Growing up on a farm exposed to fresh produce and meat, Adrian Ellul knew he wanted to be a chef from the age of 15.
“Mum and dad, who have a Maltese background, were always cooking in the kitchen and just that passion for cooking as a kid inspired me,” he explains. “My parents grew everything on the farm so we always had fresh produce; they even slaughtered their own meat.”
Adrian learnt the basics of his craft at TAFE, where he was opened up to the different ways to prepare food. “You always learn one way but then you’re opened up to smoking, grilling; how to cook one dish multiple different ways and just how that changes the flavour,” says Adrian, who completed his apprenticeship in the field of Indigenous Australian foods at the now defunct Edna’s Table in the 1990s.
A career spent mostly in fine dining, Adrian is now the chef for Simon’s Cafe in Windsor. “The menu here at Simon’s Cafe is more modern Australian,” he says, citing the Smashed Avocado, aka Avo Twist (breakfast), and the Ultimate Double Beef Burger (lunch) as the popular orders. “Our customers do like to see a lot of food on their plates. They do like big portions so value for money is what we try to give. If the customer isn’t getting value for money, they may as well stay home and cook for themselves.”
Adrian, who at home likes to make his own sausages, says trial and error produces the best results for the Simon’s Cafe menu. “When I create the recipes, I’m always testing and failing until I get it perfect. Consistency is the key – it has to taste the same every time!”
1/100-122 George Street, Windsor NSW 2756
Mob: 0466 994 650
