Chris has always had a drive to be a top chef in the culinary world, and has achieved a great amount throughout his career thus far. He worked in Michelin-starred restaurants and San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants, alongside Heston Blumenthal, Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, and many more well-known chefs. After travelling the world, Chris settled in New Zealand with his family and joined Peter Gordon in 2 hatted the Two Hats Sugar Club and Bellota, Nic Watt in 1 hatted 1 Hat Masu, and overseeingaw Orbit 360 and Skytower as the Executive Chef for Skycity Group.
In 2020, Chris took the opportunity as the group Executive Chef of Vault 21 and Prohibition Smokehouse. Chris’s ambition is to establish Vault 21 and Prohibition Smokehouse as New Zealand’s leading restaurants and elevate Dunedin’s culinary scene.
Achievements to date include:
- Rising Stars Young Chef Mushroom Competition Winner
- Jeunes Commis Rôtisseurs Competition De La Chaine Des Rôtisseurs
- Hilton Hotel team Johannesburg Hotel Meander Winner
- Zuma Dubai Timeout Magazine Awards Dubai; Best New Comer, Best Business Lunch, Best Japanese Restaurant, Best Bar and Lounge. All between 2009 and 2011.
- What’s On Magazine UAE Awards; Best Japanese Restaurant in the UAE 2009, 2010, 2011, Best
- Restaurant in UAE for 2010 and 2011 (out of all categories).
- Voted Best Restaurant by BBC Good Food Awards Middle East 2010
- San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Zuma, Dubai, UAE
- San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Zuma, London, UK
- Sumi Restaurant, Voted No.1 Best Restaurant in Namibia
- MASU awarded One Hat Cuisine Good Food awards 2018, 2019 NZ
- MASU awarded top 50 best restaurant in Auckland Metro Awards 2018 and 2019 NZ
- The Sugar Club awarded Two Hats Cuisine Good Food Awards 2018
- Awarded to be Ora King Chef Ambassador 2018 – current NZ