Adelaide Oval Executive Chef Philip Pope has been recognised among South Australia’s best, named Chef of the Year at Tuesday night’s AHA SA Awards for Excellence.
The award acknowledges a chef who has a proven track record in the hospitality industry and has contributed to its development and sense of community.
For Chef Pope, this is characterised by his career-long commitment to excellence, as well as his culinary expertise, creativity and knowledge, his passion for sourcing local and minimising wastage, and his dedication to training the next generation of chefs.
“This award is recognition not just of the contribution I have made to the industry I love, but the hard work my team puts in to deliver exceptional food every day of the year,” Chef Pope said.
“I’m immensely proud of the team I have helped build at Adelaide Oval, including our apprenticeship program which has grown to be one of the largest in South Australia, creating a pipeline of new talent for the industry.”
Chef Pope leads a diverse, award-winning culinary team of over 85 people and oversees the delivery of menus across all Adelaide Oval game and major event days, as well as its Functions & Events operations and more.
He is a champion of using local produce wherever possible, working closely with suppliers to highlight seasonal ingredients, develop a Signature South Australian menu, refresh the game day kiosk menu and introduce a ‘live food station’ functions option in collaboration with key suppliers.
“Relationships with local suppliers are absolutely crucial to the Adelaide Oval experience – we support one another because we are a community, but also because we get the best results for clients when we choose South Australian,” Chef Pope said.
“Adelaide Oval is South Australia’s most iconic destination, so of course it should showcase exceptional local food and wine at every opportunity.”
Adelaide Oval’s Functions & Events excellence was also recognised as joint winner in the Meetings & Events Venue – Accommodation & Specialist Division.
Adelaide Oval CEO Nick Addison said the awards helped to cement the stadium’s reputation for exceptional events, food and experiences.
“When we talk about Adelaide Oval’s reputation as a world-class, iconic events destination, that reputation has been built by people like Phil,” Nick said.
“These awards are extremely well-deserved and reflect not just Phil’s dedication and commitment, but that of the entire Adelaide Oval team.”
