ABOUT THE CHEF...

Friday, 15 May 2009 02:11

Corby-Sue is a Personal Chef and Caterer based in Sydney’s Bohemian beachside suburb of BONDI.  Born in Adelaide, she left her beloved Australia at the age of three and lived in Canada and the UK until she returned home again in her mid-teens.   An unexpected holiday romance caused her to leave Sydney once more, and call Toronto, Canada home for the next decade. 

Corby grew up in and around the Film Industry and after time spent at University studying Theatre and English Literature, she pursued a career where ‘struggling actress’ became synonymous with ‘struggling waitress’.  To add insult to injury, she was also always on a diet.  A brief stint as a plus-size model would cure her of the body-image issues...but she was looking for something more.

Having also grown up in the domestic and commercial kitchens of her classically-trained Chef Father, cooking AND entertaining were as natural as breathing air. ‘ A talent...’, her father would predict while Corby was still a kid, ‘that would be overlooked and taken for granted, but one day you will return to the kitchen; where it all comes so easily to you.  You will see the value in the joy that you have there, and then you will want to share...’

Her father was right.  She did return to the kitchen, and not just hers.

Corby-Sue went on to run two successful niche Catering companies on both sides of the hemisphere with her Business Partner & Husband.  With their young family in tow, they also ran the popular neighbourhood deli/cafe, Neumann’s Kitchen, in Sydney’s inner west.  It was here that Corby’s philosophy of ‘Good Food Made Simple’ was born.  She believed in supporting local growers & suppliers and revelled in seeking out the best of the best.  If it was good enough for her family and friends, then it was good enough to make the shelves for her customers.

After selling Neumann’s Kitchen in 2006, she suddenly found herself single with two young children a year later.  Food had always been a source of joy, and at the urging of a friend, Corby started her popular holiday program, KIDS COOKING TIME!  “Food is a language.  We must teach the young.”  But she soon realized that the mums and dads wanted to learn also!  So from her Donna Hay designed kitchen (true story), she held Private Cooking Classes in her home for the big kids as well.  Her enthusiasm and belief that anyone can learn how to do one thing well in the kitchen proved popular.  But it was the food itself that spoke volumes. 

Corby’s fresh approach to each dish, her ability to mix international flavours from a life of travel and the use of pared-down classic techniques has resulted in her signature style of ‘Good Food Made Simple.’  With a long list of clients that range from busy families to some of Sydney’s most well-heeled, Corby has always considered her work a privilege.  “People invite me into their homes and ask me to cook for them and their loved ones...it’s a special task and I’m so fortunate to love what I do.”  To date, it’s all been word of mouth, quite literally.

As a regular contributor to the well known radio show, FOOD IN FOCUS on Eastside FM, Corby was able to share her slightly geeky encyclopaedic knowledge of all things gastronomic with fellow foodies.  Then, after a press junket with Curtis Stone in March 2009, Corby was offered her very own radio show on the much-loved, independent, BONDI FM 88.0. 

Corby’s Table, ‘Food for your soul, soul for your food’, first aired August 2009, and as the station’s first content-driven show, it has proven that people’s love of food isn’t going away anytime soon.  This spirited two hour show is a healthy balance of all things food-related.  From the movers and makers to the growers and shakers, all are celebrated in this cheeky Bondi Brunch.  Each Sunday, from 12-2pm, recipes are shared, tips are given, produce is celebrated, and yes, the odd Celebrity Chef makes an appearance also. 

Corby has also appeared on SBS’ Food Safari with Maeve O’Meara, is a freelance food writer and is currently in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on her first Cookbook; Single Mothers Do Entertain.

“Like a pianist can look at the black and white keys on a piano and see a Concerto, I can look in a pantry, a fridge or a market and see a feast!”

Corby-Sue lives with her two children, cat and trusty Kitchen-Aid.