“The special thing about good food isn’t boasting about a multitude of ingredients. It’s about balance and restraint. I look at every dish we create and ask myself: What can we take away from this?” Few people have spent as many hours in restaurants as Liam Tomlin. Born and raised in Dublin, Liam has worked in kitchens for over 40 years, ever since he began his career at the tender age of 14 as a dishwasher and kitchen helper at Dublin’s five-star Royal Hibernian Hotel. His culinary training began in the classic kitchens of European hotels and restaurants – in Dublin, London, Zurich, Amsterdam, and Rome. In each of these establishments, he absorbed every imaginable piece of knowledge – from Mirabeau, then Ireland’s most elegant restaurant, to Zurich’s Hotel Central, where head chef and mentor Bruno Enderli ignited his passion and instilled in him high standards, to London’s Keats, where he first encountered a more original, modern interpretation of the classics, and several other stops in between. Liam subsequently managed several renowned restaurants in Australia, initially in collaboration with chef Dietmar Sawyer and later on his own. In 1997, Liam and his wife and partner, Jan, opened Banc in Sydney, which received numerous awards, including three toques and Gourmet Traveller's "Restaurant of the Year" award. It's no coincidence that Cape Town eventually became Liam and Jan's home. With its beautiful beaches, phenomenal produce, burgeoning culinary scene, and wine regions, it offered them everything they desired after living and working in Europe, Australia, and Asia. Even then, they recognized Cape Town's enormous potential as a restaurant city, and two decades later, they remain just as convinced. Liam's experience is cosmopolitan. His roots lie in classic French cuisine, he is passionate about the flavors and ingredients of Asia, and overwhelmed by the freshness and diversity of South African produce and wines. His repertoire is global, and he loves bringing exciting dishes to Cape Town's tables using the finest local ingredients. In doing so, he has created something uniquely South African, influencing dozens of chefs along the way. He is also a talented restaurateur. This man is obsessed with restaurants. If he's not in one of his own restaurants, he's most likely eating at one. Or googling one. Or planning his next visit. Or cooking something new. When he opened Chefs Warehouse and the cooking school in Cape Town in 2010, he had no idea he would one day open another restaurant, let alone ten. Since then, his vision and skill in forging successful partnerships have led to restaurants in breathtaking locations—from the ocean to vineyards. He has mentored and supported numerous young chefs, and with the growth of the Chefs Warehouse group, he has given them the opportunity to develop their talents. By creating positions for proven talents like Ivor Jones and David Schneider, who have joined as partners, he is now taking on a more prominent management role. He is particularly proud of his contribution to Singita, the group of luxury wilderness resorts for which he serves as a consultant. Hired to enhance the culinary offerings, he has exceeded his goal of creating restaurant kitchens and highly skilled chefs who produce world-class cuisine. Liam is a passionate cookbook author and one of those exceptional chefs who meticulously document their dishes—another creative outlet for him. He has collaborated with renowned food photographers such as Claire Gunn and Micky Hoyle on six cookbooks, including "Season to Taste" (2005), "Lessons with Liam" (2012), "Tapas" (2014), and "Thali" (2018) in South Africa, as well as two in Australia. His new book, "We Speak Kitchen Here," is forthcoming. It's a blend of biography, restaurant guide, industry commentary, and recipe collection, and at the same time, a tribute to all those who have contributed to the success of the Chefs Warehouse group. Liam has received numerous awards internationally and in South Africa, including the Eat Out Chef of the Year award and, more recently, the Eat Out Woolworths Lockdown Innovation Award, which recognized his significant contribution to the industry during the pandemic. Many of Chefs Warehouse's restaurants have also received awards from Eat Out, the JHP Gourmet Guide, La Liste, and other prestigious industry organizations. With success came opportunities to help others. Chefs Warehouse supports the Reach for a Dream Foundation through its annual charity gala dinner in Cape Town, which raises millions of rand for this important cause. Liam and Ivor run the Mark Mbotya Internship Program, an intensive, three-year, old-school internship that combines practical and academic content to train unskilled young people to become chefs. They gain knowledge and skills by rotating through the group's restaurants. Mental health in the hospitality industry is a major concern for Liam, and like chefs worldwide, many of his employees struggle with mental health issues and addiction. For this reason, he and Dave launched the "Mind Your Backs" initiative, which aims to improve mental health within the team and ultimately across the entire industry. Liam is very proud of the company he and Jan have built with the support of a team of highly talented, enthusiastic, and hardworking employees. With around 350 employees, the Chefs Warehouse Group is a major South African company that supports hundreds of extended families. The company is built on traditional values ​​such as hospitality, diligence, respect, and excellence – values ​​that are very close to Liam's heart. In an industry that often operates unprofessionally, Liam sets new standards wherever he works. When you enter one of Liam Tomlin's restaurants, you immediately sense the emphasis on high standards.