Great kitchens are built by great teams. At Cupitt’s Estate, Executive Chef Ryan Smith is creating a kitchen where chefs can do good work, keep learning and build their careers on the NSW South Coast.
There’s a lot that goes into running the kitchen at Cupitt’s Estate. There’s our Dining Room, the more relaxed Wine Garden, weddings and events, all operating within a working winery and farm. It means no two weeks necessarily look the same – and for the chefs working here, there’s plenty of opportunity to learn.
Leading the kitchen is Executive Chef Ryan Smith, who brings with him a career spanning Sydney, London, the Central Coast, Tasmania and the South Coast.
A career built in great kitchens
Ryan started his apprenticeship in the Sutherland Shire before moving into hatted restaurants in Sydney.
At 23, he headed to London, where his experience included working at two Michelin-star restaurant The Square, followed by several years in high-end catering working on everything from film premieres to events for royalty and celebrities.
He later joined Bill Granger’s restaurant group as Senior Sous Chef in London before returning to Australia for his first Head Chef position.
Across a career that has taken plenty of turns since, one thing has remained important to Ryan: consistency.
It's an approach he now brings to the kitchen at Cupitt's, along with years of experience to share with the chefs working alongside him.
Building a kitchen where people learn
For Ryan, running a successful kitchen isn't only about the food that leaves the pass.
It's also about developing the people cooking it.
He believes strongly in teaching chefs the fundamentals properly, from knife skills and workstation discipline through to understanding ingredients and learning new techniques.
Recently, that has included the kitchen team working with whole fish – learning how to break them down, skin them and prepare them for sashimi.
But technical skills are only part of it.
Ryan wants to build a team where people support each other, take pride in what they do and come to work with a positive attitude.
As Ryan told Think Regional, “We have really built a good little team.”
And we're looking to add to it.
More than one kind of kitchen
One of the things that makes working at Cupitt's a little different is the variety.
Our chefs work with seasonal produce across our Dining Room and Wine Garden, as well as weddings, events and special dining experiences throughout the year.
And you’re not simply handed the Executive Chef’s menu and asked to cook it week after week.
Our chefs are encouraged to bring ideas to the table and have input into dishes and menus. There’s room to be creative, work with seasonal ingredients, test ideas and contribute to what eventually makes it onto the plate.
For a chef who wants to develop their own style and ideas, rather than simply reproduce someone else’s, that opportunity is an important part of the role.
Being part of a working winery adds another layer. Our chefs can learn more about wine, meet the people making it and develop a better understanding of how food and wine work together.
There’s always something new to learn, create or get involved in.
A serious food career on the South Coast
Ryan's own career is also proof that moving out of the city doesn't have to mean stepping away from ambitious cooking.
After working around Australia and overseas, Ryan returned to the Shoalhaven to take on the Executive Chef role at Cupitt's.
He sees plenty of opportunity for chefs who want to build their careers here.
The South Coast's food and hospitality scene continues to grow, with more restaurants, accommodation, events and hospitality businesses creating opportunities for people who want to work in the industry.
And then there's everything that happens when you're not at work.
Beaches, national parks and coastal towns are part of everyday life here. For Ryan, it also means having the space to keep his horses – something that was considerably harder to imagine alongside his working life in London or Sydney.
You can take your career seriously without necessarily having to live in a city to do it.
Join our kitchen team
We're currently looking for a Chef de Partie to join Ryan and the kitchen team at Cupitt's Estate.
We're looking for someone who is confident in managing their own section through prep and service, takes ownership of their work and cares about maintaining consistently high standards.
Just as importantly, we're looking for someone who works well with people. Someone positive, hardworking and willing to learn, who sees what needs doing and gets on with it.
There's room here to keep developing your craft, take on more responsibility and learn from a team with plenty of experience to share.
If you're passionate about food, take pride in what you do and are looking for your next opportunity in the kitchen, we'd love to hear from you.
Interested? Send your CV and a little about yourself to amy@cupitt.com.au.
Want to know more about the chef you'd be working with? Read Ryan's full interview with Think Regional: From London Kitchens to Cupitt's Estate: How Ryan Smith Built a Culinary Career and Life on the South Coast.
