Scottish born chef Jock Zonfrillo is about to be our next big television star
You might not know his name now yet Jock Zonfrillo is about to become Australia’s hottest new television chef.
The Scottish-born restaurateur has signed on to host Channel Seven’s anticipated reality series Restaurant Revolution, which will premiere soon.
Award-winner ... Jock Zonfrillo with the team from his Adelaide restaurant Orana.
(Picture: Matt Turner Source: News Corp Australia)
While the show will thrust the relative TV newcomer into the limelight, Zonfrillo, who has worked for the likes of Marco Pierre White and runs two award-winning Adelaide eateries, has no intention of stepping away from the kitchen completely.
“I’m incredibly excited about the show but I’m not so sure it will change much in my life to be honest,” he said.
“I’ll still be running my restaurants and cooking for some time. There are no visions of dropping everything to just do TV.”
He also modestly laughed off the idea that he could become a viewer pin-up, like fellow foreign-born culinary heart throbs Manu Feildel and Colin Fassnidge.
“I doubt I’ll be that bloke (for people),” he said.
Zonfrillo admitted he wouldn’t have signed on to front the series if it was just another studio-based cooking competition.
“This is about five teams setting up and running a new pop-up restaurant. It’s about real people, real customers, real challenges ... they must create a profitable business.
“I get to mentor them, rather than ridicule them. That appeals to me. And it won’t be like we’ll shoot and reshoot scenes 50 times. It’ll be fast — and it’ll be genuine.”
Teams will be judged by a group of experts as well as real-life customers. They will also score points for the profit they make.
“Anyone opening a restaurant goes in with the best intentions, good ideas and lots of enthusiasm, then they experience 18-hour days, pure exhaustion and setbacks,” Zonfrillo said.
“That’s all before you’ve even got the doors open. It’s an emotional ride you can’t prepare for. It’s going to be extremely difficult for them, and that’s what the show is about.”
While the teams struggle with their challenge, Zonfrillo himself isn’t in for a smooth ride.
He’ll juggle hosting duties and travelling between each capital city, then duck home to Adelaide when he can to run his businesses.
“It will be a bit busy for the next little while, as if it wasn’t busy enough,” he said. “I can’t wait.”
Restaurant Revolution begins next month on Channel Seven.
Source: News Limited, June 20th 2015
