Benjamin Christie
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Benjamin Christie is a young Australian celebrity chef with a rapidly growing international reputation as a television presenter, cookbook author, culinary educator and chef consultant.
His career started at the award-winning Sydney restaurant, The Watermark, under the guidance of Executive Chef Kenneth Leung. After his apprenticeship, Benjamin moved on to senior positions at properties including Great Keppel Island Resort, The Parkroyal Perth, Angsana Spa Resort and the acclaimed, Banyan Tree Resort in Indonesia.
In recent years, Benjamin was introduced to international audiences as co-host of the now popular Australian TV cooking show, Dining Downunder which has now broadcast to 40 countries throughout the world. This unique series entertains and edifies viewers about authentic Australian cuisine and showcases those special places around Australia. The show has been the catalyst for the increased use of authentic Australian foods in up-market international restaurants, hotels, resorts, on-board cruise ships and in corporate event menus.
In 2004, together with Vic Cherikoff, he co-produced his first book, The Dining Downunder Cookbook an achievement which owes as much to Benjamin’s focused publishing effort and computer skills as to his culinary contribution between the book’s covers. The title has sold thousands of copies to date via direct and on-line sales alone. Benjamin and his co-presenter Vic Cherikoff specialise in unique native Australian cuisine quite unlike any of their Australian chef counterparts.
Benjamin makes regular appearances on television and radio and is often invited as guest chef to hotels, resorts, prestigious clubs, cruise ships and food festivals around the world and is a contributing authority to a number of publications and websites, his recipes have appeared in many general circulation and trade publications. In addition, his website is widely regarded as an important contribution to the food industry and has a wide following for the many culinary topics about which he writes.
Benjamin has cooked for politicians, actors and supermodels at home in Australia and overseas and says that one of the highlights of his career was cooking in Moscow, Russia as part of an Australia Week Festival - he worked with a team of Russian chefs who didn`t speak any English yet were fascinated by his use of Australian ingredients and cooking style.
Away from the lights and cameras of the media, Benjamin’s culinary and restaurant marketing company, Chefs Australia undertakes consultancy projects with hotels and restaurants globally and is involved in export market development for many Australian food companies.
In his spare time Benjamin enjoys photography - mostly food photography! He also loves to go flying in light aircraft and looks forward to qualifying in the very near future.
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