Our Food Philosophy
Hailing from The Press Club, Bob (Robert) Coley has joined the team at Lindenderry as Linden Tree's Executive Chef.
Bob's passion for cooking began when he was 3, cooking with his mum in the kitchen back in his home town of Darlington, North East England. While his interest in cooking grew he still wasn't convinced that cooking would be able to outshine his dream of becoming an RAF pilot. After leaving Air Cadets when he was 16 due to his lack of enthusiasm for regime and drill he turned his attention back to the kitchen, blissfully unaware of the drill and regime that would soon become a part of life once again.
Growing up watching Keith Floyd, who Bob describes as an ‘old school' British chef, he was inspired by the glamour that Keith portrayed on his weekly cooking show.
"He would be jetting off around the world cooking food al fresco on a little camp stove with magnificent backdrops behind him, all the while sloshing back huge glasses of wine. I thought "I could do that" so after the whole Pilot thing fell through I realised that my love of cooking never died so after thinking "I could do that" for so long, I went and did It".
Bob decided to head to Australia when he was 20 after completing his culinary studies. He then travelled to Spain, working in tapas bars in the South before heading North to work in traditional " xalet " in a ski resort, prior to heading to France to work in the beautiful Languedoc Coast while he applied for his Australian permanent residency. During this time Bob was consumed but the easy going way of Spanish life, and how this was articulated in their cuisine. Which is what helps inspire him today,
"Simple food done well, with slow cooked, basic ingredients that allow the flavours to mingle, develop and shine during the cooking process (as well a few glasses of red for me)"
B. O'Neil, Erina Heights
D. Timms
Brighton, Great Britain
Michael Walstab
Australia, South Melbourne
R & D Jenkins
R. Prescot
Great Britain, Brighton
B. Constable
Elwood
Cory John
Queensland
Ben & Elisha Page
Australia