Our People

Quay is a fine example of the sum of it’s parts being greater than the whole.  Our team has experience that far surpasses their individual job requirements and such passion for food and wine that the end result is an experience of food, wine and service that is simply, award winning.

John Fink - General Manager

Fink Group General Manager John Fink is a third generation restaurateur. John spent his formative years working in kitchens and watching father Leon working closely with grandfather and Polish immigrant Jack Fink. Leon and Jack owned and operated the Southern Cross Hotel chain in Sydney and Melbourne. John now continues the family tradition, working closely with his father Leon in the day to day business of running two of Australia's most acclaimed restaurants.

Peter Gilmore – Executive Chef

Peter Gilmore has been the Executive Chef of Quay Restaurant since August 2001. Peter is a 40 year old Australian, born and bred in Sydney. Since starting at Quay Peter’s creative and original style has seen Quay receive seven consecutive 3 Chefs Hat awards from the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide. In addition Quay has been named Restaurant of the Year in 2003 and 2005.

Quay has made culinary history this year by taking out the industry’s four top gongs in the same year: RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2009 The Sydney Morning Herald 2009 Good Food Guide; RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2009 Australian Gourmet Traveller 2009 Restaurant Guide; RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2008 Restaurant & Catering 2008 NSW Awards for Excellence and RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR 2008 Restaurant & Catering 2008 National Awards for Excellence.

Peter was inspired to cook at a young age and started his apprenticeship at 16. At 19 Peter left Sydney to gain overseas experience working in Country House Hotels in the UK and premium Hotels in London. Three years overseas experience enriched Peter’s early career. Returning to Sydney Peter spent the subsequent years working in smaller establishments around Sydney and in the Blue Mountains developing his own style. Critical recognition came when Peter was the Head Chef at De Beers Restaurant Whale Beach in 2000 when Terry Durack food reviewer for the Sydney Morning Herald wrote “De Beers houses a young chef with a real talent for sending out beautifully structured food with innate simplicity”.

Peter’s food philosophy is based in the exploration of the texture of food and harmony of flavour.  Peter works closely with farmers and food producers to source exceptional ingredients. The food that is created is a celebration of nature’s beauty and diversity. Hence Peter refers to his food as nature based cuisine.

Gourmet Traveller editor Anthea Loucas, wrote Quay’s Peter Gilmore is a chef whose food has its own unique signature. As our restaurant reviewer and features editor Pat Nourse writes “it’s this union of contemporary technology and thinking with cool and unusual fruits of the natural world that puts Quay up there with the world’s best”

Simon Thomsen, editor of the Good Food Guide wrote in 2009 after Quay received the Restaurant of the Year Award for the third time
“Peter Gilmore delivers exciting, enticing, sensual and cutting edge Australian cooking in a landmark setting that makes Quay worthy of the title of Australia’s Best restaurant”.

Peter continues to refine his food bringing new and exciting dining experiences to the table. The introduction of a four course A la Carte Menu consisting of three entrée sized savoury dishes and one sweet course to finish courses showcases Peter’s classic dishes as well as his newest creations. A choice of five dishes in each course allows the diner the opportunity to sample a greater variety of dishes in smaller portions.

Email: chef@quay.com.au

Kylie Ball - Operations Manager

Kylie has always had a passion for hospitality.  After finishing school she enrolled in a Hospitality Mangement Degree at University, but after a year and a half, realised she craved the real life experience of working in a restaurant.  She then started her working career in hospitality at Mezzaluna Ristorante as the Administration Assistant in 1996.  During her time at Mezzaluna, she was promoted through the ranks to Administration Manager involving herself with all aspects of running a successful restaurant.

Kylie then started at Quay in 2000 in accounting, but once again found herself craving the action of the restaurant.  In 2002 she moved into the role of Functions Manager, a position she held until 2005.

Kylie then moved to the UK for 2 ½ years where she travelled extensively and assumed roles primarily in Human Resources.  Kylie’s return happily coincided with the leave of the Operations Manager who left to have a baby.  She assumed this role and has enjoyed it ever since and has added to her education with accountancy, food and beverage and wine courses and is also the licensee of Quay.

Kylie’s passion is traveling, preferably coupled with good doses of exceptional food and wine and tries to have one big holiday a year.  One of her favourite trips was visiting the Champagne region in France which included a tour of Ruinart and the caves.  This year she will be going to Paris to visit Bollinger.

Email: operations@quay.com.au

Ashley Scott - Restaurant Manager

Ashley is the Restaurant Manager at Quay and leads a fine and experienced team. His main passions in life revolve around Food and Wine so it’s not difficult to understand his quick professional progression.   Before working at Quay he was a part of the waitstaff team at Grossi Florentino’s in Melbourne, while completing his degree in Business Management.

In 2004 he began working at Quay as a waiter and quickly moved through to functions supervisor, then assistant restaurant manager and is today the Restaurant Manager.  Ashley’s continued relationship to Quay over the past 5 years and his intricate knowledge of Peter Gilmore’s philosophy ensure the diner’s experience is exceptional. 

Email: manager@quay.com.au

Daniel Wegener: Head Sommelier

Daniel grew up in a small district in South Australia, situated closely to the iconic Coonawarra Wine Region.  While Daniel had a keen awareness of wine from a young age, it wasn’t until he worked as a cocktail bartender in Queenstown, NZ that he found his passion for food, wine and exceptional service.  It was here that he found his first true love in wine - the Pinot Noir of Central Otago, as the staff were treated to a very good meal, always with a glass of wine. 

In Sydney Daniel began to work with some renowned sommeliers like Ben Moechtar, Clint Hilary and Julian Izzilo.   His first appointment as Sommelier was at Wildfire, working alongside Julian Izzilo and was then offered the sole sommelier position at Ocean Room, both at Circular Quay.

Daniel was eager to learn more about wine and gain greater experience outside of his local region.  This curiosity took him to Denmark, where he worked as the Sommelier in a restaurant in Jutland called Norseminde Kro.  It was here that he had the opportunity to work with a truly international wine list with 800 bins including many styles and regions he had previously only read about.

From Denmark he felt ready to discover the London market.  He spent a year working at Gordon Ramsay @ Claridges with some accomplished industry professionals.  From here he was able to move within the Gordon Ramsay group and was given the opportunity to match wines to Jason Atherton’s food at Gordon Ramsay @ Maze and also work at Gordon Ramsay’s 3 Michelin Star restaurant Royal Hospital Road in Chelsea. 

After leaving the Ramsay Group he assumed the role as Head Sommelier for a company with two restaurants operating out of Gloucester Road in London’s inner West.  The two restaurants were both exceptional establishments and working out of L’etranger Restaurant provided the most interest with a 1000 bin wine list and a discerning clientele to match. 

Despite such varied and engaging posts around the world, Daniel feels that being charged with the responsibilities of Head Sommelier at Quay Restaurant to be the pinnacle of his career.  It has challenged him to build and maintain a wine program that compliments the unique cuisine of three hat chef, Peter Gilmore.  He states that one of his greatest goals is to perfectly match Peter’s cuisine being such intricate expressions of nature and always an array of delicate, subtle flavours that can easily be overpowered and thrown out of balance by the wrong wine choice.

Daniel has completed the advanced WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust); Certified Sommelier Examination with the Court of Master Sommeliers and is on the committee of the NSW Chapter of the Australia Sommelier’s Association.

Email: wine@quay.com.au