By Leigh O’Connor.
From gastro pubs and boutique hotels to Michelin-starred restaurants, there have been many paths along the way to success for English-born Matthew Roath.
Heading the kitchen at The Garden Kitchen & Bar on Remembrance Way, Matthew and his team offer a stunning dining experience with some of the best food in Kempsey.
Situated on the banks of the Macleay River and housed in the Old Cheese Factory, this restaurant has been beautifully refurbished to accommodate any function, large or small; from laid-back lunches to late-night wining and dining, you’ll find a reason to unwind over a seasonal menu paired with hand-picked wines and cocktails.
"Growing up, I was always in the kitchen helping my Dad, who was a very keen home cook. This led to a love of food from a very early age and at 14, through work experience at school, I was offered a job working nights and weekends at my local neighbourhood restaurant,” Matthew says.
"After seeing and experiencing the environment of a commercial kitchen, I knew I wanted to become a Chef.”
For the next 12 years, he trained and took the lead in a variety of different kitchens – eventually running his own restaurant in the Yorkshire countryside.
"I then moved to Australia to work at Chef-hatted Seaduction at Peppers Soul on the Gold Coast as Executive Sous Chef, alongside the Executive Chef James Fiske, who funnily enough was my first Head Chef in the UK.”
Describing his style as a mix of classic and modern techniques, Matthew is big on clean-tasting dishes with a lot of flavour – needless to say, he is also obsessive-compulsive about seasoning.
In celebration of Potato Week, he serves up a recipe for potato and leek croquettes, with chipotle mayo and Grana Padano.
"This is a really simple, easy recipe. It relies on good quality ingredients and doing the basics right – a great little snack, side order or entrée.
It is important to peel and chop the potatoes to make sure they are all of equal size for an even cook, before draining and putting them through a potato ricer to make sure of a smooth consistency for the croquettes.
Matthew loves the sense of camaraderie that comes with working in the kitchen – the ability always to be learning, combined with a love of travel.
"The last couple of years have taught us how resilient our industry can be in terms of adapting quickly. We have seen fine dining restaurants providing takeaway services, meal boxes and subscriptions to live online cooking classes.
"Restaurants had to change their business models overnight, but more importantly, diners largely jumped on board and supported businesses through the changes.”
The future definitely sees Matthew working with food in some capacity – the direction will always be driven by what brings him the most enjoyment when it comes to food – as to the path he takes that has yet to be discovered.
