People
Dan Hunter —
Chef-owner, Dan Hunter’s first solo venture, Brae, opened in December 2013 on a working organic farm in Victoria’s Otways. Here, Dan leads a team of hospitality professionals and gardeners committed to a sustainable method of farming and eating. Together, they grow organic fruit and vegetables and use only ethically-grown produce from Brae farm, the surrounding land and local farmers to offer a unique, contemporary Australian cuisine built around an immense respect for nature and seasonality.
Before opening his own venture, Dan’s career took him around the globe and into the kitchens of some of the world’s most acclaimed restaurants, including an appointment as Head Chef at Mugaritz, Spain.
On returning to Australia, Dan spent six years leading the kitchen of Dunkeld’s Royal Mail Hotel, where he developed his first intensive organic kitchen garden program and took the establishment to its Three-Hat status.
Dan was named Chef of the Year 2012 and 2016 in The Age Good Food Guide; Chef of the Year 2016 in Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine; and Top Chef 2016 and 2017 in The Australian Financial Review’s Top Restaurants Awards.
Dan’s debut book – Brae, Recipes and Stories from the Restaurant – was published by Phaidon in 2017.