PA/30/13 24 September 2013
Chefs from Down Under on a trip to India
Two of Australia’s top chefs are coming to India this month to savour the flavours of India.
Mark Best and Ian Curley will be in India from 27 September to 5 October for the CSSG Summit 2013 – Food & Art Edition, where they will join Michelin star and celebrity chefs from across the globe. The Creative Services Support Group (CSSG) is a non-profit organisation established to aid underprivileged young adults through skills training and mentorship within the creative sectors.
Mark and Ian are looking forward to exploring the Indian food scene.
“I am incredibly excited to visit India for the first time and bring my cuisine and a taste of Australia to this wonderful country" said Mark.
“This my second time in India” said Ian. “I’m really looking forward to exploring more of India and experiencing the vast array of food.”
The two chefs will team up with local Chef Vikram Khatri of Olive bar and kitchen to present a one-off culinary treat to invited guests at an event in Delhi.
They will also conduct a mentoring session for culinary students at the renowned Institute of Hotel Management, Catering and Nutrition in Pusa. Mark and Ian will talk about their individual journeys and give career advice to the aspiring chefs. The session will be moderated by a global hospitality education consultant, Kapil Chandok, who has studied and worked in Australia.
About Mark and Ian
Mark Best, Chef & Owner of Marque Restaurant, who has now become an unquestionable symbol of the new Australian cuisine, was formerly an electrician in the gold mines of Western Australia. Mark first cooked at the Macleay Street Bistro (Sydney) in 1990 and there began his passion for French food.
It wasn’t until Mark travelled overseas in 1998 to cook at ‘L’Arpége’ in Paris, Alain Passard’s three Michelin Star ‘Gastro Temple’, Raymond Blanc’s and ‘Le Manoir Aux Quatre Saisons’ in Great Milton, UK, that he was inspired to open Marque. Marque has been in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list three years running, with Marque and Mark achieving restaurant and chef of the year award, among other accolades.
Ian Curley, the Executive Chef of The European Group, is regarded as one of the busiest chefs in Melbourne, with three venues, three kitchens and multiple menus to oversee. Ian’s food is generous, unpretentious and champions good produce. Ian worked as Head Chef at The Point from 1996 and became the Executive Chef in 2001. In 2006, Ian moved to the European as Executive Chef. He is also an ambassador for Golf Australia and Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food in Australia.
This year Ian, along with his partners from The European, will open a new restaurant in the heart of Melbourne. He is the chef consultant to the Melbourne racing club and Caufield race track, the two top race clubs in the city. Ian is the ambassador to Youth Projects in Melbourne, which is a drop-in medical centre for the homeless and mentally ill.
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