Chris lives in Sydney's South East with his Mrs and two kids. They eat well at his house with Chris as the family chef. Chris only just started to cook competitively this year, 2022 and he has done very well for a rookie on the competitive BBQ cooking scene. At his first event, Meatstock Toowoomba, in Queensland Australia, he took out a first place for his burger cook and placed high for other categories.
You can find Chris's content on Instagram, Tik Tok and YouTube.
EDIT:Chris is now on My Kitchen Rules, AKA MKR, with Aaron cooking up a storm, check it out!
We asked Chris our standard ambassador questions and this is what he had to say.
Q. Pro chef/restauranteur/caterer or simply a great cook?
A. Some would say I'm a great cook.
Q. When did you start cooking?
A. As a little kid I used to love making pancakes with mum, & dad was always firing up a charcoal bbq. It was always fresh salad & lots of meat. I grew up as foodie & didn't really start cooking seriously until I got married & realised I needed too (lol).
Q. Why did you start cooking?
A.I have an obsession for delicious food on demand. Cooking it myself allows me this luxury.
Q. What are your cooking super powers?
A. The most epic Pork Crackling
Q. Favourite x to work with and why? X = protein, vegetable, fruit, spice, herb, seafood.
A. It has to be Pork. So many delicious cuts on the pig; from the belly, to the shoulder & who doesn't love Pork Ribs! It's also a cheaper option than Beef or Lamb in Australia
Q. Who had/has the biggest influence on you when it comes to food?
A. When I was more of a foodie than a cook, I used to watch a lot of the celeb chefs on TV; Gordon Ramsey, Jamie Oliver, Curtis Stone, Donna Hay etc But my biggest influence has been the BBQ Community on the social media platforms. These mix of Chefs & Backyard BBQ Warriors have given me ideas & inspiration that has furthered my skills & abilities in the kitchen & on the grills.
Q. What is your signature dish?
A. Crispy Pork Belly Burnt Ends
Q. Who taught youth make it?
A. I took multiple methods & techniques from different cultures to create this dish. It is the best of all methods.
Q. Are you formally trained or a self taught cook?
A. Self Taught
Q. Where do you work?
A. Currently working for my 2 kids & the wife! Blessed to be a stay at home dad. To stay sane, I'm currently focusing on content creation for various social media platforms.
Q. Name three kitchen implements you cannot cook without.
A. 1. Paper Towels
2. Instant read thermometer
3. Gloves
Q. How do you keep up with food trends or don't you?
A. I do spend a lot of time on social media researching foods, culture & trends. It's a continual learning process of trial & error.
Q. Favourite season to cooking in and why?
A. Summer. The days are longer which helps me fit in those long low n slow cooks, while still capturing some natural lighting. The seasonal produce of fruit, veg & seafood in the summer is also my favourite. I'm sucker for a good Mango.
Q. Favourite thing to do when cooking food?
A. I usually spend this time researching food trends, catching up on social media, all whilst ensuring I'm staying very well hydrated!
Q. If you could only eat food from one country where would you food be from and why?
A. Greece. They know how to cook meat. I have been there so many times just to live off gyros everyday. It makes the back of my gums salivate everytime I think about it.
Q. What do you do in your downtime?
A. There's not much downtime being a stay at home dad but when the opportunity presents; you will find me hanging out at my butchers shop talking to customers & watching & learning from the guys doing there craft. I also don't mind getting out on the tennis courts or having a bash of golf.
Please give us 5 cooking tips
1. Don't cook to time. Cook to color, temp, & feel.
2. Don't score the skin of your Pork! Prick it with tiny holes instead.
3. Time in the kitchen is not your friend! Sharp knives are. They will save you time.
4. The difference between good & great food starts on the chopping board with a boning knife in hand.
5. Track your cooks in some sort of a log, so you can go back & review how you can improve for next time.