On opening Brae in 2013 Australian chef, Dan Hunter, realised his vision of a restaurant as an authentic reflection of his values and ambition – a place where he is committed to a sustainable method of farming, cooking and hospitality. Here, he and his team grow organic food and use only ethically-grown produce from Brae Farm, the surrounding land and local farmers to offer a unique Australian cuisine built around an immense respect for nature, place and seasonality.
Brae is Good Food Guide’s 2020 Australian Restaurant of the Year and Australian Gourmet Traveller’s 2020 Regional Restaurant of the Year. The restaurant reached number 44 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list in 2017 and is currently ranked at number 101.
Prior to Brae, Dan Hunter was trained first in Melbourne, at The Oyster Bar (1999-2000), Langton’s (2000-2002) and Verge (2002-2003). In 2003 he travelled to Spain, where he spent four years, ultimately becoming Head Chef under Andoni Luis Aduriz at Mugaritz (2005-2007). Returning to Australia, Dan lead the kitchen of Dunkeld’s Royal Mail Hotel (2007-2013), where he developed his first intensive organic kitchen garden program; was awarded Gourmet Traveller’s Regional Restaurant of the Year for four consecutive years; Good Food Guide’s 2011 Restaurant of the Year; and took the establishment to its Three-Hat status. He embarked on his own personal project, Brae in 2013.
Dan was named The Australian Financial Review’s Top Chef in both 2016 and 2017; Good Food Guide’s Chef of The Year in 2012 and 2016; and Gourmet Traveller’s Chef of the Year in 2016. His debut book, Brae – Recipes and stories from the restaurant, was published by Phaidon in 2017.
