QPAC

QPAC's Executive Chef, Joshua Wilby and Executive Chefs, James Gallagher and Nathanael (Nate) Hardie

Behind the Curtain: Executive Sous Chefs

Wed 31 Jul 2024

In the last twelve months, QPAC’s Food and Beverage team served over 330,000 guests across five outlets. From creating exciting new menu items to overseeing a team of 40 dedicated staff, Executive Chef Joshua Wilby, and Executive Sous Chefs James Gallagher and Nathanael (Nate) Hardie play an integral role in creating an enjoyable (and delicious!) theatre experience for our patrons. 

We sat down with James and Nate to explore their impressive careers, learn more about their roles here at QPAC, discuss their sources of inspiration and hear the advice they’d give to those wishing to pursue a career in the culinary industry.

Can you describe your journey and experiences in the culinary industry? How did you find yourself here at QPAC?

James: I have been in the industry for 19 years now. It seems crazy to think it’s been so long!

I started my culinary journey in London in 2005, at the age of 17. I spent three years doing my apprenticeship before moving to Brisbane in 2008, initially on a working holiday visa and was then fortunate enough to be offered a sponsorship with the restaurant I was working at.

Fast forward 16 years...I have had some incredible experiences and have met some great people along the way. My career has been quite diverse from working in high end restaurants to luxury hotels and now within the performing arts industry.

Nate: After working my way up through multiple Sheraton hotels from the Gold Coast to London to Seville, I returned to Australia to settle in coastal northern NSW but found myself missing a city lifestyle. I joined Josh and Alistair at QPAC in the kitchen team in 2016 and haven’t looked back.   

A black and white image of QPAC's Executive Sous Chef, James Gallagher. James wears an apron and is placing a garnish on the plates infront of him.
Executive Sous Chef, James Gallagher, preparing dishes for a VIP function hosted on QPAC's Concert Hall stage.

What does a typical day in your role at QPAC look like?

James: We have a big team here at QPAC and currently oversee around 40 staff across five venues. This definitely has its challenges at times but is also very rewarding. Being a multifaceted operation, this gives us the opportunity to rotate staff throughout each of the outlets, giving them exposure to different cuisines and service styles.

Outside of our venues we also look after a lot of function and events for VIP clients, from opening nights for 500 people to small intimate dinners on stage. These events take a lot of planning and organisation to execute, often feature bespoke menus, and can present the unique challenge of building and working from a temporary kitchen behind the stage.  

Nate: No two days are the same as a chef. It can range from eight hours of admin work, to eating my way through an entire menu to decide on new items, to procuring new equipment for our new café (coming soon).

What is your favourite pre-show meal at QPAC to prepare?

James: I have always been a big fan of the food in the Bistro. I really enjoy the complex Southeast Asian flavours. There is a light touch to the dishes and in my opinion, a great place to dine pre-theatre.

Nate: For me, the simplicity of the Mediterranean menu in the Russell Street Wine Bar would be where I’m heading for a pre-show meal. My mother-in-law's king prawn ensaladilla with picos and crisps is on the menu there and is my favourite to both prepare and eat.

A plate of Ensaladilla with potato crisps sits on a table with a glass of white wine next to it
Ensaladilla from QPAC's Russel Street Wine Bar.

Can you talk us through the process of creating new menu items? How important is creativity and experimentation in this process?

James: The first thing I consider when creating menus is seasonality. As I have matured as a chef, I have definitely simplified things and have become more produce driven as opposed to trying to be overly technical. I really enjoy working closely with our suppliers to see what is coming into market and to see if they have anything new or interesting. I also like to work closely with the team of chefs I have around me here at QPAC, sharing ideas for new dishes and learning from each other.

Nate: I love eating so the first thing I think about when creating a new dish is what I would want to eat and whether the QPAC crowd would enjoy it too. What we put on a plate plays an important part of a patron's evening and we pride ourselves on starting off on the right foot. 

All the usual suspects come to play when deciding on new menu items, seasonality, sustainability, cost…although this can’t come before the theme of the menu has been decided. We also need to make sure we can serve it at lightning speed to ensure all our patrons can enjoy their pre-show meals.

What are some standout moments or career highlights from your time in the culinary industry and here at QPAC?

James: My career highlight was definitely having the opportunity to open my own restaurant back in 2016. I was incredibly ambitious early in my career and set myself a goal to have my own restaurant by the age of 30. I was lucky enough to achieve this and we opened on my 29th birthday!

The restaurant was incredibly successful, and we were named in the 50 best restaurants in Australia in the first year of opening as well as being nominated for Best New Restaurant.

Running my own restaurant was challenging but also very rewarding. It taught me a lot about leadership, and it made me realise that I didn’t need to be the best at everything, I just had to inspire a team of talented people and keep them motivated and engaged.

The highlight of my time here at QPAC is definitely the successful delivery of The Ring Cycle, which was a three-week production by Opera Australia. We put a year of planning into our culinary offerings and to see it all come together seamlessly was such a great feeling.

Nate: I have been lucky enough to spend two separate years working and learning in the south of Spain during my time at QPAC. This has provided many highlights but most of all an understanding of the Mediterranean way of dining. I also can't forget all of the special moments producing major functions for many of the International Series events here at QPAC.

What advice would you give to those looking to build a career in the culinary arts?

James: I think the first thing you must do if you are looking to start a career in the industry is enrol at a reputable culinary school or TAFE. This will help you build a strong understanding of cooking techniques and food safety. This is also a great opportunity to network and could potentially lead to an apprenticeship. It is essential to gain experience working in different kitchen environments and exposing yourself to different cuisines.

Learn to embrace feedback, both positive and negative, and understand that we work in arguably the most subjective industry there is. Each individual's preferences and tastes are going to differ. Some people are going to love your creations, others may not. As you gain more experience, you can use this to improve your skills and adapt to different situations.

"You must be passionate about what you do, and this will really help lift you when times get tough." 

The hours are long, and the work can be physically demanding, but if you really embrace the essence of hospitality, it can also be an incredibly rewarding career.

Nate: The culinary arts are always evolving, so be open to learning new things and expanding your skills. Take feedback constructively and use it to improve and most of all do it for the love of food and travel.

Do you have a favourite performance that you’ve seen during your time at QPAC?

James: I have been fortunate enough to see a lot of incredible shows during my time here at QPAC, but there are a couple that really stand out. The first was The Book of Mormon. I was a fan of South Park growing up, so I was keen to go and see the show when I found out that it was by the same writers and it didn’t disappoint, it was very funny! The second was when the Birds of Tokyo teamed up with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and put on a show in the Concert Hall. Again, it was an incredible and unique experience.

Nate: I love music of all genres and a standout would have been Josh Teskey and Ash Grunwald's performance of 'Push The Blues Away' in the Concert Hall.

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