Thursday 30 July 2015 , The Van Haandel Group has confirmed several changes to its kitchen teams at its Stokehouse restaurants.
Richard Ousby has been promoted from Head Chef Stokehouse Q to the new Group position of Executive Chef – Stokehouse Restaurants, overseeing the flavours at Stokehouse Q in Brisbane, Stokehouse City in Melbourne CBD and for the relaunch of the flagship Stokehouse St Kilda.
“The new Stokehouse St Kilda’s style of food will be an extension of what we know and love about Stokehouse, and we are just thrilled to have Richard on board to lead this with his innovative but relaxed food that fits perfectly with the beachside venue,” said Frank van Haandel.
“I have always enjoyed working for Frank and Sharon van Haandel and to be part of their new flagship restaurant is an absolutely amazing opportunity for me,” said Richard Ousby.
“My approach to food is simple; I love using local and high quality produce to create fresh flavours that are not overworked, just really casual and approachable dishes, and I very much look forward to creating a menu at St Kilda that old and new clientele will really love,” added Richard.
Richard joined Stokehouse Q in late 2012 and became Head Chef in early 2013. At just 32 years of age he already has several major awards under his belt, including the San Pellegrino & Acqua Panna 2012 Young Chef of the Year and the 2011 Electrolux Australian Young Chef of the Year.
Richard’s career began in Brisbane, where he started his apprenticeship working in a family owned Italian restaurant, which he continued and completed in a small hotel. When the opportunity arose for him to help with the setup and establishment of a fine dining restaurant, he gladly took it, utilising every bit of knowledge attained to improve and perfect his skills.
With a thirst for knowledge, Richard moved to England to work for Michael Roux at the Waterside Inn where he learnt about classical French cuisine and his core cooking skills were honed. In more recent years, Richard worked under chef Peter Gilmore for three years, as sous chef at Quay Restaurant in Sydney, where he “discovered that an open-minded, innovative chef can draw on multiple cultural sources for one dish”.
In November 2013 the Sydney Opera House announced that the Stokehouse had won the tender to operate at their Bennelong restaurant site, with Richard reigning in the kitchen. However, following the devastating fire at St Kilda in January 2014, the Van Haandel Group needed to focus on rebuilding its business in Melbourne, and the Sydney Opera House venture was withdrawn. This resulted in Richard staying in Stokehouse Q, where he continues to celebrate and explore the local produce.
In the short term, Richard will spend time in both Brisbane and Melbourne, working with the team at Stokehouse City and as a key member of the Stokehouse St Kilda rebuild team.
Works are about to commence on Stokehouse St Kilda with an opening date of 2016 confirmed. ‘We look forward to revealing more to our very loyal customers in the coming weeks – stay tuned!’ said Frank van Haandel.
Stokehouse MELBOURNE
7 Alfred Place
Melbourne VIC
(03) 9525 5555
Stoke Bar and Stokehouse Q BRISBANE
Open seven days from 11am – Friday – Sunday & 12noon Monday – Thursday , for lunch and dinner, year-round (closed Christmas Day only).
A: Sidon Street, South Bank, QLD 4101
P: (07) 3020 0600
E: info@stokehousebrisbane.com.au
