Chef Peter Doyle reflects on a 40-year career

After over 40 years behind the stove in some of Australia’s finest restaurants, renowned chef Peter Doyle is hanging up his apron. In an interview with Australian Gourmet Traveller, the Sydney-based chef shares his insights on how the restaurant business has changed over the course of four decades. 

Doyle begins by recounting his inauspicious entry into the restaurant world. “The thing I remember most about my first day in the kitchen was the fast pace and the fact I nearly severed my index finger at the first joint. One of the chefs squirted some powder on the deep cut, wrapped it in a Band Aid, and I was told to “get on with it”. It only took six months to heal and I still have the scar.”

Major changes have swept through the dining world as tastes and approaches have evolved. Doyle believes that today’s restaurant-goers are much more sophisticated and educated about food and wine. The chef has seen cooking styles morph from French-inspired dishes heavy on cream to the cleaner and lighter fare offered today, and indeed he pushed for the change alongside his contemporaries. Says Doyle, “I realised that great cuisine was essentially simple cooking; harmonious flavours enhancing quality produce, cooked with attention to detail and flair.”