Tuesday Roast: Matt Dempsey (2024)

MATT Dempsey is chef-owner of Gladioli restaurant in Inverleigh. Born in country Victoria, he began his apprenticeship in Port Douglas. His CV includes the Sheraton, Pettavel Winery, Pier and Baveras. He opened Gladioli with his wife, Kate, late last year.

What was your last meal?

Today's staff meal: fish broth with noodles, roasted mushrooms and green chilli.

Favourite kitchen gadget?

I think a Cryovac machine is a must have but our Thermomix is probably the item I most enjoy using.

Favourite cookbook?

Marriages: est est est Cookbook by Donovan Cooke and Philippa Sibley was the book that had the most influence over me early in my career. I completed a job trial there when it was released and everything was the same as the pictures: cooked and plated perfectly.

Biggest career inspiration?

My experience at est est est was probably my first real inspiration to try to cook nice food. I picked the stem out of every piece of spinach I touched for years after that!

Best meal ever?

Lunch at The Fat Duck 18 months ago. Perfect, every single part of it.

Favourite 10-minute dinner?

Steamed rice, omelet from our chickens' eggs in the yard, sauteed Asian greens and mushrooms, oyster sauce, fried shallots.

Guilty food pleasure?

Fresh bread, loads of butter, golden juices at the bottom of the roasted chicken tray … heart attack material.

Favourite ingredient?

We have a wonderful organic berry supplier, called Berry Organic, just behind the restaurant. They are unbelievably good - the aroma when they arrive in the building is intoxicating.

First memory of food?

Picking vegies with my grandpa in Port Fairy. Nanna was a brilliant cook and we had everything from rhubarb to poached stone fruit, potatoes and carrots that smelt like earth.

Most memorable meal?

Some street-stall food in Christiania in Copenhagen. We were in this amazing, and kind of scary, hippie commune in the middle of the city. Drunk people, mangy dogs, gangsters, hash stalls. It was like another world and what made it most surreal was that we had just had lunch at Noma. About six weeks after, it was named world's best restaurant.

Most disappointing meal experience?

At a waterfront restaurant in Geelong about five years ago. We were celebrating my mother-in-law's birthday and bought a $150 bottle of champagne. I became suspicious when extra water glasses appeared at the table and was quite upset when the waiter began to pour the champagne into them. When I asked him, he said they'd run out of champagne glasses.

Favourite place for an outdoor meal?