 | | On each safari you'll be lead by experienced guides who are well versed in the particular cuisine and culture of that safari. Any questions can be easily answered and valuable "local" knowledge imparted about the relevant cuisine at hand, its history, special ingredients and whether it is for everyday, only ceremonial or, has any religious significance. |
|
|
| Maeve O'Meara - Gourmet Safaris Director Maeve O’Meara’s whole life revolves around food — savouring it, talking about it, writing about it, cooking it, eating it, filming it and exploring its many amazing incarnations amongst the cuisines of the world. Maeve is an award-winning food and cooking author, journalist, broadcaster, television producer and presenter who has spent 20 years travelling the world discovering food.
Maeve has just started production on her own television series called Food Safaris after 5 years as Food Presenter on top-rating lifestyle show Better Homes and Gardens during which time she won two major international awards for her work on the show. She also created and co-presented 5 series of the acclaimed Food Lover's Guide to Australia which last year won the coveted Gold Ladle in the World Food Media Awards for Best Food Television Program. She has co-authored 12 books on food including a cookbook Lamingtons and Lemongrass. Maeve started Gourmet Safaris 8 years ago and Gorgeous Safaris 2 years ago and thrives on finetuning existing safaris and adding more delicious and divine adventures.
|
|
|
| Suzy Brien - Office Manager, Director of Operations “It all started with a dinner at the Rattlesnake Grill and my stars predicting my future began with the letter M,” says Suzy. With a background in payroll and administration and a love of food, Suzy attended a banquet safari and – urged on by her astrological reading - sent a letter asking to join the team at Gourmet Safaris. Lucky she did. Gourmet Safaris could not run without Suzy Brien. Now 6 years into the job, she runs the office seamlessly and is the face you’ll often see at Sydney safaris and further afield in Orange and Mudgee. |
|
|
| Liz Kaydos - Guide to Greek Marrickville, World in a Day South and Earlwood, Kangaroo Island and Greek Islands Liz Kaydos is a good Greek girl who grew up in Marrickville in a very traditional household. She has the best radar for good food and great characters of anyone and these skills are put to ample use as researcher for the award winning Food Lovers Guide to Australia on SBS TV. She owned and ran the Gertrude and Alice bookstore in Elizabeth Street Sydney, a beautiful boudoir of a bookshop which had the most unusual books for discerning readers. |
|
|
| Carol Psomas - Guide to Greek Marrickville By day she’s an admin whizz. At the weekends she breaks free of the corporate chains to unleash her knowledge of Greek food and traditions, particularly Cypriot food, where her parents are from. Carol’s favourite place is Tasmania, where she keeps finding reasons to return – luckily for us! |
|
|
| Sam Cosentino – Guide to Italian Haberfield and all things Italian Gourmet Safaris wouldn't exist without the energy and enthusiasm of Mr Italy Sam Cosentino. He's a coffee expert, Barista, cook, stand up comic and all round divine advertisement for all things Italian. Despite his youthful good looks, Sam has spent 27 years working in hospitality, including starting his own business Prima Via Consultants in which he is a hospitality consultant always promoting the role of the Barista. He's a qualified coffee judge and last year, appeared on the Lifestyle Channel's Lifestyle Cafe as the co-host. Sam is also a hospitality consultant for the media, radio, TV and various food publications. He believes in the old style masters of food and wine, respects the wisdom of his father, grandmother and aunts and adores sharing the culture of Italy with Safari guests. |
|
|
| Adrian Cirillo - Guide to Italian Haberfield Adrian is one of the reasons why our Haberfield Italian safari is such a success. Adrian started in the restaurant industry when he was 16 years old and is the former owner of "Castel Mola" restaurant in Leichhardt, which he bought when he was 21 years old. Adrian grew up in a bustling Italian family and says he learned everything he knows from his mum. In 2002 Adrian started with gourmet safaris and says he looks forward to the tours each month because of the great atmosphere that is involved, along with meeting the guests and sharing his passion for all things Italian. |
| | |
| Vincent (Vince) Foti - Guide in Italian Haberfield
Vince grew up in Haberfield in a large food loving Italian family who bottled their own tomatoes and kept many of the traditions from Reggio Calabria. His mum's canneloni/lasagne/tiramisu is the stuff of legend. Vince works as a television executive and loves introducing people to the great food of Italy and its traditions through Gourmet Safaris and his own dinner parties. |
|
|
| Nino Lo Giudice - Guide in Italian Haberfield
Nino inherited his love for food and passion for cooking from the best cook in the universe: his mum. He inherited his sweet tooth from his maternal nonno, one of the best pastry chefs in Catania, the Sicilian seaside city.
Nino also spent many years at his parents'side supplying Sydney with the finest arancini this side of the Mediterranean. He is an actor, an ancient historian and a youth worker servicing Sydney's Italian community. Nino loves sharing food and culture and considers it a privilege to be leading these tours. |
|
|
| Ben Riccio - Pizza Making Classes, Haberfield Ben Riccio was born in the home of the pizza — Naples — and came to Australia to seek his fortune 30 years ago. He has owned a number of successful restaurants and of course the hugely popular Napoli in Bocca in Haberfield and Leichhard. Ben’s pizzas draw praise from all and his pizza classes are a big hit. |
|
|
| Fatima Barroso - Guide to Portuguese Petersham Fatima is famous for opening Sydney’s first Portuguese restaurant, Alfama in Surry Hills and introducing many people to their first taste of that delicious simply prepared food from her homeland. More recently she has set up a 5 star catering business Exclusive Cuisine which caters for everything from state functions to high brow dinner parties. |
|
|
 | Mel Erduran - Guide to Turkish Auburn Mel is the laughter we heard echoing through the offices at SBS Television where she works in administration. At weekends she takes our safaris through Turkish Auburn and introduces people to the art of Turkish coffee making, spices, emporiums, sweets shops and many more delights. Mel's family are from the north of Turkey (the region is called Karadeniz or the Black Sea region) and her favourite Turkish dish is anything with eggplant in it. |
|
|
| Peter Nguyen - Guide in Cabramatta and Vietnam Peter Nguyen arrived in Australia at the age of three and lived in the Cabramatta Hostel until his family settled in Cabramatta. He is passionate about food and has worked as manager of his Auntie Angie Hong’s successful Thanh Binh restaurants in Cabramatta and Newtown for the past 8 years.
Peter is also a qualified engineer and works at Parramatta Council. He enjoys introducing people to the cuisine of his homeland and is very knowledgeable about ingredients and cooking. His grandfather’s dying wish that Peter return to Vietnam regularly was answered when Peter and Maeve designed specialist food trips which run in spring and autumn. |
|
|
| Hanh Nguyen - Guide in Cabramatta Hahn Nguyen is a razor sharp lawyer during the week. Hahn joins her brother Peter to spend weekends introducing our safari guests to her local shopowners and explaining why Vietnamese food is the healthiest and most delicious on earth. Hahn was born in Australia soon after her parents arrived by boat and settled in Cabramatta. |
|
|
| Angie Hong – Restaurateur in Newtown Angie Hong grew up in a large family in Saigon and learnt to cook at a young age, sometimes preparing meals for 12 – seven children in the family, three cousins and her two parents. In 1971 at the age of 19 Angie won a scholarship to study industrial chemistry at the University of NSW. In 1993 she started her first restaurant in Cabramatta - there is one Thanh Binh restaurant in Cabramatta and one in Newtown...both of which are renowned for great authentic Vietnamese food. |
|
|
| Susie Schenker - Guide to World in a Day Middle West and World in a Day Mediterranean Susie Schenker comes from a food obsessed family and as well as teaching, now indulges her passion for food with Gourmet Safari trips. Her grandparents opened the first continental cake shop in Bondi and the food tradition continues, with Susie leading our World in a Day - Middle West safari and our 3 day weekends to Mudgee and Orange. |
|
|
| Levent and Berren Gunaydin - Guides to Turkish Auburn
Husband and wife Turkish guides are warm and knowlegable and delighted to show off their culture and great food. Levent is also a member of the committee which looks after the beautiful Gallipoli Mosque which we visit on our safari. |
|
|
| Mandy Amos - Gorgeous Safaris Guide
What more could you want in a Gorgeous Safari guide - clever, fun and warm. Many Amos is a hairdresser with her own salon in the Lake Macquarie region, she's an expert on colour matching, is warm and funny, knows loads of everything you'd ever need to know about our destinations and is the sort of woman whose sparkle gets you at "hello". Mandy has been leading our Vietnam Gorgeous Safaris for 2 years now. |
|
|
| Suzie Warhurst - Gorgeous Safari makeup artist
A makeup artist who has that magical knack of making you look like a great version of yourself and is happy to pass on all the tips of the trade. Suzie has worked on major Australian films and miniseries for many years, some celebrities fly her in especially for the Logies and special events. Suzie joins Gorgeous Safaris this year to add her special touch to the Vietnam Gorgeous. |
|
|
 | Asri and Tjok Raka Kerthyasa - Hosts Bali Gorgeous Safari
Our amazing hosts in Ubud Bali for our Gorgeous Safari. Asri grew up in Australia and met Tjok Raka, a member of one of Bali's royal families 30 years ago. Together they designed and ran a beautiful resort set in a perfect green paradise above the Tjampuhuan River. With their connections, our groups are able to experience the true Bali, stay in luxury and also indulge in spa treatments and retail therapy. |
|
|
| George Calombaris and Maria Klinakis
George is the owner and chef of Melbourne's acclaimed Press Club, darling of Ready Steady Cook and about to open a new restaurant on the island of Mykonos. Maria is a a talented young chef at The Press Club who visited Greece in 2007 for our Greek Island Safari with George and ran a number of inspiring cooking classes at Candili estate. This year Maria will run the classes using George's simple delicious recipes.
|
|
|
| Judy Saba - Lebanese Guide
Judy a cross cultural psychologist and trainer with an undying passion for food. Having grown up as the youngest of eight children, most of her childhood revolved around the kitchen and as in many Lebanese households in Sydney in the 60’s the kitchen was the epicenter of the home.
Judy works part time as a Psychologist working with ethnic communities in Sydney. In addition she also works as a cross-cultural trainer with NSW Police. With husband Charlie they fulfilled a life long dream and opened Mezze Café espresso bar which they established and ran for 3 years (1999 – 2002). It became a mix of great coffee, delicious food and the occasional table top counseling session!!!! One of her greatest delights was to be a contributor to the wonderful Lebanese cookbook by Abla Amad, “The Lebanese Kitchen” “The stories that are generated about and around food are what I truly love. It is such a colorful window to the soul.” |
|
| Sue Pearson - Kangaroo Island Guide
Our indefatigible guide and chef on Kangaroo Island. Sue's epiphany whilst working at the very upmarket Ivy Restaurant in London (where she was in a team of 45) was life-changing. A week later she was in a team of one and watching the whales and dolphins featured in many write-ups on this wonderful island. Sue runs the best fish and chips shop in the world and also caters for weddings and stocks some of the beach houses with hampers of great produce...What makes our time on KI special is staying in beautiful beach houses and the series of lunches and dinners catered by Sue in some of the most scenic places - including a converted shearing shed perched high on a cliff-top. |
|
| Don Hancey- Margaret River Guide
Don Hancey has long been recognised as a passionate West Australian chef who has championed the cause of regional foods for decades. His first seafood restaurant in the sleepy fishing town of Augusta won Don a gold plate award and he went on to win another when he was directing the kitchens at Leeuwin Estate.
Don has been instrumental in setting up food producer groups in the Great Southern and is a founding board member of the Margaret River Regional Food Producers Association. He also instigated a community meeting which was the catalyst for the formation of the first farmers markets in the region. |
|
| Johanna Puglisi Joh Puglisi's Mother hails from Rome and her Father from Mount Etna in Sicily, making Joh a real clash of temperaments and dishes, it's no wonder her kitchen often resembles a battlefield after an impromptu 3 course meal. She grew up to the sound of tomatoes being bottled in the early hours of the morning, with the smell of the secret family fruit crostata baking in the oven, and was making pasta with her Grandmother, Mother and Aunt by the age of 3. Joh has been a professional dancer and is a recent NIDA graduate. As well as choreographing for the stage, she loves cooking up a storm for and with family and friends, is seen on our Portuguese Safari, Italian Safari and sometimes she's the voice at the end of our telephone - multi skilled! |
|
