This week Nicola and Di chat with Australian food icon and restaurant royalty, Matt Moran. Matt is best known for the incredible restaurants he’s created, including Chiswick, North Bondi Fish, The Opera Bar, and of course the stand out of them all, Aria - and that’s only a handful from a very long list. But it’s not only his restaurants that make Matt an icon, he’s also worked on 12 popular TV shows including Master Chef, Paddock to Plate and The Great Australian Bake Off alongside his dear friend, Maggie Beer. Add to that 4 best-selling cookbooks and a bunch of national and international awards, Matt certainly has an awe-inspiring career in the food industry. What we also love about Matt is how much he gives back - through the charity work he does for organisations like OZHarvest, through mentoring and guiding other young chefs as well as through his own sustainable farming - that’s right, Matt is a fourth generation farmer!

In this conversation we hear about Matt’s lifelong passion for food and cooking, which began when Matt started as an apprentice at The Belle Helene restaurant when he was just 15. By the time he was 22, he had already opened his first restaurant in Sydney, The Paddington Inn Bistro. Matt’s long and successful career has been shaped by hard work, persistence and perseverance - but above all, it’s his passion that’s been the driving force. As Matt reminds us - if you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life. 

Matt opens up about his friendship with Gordon Ramsay, and what they get up to on the yearly trips they take together to Iceland. He also shares about the strong sense of community and mateship amongst chefs and the wonderful friends he’s made over the 40 years he’s been in the industry. 

It was so lovely to chat to Matt about his life story and the remarkable imprint he’s made, and continues to make, on the Australian food industry. He’s such a down-to-earth and genuine guy and we loved having him at our back fence - we hope you enjoy listening. 

Follow Matt Moran on IG here

Find out more about some of Matt Moran’s iconic restaurants below:

Aria

Opera Bar

Chiswick

North Bondi Fish 

Chophouse Sydney

The Rockley Pub

Buy Matt Moran’s Cookbooks here

Follow Nicola and Di on IG here

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