Your chance to meet our chef Dave Cartright and try your hand with his delicious recipes...

Recipes

Delicious recipes and cooking secrets from Silo's chef Dave Cartwright

Meet the Chef - David Cartwright

As Silo's head chef, Dave is dedicated and passionate about food. Below are a few things you may not know about this award winning chef...

Q & A with David Cartwright

Did you grow up cooking? Who influenced your cooking?

Yes, I started cooking at home when I was really young. I tried to experiment with different flavors than they were cooking at home! I always worked in kitchens whilst I was at school which progressed to becoming a chef.

When did you decide to become a professional chef and why?

At the age of 19 I started my apprenticeship in Sydney. It was all about the search for better food, I love it!

Where did you train and where have you worked since?

I did the majority of my apprenticeship at Restaurant Balzac in Randwick. I did all of my training in Sydney. Since then I have worked in Canada and I opened Rocksalt in Newcastle.

What is the highlight of your career?

Starting Silo from scratch and then wining "Best New Restaurant" in our first year of trading. This year we also won "Modern Contemporary Informal Dining" at the Restaurant and Catering Association awards.

Cooking tip for home enthusiast:

Salt and pepper your meat before you cook it. It holds in the flavor and juices.

Favourite cooking implement?

Knifes

Cooked for anyone famous?

Dennis Rodman, a number of super models etc

Funniest kitchen incident?

There was a blackout at Silo one night which forced us to cook by candlelight which was very challenging. It was amusing watching one of the chefs plating food with a torch in his mouth!

Favourite food to cook with?

Foods that require slow cooking techniques for example Beef cheeks, Confit Duck, lamb and veal shanks.

When at home, what do you like to eat?

Takeaway!