Tobie Puttock

Tobie Puttock is one of Australia’s best known chefs, a best-selling cookbook author and a popular food presenter.

Tobie began his career at Melbourne’s Caffe e Cucina before travelling to Lake Como in Italy to work for Hotel Florence. Some years after perfecting his Italian language and culinary skills, he headed to England where he began working at the world-famous River Café – and became great friends with Jamie Oliver.

Returning to Melbourne in 1999, Tobie launched his own restaurant, Termini, which went on to win ‘Best Italian Restaurant 2002′ in the Young Australian Achiever Awards.

In 2001, Jamie Oliver made Tobie an offer he couldn’t refuse and he returned to the UK to become Head Chef of the first Fifteen Restaurant – a venture that teaches under-privileged young people how to become chefs. Tobie was instrumental in helping Fifteen – London become Tatler’s Restaurant of the Year’ in 2003.

In 2005 Tobie returned home and in September 2006, Australia’s first Fifteen Restaurant and Foundation opened in Melbourne. Here Tobie continued the Foundation’s work by giving 15-20 under-privileged young Australian people the chance to become qualified chefs each year.

In 2011, The Fifteen Foundation officially left the Fifteen family and changed its name and training structure to bring more of Melbourne’s top restaurants under its apprenticeship umbrella. This will allow the newly named foundation, Stepping Stone, to help more Melbourne-based disadvantaged young people to secure long-term employment while also giving them more variation in the type of restaurant they work. Tobie remains as co-founder.

Fifteen Melbourne has closed and has reopened as The Kitchen Cat where Tobie is Owner/Executive Head Chef. This new venture will allow him to create the Italian food that has always inspired him.

Tobie Puttock’s honest but light-hearted approach and passion for topics such as organics, sustainability, seasonality and ethical eating have seen him in high demand as a guest on some of Australia’s favourite programs including The Circle, Good Morning Australia, Ready Steady Cook and My Restaurant Rules.

He is also a popular presenter at major Australian food events such as the Good Food Show, Organic Expo, Great Barrier Feast and Gluten Free Expo.

Tobie had two hit series with Channel 10’s Jamie’s Kitchen – Australia in 2006 and Lifestyle FOOD TV’s Tobie and Matt – Europe and Asia in 2008. He also wrote a regular column for Delicious magazine and a stood in as Food Editor for Sunday Life for six months.

Tobie is the author of the best sellers Daily Italian, Italian Local and Cook Like An Italian.