A chef, sculptor, and restauranteur, Ross Lusted has distinguished himself in the culinary landscape through a thirty-year global career that has earned him a myriad of highly regarded accolades such as The Good Food Guide’s Chef of the Year and The Australian’s Hottest Chef in Australia. Ross is celebrated as one of the most original chefs in Australia.
Later this year Ross Lusted, and his wife and business partner Sunny are set to open Marmelo, an elegant dining room and bar inspired by the Portuguese influenced cuisine of his youth in South Africa, and Mr. Mills, one of the most anticipated late-night low lit basement bars, set in the eclectic laneways of Central Melbourne.
Ross and Sunny Lusted currently own a Sydney favourite, lively fine-diner, Woodcut restaurant, located in the dress circle of Crown Sydney. Awarded a coveted Chef’s hat by the Good Food Guide and included in The Weekend Australian’s Hot 20 List for Australia, Woodcut celebrates exceptional Australian produce and cooking with wood, charcoal, and steam. Woodcut’s earthy and sensory cooking methods impart a tangible element of flavour and authenticity to the cooking process.
Prior to Woodcut, the acclaimed restauranteurs owned The Bridge Room, one of Australia’s most beloved restaurants and whose accolades include Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide Three Chef’s Hats, Restaurant of the Year and The Australian’s Hottest Restaurant in Australia. Lusted’s vision for creating The Bridge Room was inspired during a decade of living and travelling throughout Europe, Asia and the US. The restaurant was honoured with numerous awards including 3-stars and #8 by Gourmet Traveller Magazine, AFR’s Australia’s Top 100 list, Qantas Business Travel Award for Best Restaurant – business lunch/dinner and Lux Magazine’s Best Contemporary Restaurant.
Ross’s thirty-year career in restaurants and hotels includes operational and corporate roles spanning the globe including award winning restaurants Darley Street Thai (Sydney), Rockpool (Sydney), harbourkitchen&bar, Park Hyatt Sydney (Sydney) and Mezza9, Grand Hyatt Singapore (Singapore).
Ross was appointed Culinary Advisor for Hyatt International Hotels and Resorts in Australia Pacific and later joined Amanresorts as General Manager of Amankila Resort, going on to join Amanresorts Corporate Office in Singapore as Food and Beverage Development Manager. In his development role, Ross was responsible for all Food and Beverage concepts and developments for new Aman projects around the globe. He was involved in creating the restaurant concept for each resort, architectural specifications, kitchen design, selection of operating equipment, collateral design and tabletop selection, styling and presentations. Ross was involved in each new Amanresorts opening during his tenure for properties throughout Europe, Asia, the United States, and the Caribbean. Ross opened awarded winning Amangiri in Utah, USA before returning to live back in Australia.
