then follow launching a mexican restaurant and taqueria and a vegan casual service restaurant just moments away.
I moved away from the partnerships at the restaurants in Hobart, and began consulting with restaurant and business owners in Melbourne, developing and implementing trendy and cost effective menu's throughout Melbourne. I spent my time consulting, relaunching existing businesses with new and fresh menu’s that where more profitable, as well as helping business owners design and launch their café’s and restaurants.
Having now found our way to Queensland, I spend my time travelling and working behind the scenes with a variety of celebrity chefs at cooking shows around Australia teaching cooking classes that the Golden Pig restaurant in Newstead, providing cooking demonstrations and workshops at the Kitchen Warehouse and providing services as a private chef, being invited into homes all over Queensland to cook and cater gourmet dinners.
My passion in food has always been influenced by Italian cooking, the more recent years, a Mexican and South American influence has been coming through. The most important thing for me in cooking, is to always source the best local and seasonal ingredients, to cook healthy and fresh meals, and if you can make it yourself, do. I would like to inspire people to cook better food at home, and move away from steak and veg, or take-out food.
More about me
For me, cooking is...
Is an extremely satisfying outlet for my creative side.
I learned to cook at...
I learned to cook through reading every cook-book I came across, and working at too many restaurants to list.
A cooking secret...
To cook all food with joy. I believe that the mood you cook with is transferred to the food and represented in what you put on a plate.
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