Celebrity Chef

christine mansfield

Christine Manfield’s curious mind

Christine Manfield, one of Australia’s most celebrated chefs and culinary ambassadors, speaks to BeanScene about her fascination with flavour and the importance of being brave.  Christine Manfield believes there are some things that should be enjoyed in their most natural form, and coffee is one of them. Mention of latte alternatives such as matcha, chai, broccoli, turmeric or cauliflower spark strong resistance from Christine, with the culinary icon questioning the interest and purpose in such fads.
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Scott Pickett

Scott Pickett sets the bar

Chef Scott Pickett talks to BeanScene about using coffee as a vehicle for flavour, respecting origin, and the reality of being a business owner in Melbourne’s competitive restaurant scene.  Ten years ago, 12 coffees a day was a regular scenario for Scott Pickett. That was until a Chinese doctor took one look at his eyes and knew instantly his caffeine intake was through the roof. 
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Silvia Colloca

Silvia Colloca shines

Silvia Colloca is a home cook with an unconditional love for baking. She speaks to BeanScene about keeping traditions alive, unforgettable food memories, and roasting coffee in the kitchen. There are two distinct aromas that make Silvia Colloca’s household the envy of most on a Sunday morning – freshly baked bread and freshly roasted coffee on the kitchen bench. “Those are the days you really want to be at our house. The smell is just incredible. It permeates every single room,” Silvia says. Freshly brewing coffee on a little moka pot has been a beautiful morning ritual ever since Silvia recalls growing up in Milan, Italy.
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alastair mcleod

Alastair McLeod’s Aussie ambitions

Alastair McLeod is an Irishman with an Australian appreciation for quality coffee. He talks to BeanScene about European kitchens, his indigenous roots, and why six coffees a day is an acceptable quota. Alastair McLeod still boasts a strong Irish accent after calling Brisbane home for the past 22 years, but in that time he’s adopted a love for all things quintessentially Australian: Vegemite toast, mangos, and coffee. “I can still see my mummy and daddy in Belfast drinking instant coffee. My dad worked in cafes in Ireland and in restaurants throughout school, but Belfast wasn’t a discerning coffee culture growing up. It was in its formative years. They were serving instant coffee in the cafes,” Alastair says. 
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Matt Golinski

Matt Golinski a man of the land

Matt Golinski has coffee on his mind even before his interview with BeanScene magazine begins. On an early morning call to the Sunshine Coast-local, Matt answers the phone while at his local fruit shop buying milk and coffee. “Can I call you back? I’m just getting the only one-kilogram bag of beans on the shelf,” Matt says.
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Ashley Palmer-Watts

Ashley Palmer-Watts’s ambition

There are some magical coffee moments you never forget. For Dinner By Heston Blumenthal’s Chef Director Ashley Palmer-Watts, that moment was five years ago when he, two chefs, and a maître d’ climbed Africa’s highest mountain peak, Mount Kilimanjaro.
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Anna Polyviou: the princess of pastry

Anna Polyviou is a chef with artistic flair, edgy look, and carefree attitude. With her trademark pink mohawk hair and zest for life, it’s little wonder that the ‘Punk Princess of Pastry’ captivates audiences on TV screens and on paper.  Anna’s the first to admit she likes pushing the limits, both in her food creations and daily routine. Recently, she decided to go on a month-long national tour to launch her new Sweet Street cook book, travelling from Perth to Melbourne, Sydney to Canberra, and Darwin to Brisbane, cooking with young kids and signing books for anyone who asked.  “I can’t wait for people to go buy the book from the shops but I also wanted to take the opportunity to personalise the experience for my supporters,” Anna says. “I wanted the chance to meet people, talk about the book, why it’s designed, and what it involves, because it’s not just an average book. It’s been four to five years in the making.”
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Chef Tobie Puttock’s true colours

After 25 years working in Italian kitchens, Tobie Puttock has consumed more espresso shots than many would dare attempt in a lifetime.  At just 18 years of age, Tobie would watch as waiters brought a tray of 12 espressos to the kitchen for the staff of four on the hour, and they’d drink every one.  “It was espresso all the way because that’s what the other chefs had and I wanted to fit in, to the point I’d drink so much I’d be a shaking nervous wreck,” Tobie says. “We were doing six double shifts a week on a seven-month contract, and everyone just lived off caffeine.” Growing up, Tobie’s parents weren’t big on coffee. His first taste of Nescafe was thanks to his “bogan best mate” at 17, but it is the aroma of coffee he recalls most, brewing in his godmother’s restaurant. It’s still the thing he enjoys waking up to each day.  “The first thing I do in the morning is put a pod through my Nespresso machine, which is like getting a big warm hug to start the day,” he says.
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Adrian Richardson’s rich traditions

There have been many significant people in Adrian Richardson’s life that have offered him advice, passed on skills, and shared recipes. But when it comes to coffee appreciation, Adrian has his grandfathers to thank.   “I lived with my grandparents when I was young and there was always a coffee aroma in the house. I remember my grandfather grinding the coffee with an electric grinder and putting it into a little cafeteria – that was nonno’s coffee,” Adrian says. “I would sit on his knee, put two sugars in his coffee and stir it around.”
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Everybody loves Reymond

At age 11, Jacques Reymond was exposed to coffee, but not in the way many Australians know it. Rather than fond memories of drinking instant dried granules, bialetti coffee boiling on the stovetop, or a golden espresso dripping from a spout, Jacques recalls his first exposure to caffeine in the form of a liqueur. 
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