Executive Chef and food identity Dennis Leslie is taking a break from Hill of Grace Restaurant kitchen to spend time with his beautiful six-month old baby girl.
A change of scenery from one great love for another, Dennis will spend time cooking for his young family while giving him time to focus on his other projects and exploring other opportunities.
“Food will always be my passion and I will always create meals to nourish, delight and surprise. I’ll share my excitement for cooking with my young family and hopefully share my passion and lifelong love of food,” said Dennis.
“I have been committed to the South Australian food scene and have been very supportive and passionate about using fresh, local, seasonal produce to create something special for our Hill of Grace Restaurant diners every night and of course after four years at the Adelaide Oval I’m sure I’ll miss the views overlooking the hallowed turf.
“But it is vitally important to me to spend time with my family whilst my daughter is so young because it is a once in a life time opportunity that I’m lucky enough to be able to grasp. It will also allow me to focus on other projects and explore future opportunities.”
At the helm of Hill of Grace Restaurant as Executive Chef and Manager since its inception three years ago, Dennis has been instrumental in providing diners with an exceptional culinary experience, inspired by the diverse abundance of fresh, seasonal produce our state offers.
“To be able to share my food philosophy at Hill of Grace Restaurant and to form such a collaborative partnership with the Henschke family at such an iconic location has truly been a privilege,” said Dennis.
Dennis discovered his passion for cooking while working as a trainee at the Hilton Adelaide 23 years ago before embarking on a culinary journey throughout Europe – honing his skills and expanding his ideas. Arriving at Adelaide Oval in 2013, Dennis was instrumental in assisting with the development and successful implementation of the Function & Event and Corporate offerings before taking on the role as Head Chef at Hill of Grace Restaurant in 2014.
“We were so lucky to have someone of Dennis’ calibre to create, inspire and lead our iconic new restaurant,” said Stadium Management Authority, Chief Executive, Andrew Daniels.
“His diverse culinary background coupled with his impeccable professional expertise was exactly the sort of person we needed to establish Hill of Grace Restaurant as one of Australia’s best restaurants. Dennis’ passion and vision will be missed. He has trained up an outstanding kitchen brigade to carry on his vision and we wish him all the best in his challenging new role as dad.”
Media ENQUIRIES:
Phil Martin, Michels Warren PR on 0418 817 876 or pmartin@micwar.com.au
