Meet the new breed of chefs causing a stir across Sydney

They are young, creative and more likely to be seen at the gym after a shift than at the pub. Meet the new breed of chefs changing Sydney’s food landscape.

To land the job as Head Chef of new French Bistro Loulou, Billy Hannigan had to cook for founder of Aqualand, Shangjin “Jin” Lin.

“And what do you cook for a guy who flies to Singapore for one night to each at a Michelin star restaurant?,” Hannigan recounts.

Lin had recently established Etymon Projects, the hospitality arm of his company, and Loulou was the first project under that banner.

Spending eight years in the basement kitchen of London’s two-Michelin-star restaurant The Ledbury (which is now closed) Hannigan decided to cook pigeon for Lin. However just minutes before heading to the kitchen while making small talk, Hannigan discovered the bird was the one thing the millionaire didn’t like to eat.

Chef Billy Hannigan from Loulou in Lavender Bay. Picture: Toby Zerna

“I told him, “I am going to convince you you’ll like pigeon,” the 32-year-old said. “And I guess it worked because a year later, I’m opening Loulou.”

Hannigan is one of a number of new generation chef’s changing the food landscape in this city. He said the clichéd abusive and angry chef is a thing of the past.

“To get the job at Loulou, I had to talk about workplace culture. That wasn’t a thing when I was an apprentice,” he said.

And rather than sample the wines after a shift, Hannigan and his contemporaries are more likely to be seen hitting the gym.

“I started working out for my mental health. It was escape time,” he said.

Hannigan spent eight years working at The Ledbury in London. Picture: Toby Zerna

“Most chef’s have addictive personalities. We are addicted to the adrenaline of the job, so when I started training in the gym I became addicted. When I was working for Guilliaume [Brahimi], I would go to the Fitness First across the road at 11pm at night to wind down.”

This has impacted his food, which although is French, has a lightness to it.

“I definitely keep it in the back of my mind. I cook food I want to eat which is often a light, fresh entrees followed by a big protein,” he says.

Opening a new restaurant in the toughest periods of the pandemic, while exhausting, has come with some silver linings.

“It’s forced us to think differently. Whether that’s because of the staff or supply shortage. It’s allowed me to slowly be more creative,” said Hannigan. “Loulou is a French Bistro, so it has to have some staples but everyone is looking for that point of difference. ”

SYDNEY’S NEW KITCHEN KINGS AND QUEENS

SHASHANK ACHUTA, Chef at Lana

Lana Sous Chef Shashank Achuta. Picture: Supplied

This Indian-born, Sydney based chef is second in charge at new — and buzzing — Italian seafood restaurant Lana, at the heritage listed Hinchcliff House. His CV is also equally impressive, having working at Cafe Paci, Fred’s and Restaurant Hubert. And if that is not enough, during lockdown he launched his own business Sydney Tiffin Room. It’s a food-delivery service which showcases regional, home cooked Indian food and aims to show Sydneysiders there is so much more to Indian cuisine than butter chicken and naan.

VICTORIA SCRIVEN, Head Chef at Jane

Head chef at Jane, Victoria Scriven. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The Surry Hills restaurant might have been opened by Tristian Rosier and be named after his grandmother — however Rosier’s head chef Victoria Scriven is also making a name for herself. Scriven says the challenges the hospitality industry is currently facing has brought with it some silver linings. “I’m feeling very creative,” says Scriven, whose ala carte menu at Jane is 70s inspired.

James MacDonald Exec Chef at Odd Culture Group. Picture: Supplied

The former ex-chef at Restaurant Hubert is now the executive chef of exciting hospitality group Odd Culture Group which has venues like The Duke of Enmore (which MacDonald reopened after it fell victim to Covid) and Petersham’s Oxford Tavern. MacDonald also spent time in London institution St John and is now in charge of creating a ferment-heavy menu at the Odd Culture bar in Newtown.

FRANCOIS POULARD, Executive chef at Bar Tropic

Executive Chef Franky Poulard from Wharf Bar/Bar Tropic. Picture: Supplied

The French chef was put in charge of the iconic venue’s $5 million dollar upgrade last year. Before working close to home, Poulard was the head chef at Matt Moran’s Chiswick.

ANNA UGARTE-CARRAL, Head Chef at The Old Fitz

Anna Ugarte-Carral Head Chef, The Old Fitz. Picture: Supplied

There is an impressive woman at the helm of The Old Fitz in Woolloomooloo.

Ugarte-Carral used to work at Restaurant Hubert, Firedoor and Momofuku Seiobo.

She might be redefining pub food but Ugarte-Carral never set out to work in kitchens.

In fact she studied art history and literature before turning her interest in food into a blossoming career.