Congratulations to Restaurant Two chef David Pugh, who has been appointed the DPI's Queensland ambassador chef to showcase Queensland food as part of the Q150 celebrations.
David's role in Q150, Queensland's sesquicentenary celebrations, will be to promote the state's reputation for excellence in food production for the next two years.
You’ll be seeing David as a guest presenter at events throughout the year, with his maiden appearance at Beef Australia 2009 in Rockhampton in May. No bull!
David has long been a supporter of local produce, not just because it’s local but because he sources the best. Last year he was named the Courier Mail's Queensland Chef of the Year and this year was awarded two stars by Gourmet Traveller. David also steps out of the kitchen to lend support to charities like the Starlight Foundation, Camp Quality and Red Kite at the Royal Children's Hospital.
David travelled to southern Sri Lanka last year as a Queensland representative and guest of the Dilmah Foundation, working and teaching cooking in small villages, orphanages and tea plantations. I recently enjoyed his interpretation of a tea-inspired menu at a Restaurant II lunch. David has aslo always been helpful with food tips including where to find some great budget eats.
A New Zealander by birth, David’s love of cooking emerged at an early age when he would treat his parents to Sunday breakfast.
"When I was about seven I used to do breakfast in bed for Mum and Dad. I would work it all out, trying to get the timing right so that the bacon was finished just as the toast had popped up and the tea was brewed," David said.
"It became a challenge - how to make the perfect egg."
The Queensland Chef judges were Fiona Donnelly (Courier Mail), Babak Hadi (Black Pearl Epicure), John MacDonald (Palatable Partners), Elaine Millar (Elaine Millar & Associates), Terry Nolan (Nolan Meats), Leeanne Puglisi-Gangemi (Ballandean Estate Wines) and James Visser (Restaurant and Catering Queensland).