Solotel and Matt Moran are welcoming Daniel Cooper as the new Head Chef of Chiswick. Nestled in the heart of Woollahra, Chiswick has been a mainstay of Sydney’s dining scene for more than ten years. In his first move as part of the new role, Cooper has curated the special Christmas Collective Menu, which will be available from Monday 27 November.
Daniel’s culinary career started in his hometown of the Hunter Valley (NSW), where he quickly fell deeply in love with the hospitality world upon finishing school. In the years since, the Chef has worked in top restaurants in both Australia and internationally and was most recently Executive Chef at St Kilda’s The Prince.
Restaurateur and Chiswick co-owner, Matt Moran, says: "We couldn't have found a better fit to lead Chiswick's kitchen team. His experience, approach to food and working with seasonal and local produce aligns perfectly to that of Chiswick's and we look forward to witnessing the great things he'll do in this position."
Daniel’s first port is designing the special Christmas Collective menu for group dining. For $98 per person, the limited-time set menu includes a mix of Chiswick classics alongside seasonal dishes, making the ultimate festive dining experience for groups of four or more.
To start, guests will snack from sharing plates of Chiswick’s famous Barra-masalata with vegetable crisps; garden rosemary flatbread with garlic and olive oil; Ora King salmon gravlax tartare with cucumber, dill and creme fraiche and Vanella stracciatella with fire-roasted peach, hazelnut and oregano.
For mains, guests will choose between the Berkshire honey glazed ham (with apple and raisin chutney, rocket) or Chiswick roasted lamb shoulder (with chickpea and grain garden salad, mint).
Shared sides include market fish with garden cherry tomatoes, preserved lemon and capers; wood-fired Kipfler potato salad; slow-roasted carrots with black garlic and garden leaves with Chiswick vinaigrette.
To finish is the Chiswick Christmas pudding served with brandy custard. The team has also created a Christmas Cocktail which will be available throughout the festive season. Christmas & Clover features Grey Goose vodka, hibiscus, strawberry, gold kiwi and clove milk syrup and lemon.
Daniel says: "Chiswick has a beautiful story that has to continue being told and I feel honoured to be part of this moving forward. There’s a real sense of place at Chiswick; it’s homely, comforting and honest.
"I’ve always loved working closely with producers and Chiswick works with an array of Australia’s best suppliers. Yet I think what I’m most looking forward to is having access to that amazing kitchen garden. I spent some time in my early career developing kitchen gardens and can’t wait to see what’s growing and start planning some menus.”
