The head chef at Campbells Creek’s historic Five Flags Hotel, Rory Brown, has been named ‘Chef of the Year’ at the Australian Hotels Association (Victoria) 2024 State Awards for Excellence.
The state winner will now go on to vie for the national title in Brisbane in November.
Rory is in his seventh year at the helm at the ‘Flags’ and was absolutely stoked to receive the prestigious honour at the awards held at Melbourne’s iconic Palladium at Crown last Monday evening.
The popular local watering hole was also a state finalist in the ‘Best Family Dining’ category.
“When we arrived at the venue I noted that there were eight finalists in my category and I honestly didn’t expect to win. I was shocked but really delighted when they read out my name,” Rory said.
The hard-working and innovative local chef began his trade 16 years ago in the small town of Kyabram before doing the hard yards at busy venues in Bendigo, including Barzurk and the Brougham Arms Hotel.
“I’ve had a good career. I was the sous-chef at the Brougham Arms and while there I was runner-up in the Golden Plate Awards ‘Chef of the Year’ category on two occasions,” he said.
Looking for a change of pace, Rory made the move to the Flags where he has reimagined the menu at the quintessential country pub and built a talented team around him.
“The hospitality industry can be brutal but I aim to train my apprentices the right way and ensure they are an asset in any kitchen.
Our whole team has really stepped up and this has been reflected in our success at the AHAs and Golden Plate Awards,” he said.
Rory said the local clientele were a little reluctant to embrace change when he first arrived.
“They wanted to see us retain pub favourites such as silverside and rissoles and we still sneak those onto our $20 Mad Monday specials menu from time to time. And of course we could never do away with the tried and true chicken parma!
“However, we love working with seasonal produce and source local products wherever we can to create an exciting and ever changing menu and most of our clientele are now open to change and enjoy trying something different,” Rory said.
“Just because we are a country pub doesn’t mean we can’t offer good food. We source our our t-bone steaks and the mince for our burgers from local butcher Clifford’s Quality Cuts and Warral Honey from Maldon for our desserts and dressings.
“We also have an extensive local wine menu to complement our dishes and local ales. In fact, we use Shedshaker beer to give our beer batter an edge!
“I like to have fun with it. We also have an array of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options but I am also open to going off menu. I am happy to chat with customers about what we have in the kitchen and cater to their needs. It keeps it interesting for me and keeps me on my toes.
“We are introducing our new winter menu shortly and we look forward to impressing the judges at the upcoming Golden Plate Awards,” he said.
