Celebrity chef Neil Perry joins Seven’s reality show Restaurant Revolution

After some speculation about who would be starring in Seven’s upcoming reality show, Neil Perry — the chef recognised around the country from his Rockpool renown (and his enduring, signature ponytail) — will be the main attraction on Restaurant Revolution.

The busy chef and father of three has signed on for Restaurant Revolution. 
(Picture: News Corp Australia)

Perry is one of the busiest and most in demand names on the food front.

His Rockpool and Spice Temple restaurants in Sydney and Rosetta in Melbourne’s Crown keep him busy enough. But his ongoing Qantas association, which sees his Rockpool Consulting group look after every aspect of the national carrier’s in-flight and lounge food all over the world, is a mega job on its own.

While a big TV role hasn’t been a huge priority — his Food Source and Rockpool Sessions series on the Lifestyle channel were well received — the father-of-three says he has been asked numerous times to become involved in other TV series but said he loved the idea of the ‘mentoring’ aspect of the upcoming channel Seven show.

“I really love the teaching aspect and watching people see and find out what it is like to create a restaurant from the ground up,” said Perry.

Neil was thrilled to talk about his new role after he had taken time from his crazy schedule to cook up a four course fresh extravaganza for guests who had flown to Hamilton Island.

The island’s award-winning resort, Qualia, was celebrating the fact Qantas made its inaugural ‘new’ flight to the isle out of Melbourne.

The concept of Restaurant Revolution involves a series of pop-up restaurants that are being constructed across the country for the latest reality show.

While contestants are already cast, the network is still looking for staff to fill the kitchen.

“Each team will be looking for different things,” said the show’s host Jock Zonfrilloof the jobs on offer when he recently spoke to news.com.au.

“There will be all positions across the board — everything from head chef, sous chef, dishwashers, bubbly, vivacious front of house staff and general wait staff.

“You’ll get to see what it’s like opening a restaurant from the ground up for the first time and the struggles that are associated with that.”

Locations for the restaurants include Sydney (Centenary Square, Parramatta), Melbourne (St Kilda Triangle, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda), Brisbane (QPAC Playhouse Lawn, Cnr Grey St & Russell St, Southbank), Adelaide (Victoria Square) and Perth (103 Oxford St, Leederville).

Meanwhile, not content with just helping punters ‘open’ a pop-up restaurant, Perry, who is also an author and vigilant charity worker, is advising his talented 21-year-old daughter Josephine as she opens her new venture — the cutely named Missy French, in Sydney’s Potts Point in August. Josephine will be just a few years younger than the age her dad was when he opened his first restaurant, Blue Water Grill in 1986, which followed his first gig at Barrenjoey House.

After all this culinary success, perhaps it was a good idea that Perry threw in the hairdresser apprenticeship he started when he was younger and opted for a career and life immersed in food.

Melissa Hoyer was a guest of Qualia and Qantas on the inaugural ‘new’ flight to Hamilton Island and was very happy to dine in Neil Perry style ...

Source: News Limited, June 28^th 2015