CHEF PROFILE

DAN SHANKS, EXECUTIVE CHEF

Through his role with Atlantic Group [V], Dan Shanks oversees five commercial kitchens, which last festive season fed an average of 15,000 people each week.

Shanks' childhood had great influence on his decision to follow a career in the kitchen. Growing up in Borneo taught him that vibrancy taste and balance in Malay and Thai cuisine is essential, while access to sheep and chickens on his family farm and home-grown vegetables convinced him from an early age that fresh is best.

As an apprentice chef in New Zealand, Shanks trained under the guidance of Phillip Kraul at Le Bon Bolli, one of the country's top fine-dining French restaurants. During his early years in the kitchen, he worked with a number of culinary 'superstars' including Peter Gordan, Tetsuya and Jimmy McIntyre for whom he credits his creative style.

With the benefit of an events and restaurant background, Shanks' goal at Central Pier Docklands is to close the gap between restaurant and function dining, "It's really about planning ahead, being creative and using the freshest ingredients possible. These rules apply whether you're feeding five or 500 people," says Shanks.

BRENDAN O'SULLIVAN, HEAD CHEF - ATLANTIC

Born and bred in Adelaide, Brendan began his career in his home town at the Duck Inn. After completing his apprenticeship he ventured to Perth where he worked for three years as Chef de Partie in the convention centre at Burswood casino cooking for the likes of KISS, AC/DC and REM. But his desire to travel, see, learn and experience more soon led him beyond Australia.

Brendan found his home away from home in London in 2001 and flourished as Junior Sous Chef at the Brasserie, in the prestigious Oxo Tower, on the bank of the River Thames. From Junior Sous Chef to Head Chef; the Gastro Pub, Chiswick, gave Brendan a chance to hone both his culinary and leadership skills. In 2003 he ventured to France where he worked for the Cannes film festival two years in a row and headed the catering team for various exclusive launch parties.

After all the experiences and excitement, Brendan felt that the food capital of Australia, Melbourne, was the ideal place to settle down with his family. His work at the Stokehouse and as Head Chef at Stillwater restaurant on the Crittenden Winery realised his focus on Mediterranean and French style cuisine with an emphasis on “using fresh, clean, simple flavours and trying not to complicate it too much.”