How did you first get into food and hospitality?
I grew up in a pub in northern England and wanted to be a publican. I left school at an early age and found myself too young to drink (legally) let alone manage a pub so off I went to trade school to do a Hospitality & Catering Management course. Half a day a week i had to do cookery (which i hated). My tutor, the late John Stevenson a former chef himself saw something in me though and sent me to work in my first holiday to a small boutique hotel on the outskirts of London called Warren House for two weeks where his son was the sous chef. I was expecting to work Front of House but the crafty old bugger put me in the kitchen. After my first day (which i loved) the next morning I got called into the General Manager's office with the GM and the head chef (and as a 16 year-old boy the only time I’d been in an office was the headmasters office and that never worked out well) however to my delight they offered me a job there and then and I accepted as I had caught the kitchen and cooking bug.
What continues to inspire you?
The garden at Montalto and its surrounding area feeds my inspiration to continue working with the seasons and is a pure delight. Julie Bennett, the Estate Produce Manger and Gardener is an amazing human and resource for us all, and helps drive the passion and knowledge we share at Montalto.
Montalto Estate has its own gardens – how does that influence what goes on the menu?
The restaurant menu is completely influenced by what we grow on the Estate. we have weekly meetings with Julie (see above) and then write the following weeks menu. The piazza (more casual dining) always has salad leaves grown on the estate and our Pizzas use what is growing at the time. Right now we have an amazing wilted greens (mix of 8 greens that we grow) mortadella, mozzarella and 'pesto' (mixed herbs from the estate) pizza that showcases that to a tee.
Your children go to a school that offers the Kitchen Garden Program – tell us about their and your experiences with that.
One of the main reasons for staying in the area of Westgarth Primary School and for choosing that school was the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. My wife Sharlee participates weekly in the hands on cooking with the kids in the kitchen and every year I do a cooking demo with the kids that includes getting things from the garden and cooking. Once I made nettle soup with them all which they actually loved. We are keen gardeners at home and the practice and teachings makes our boys love helping out.
Is there anything they’ve taught you from their kitchen garden experiences?
Finn our eldest regularly helps out at dinner time and loves baking, something I’m simply not that good at. I love how they both know what types of plants and trees are around them, but also have the inquisitiveness to ask questions.
You’ve been a friend of the Foundation for some time, most notably helping out with the ‘Big PD Out’ in 2019. Why throw your support behind the Foundation?
I truly love what Stephanie has done for this country, for building the foundations of the future adult Australians and providing something not just in cooking, but a connection to the earth. I grew up in the countryside in the UK and find what the Foundation is providing is really re-earthing our next generation, which is so essential.
Matt Wilkinson grew up between the rolling pastures and industrial jungle of Barnsley in the north of England. After arriving in Melbourne in 2000, it wasn’t long before he became Sous Chef to Shannon Bennett at the acclaimed Vue de Monde. His first Head Chef role at Alevansi in 2004, aged 24; in late 2005, he moved to Circa The Prince. While maintaining two ‘chef’s hats’, he began to shift the menu focus and, ahead of the trend, re-launched Circa in 2009 to showcase a produce-driven menu. His style of cooking incorporated seasonality and vegetables in an inspiring new way which was embraced by Melbourne diners and food critics alike. Late 2010 saw Matt depart Circa to open his café Pope Joan with a strong emphasis on locally-grown and seasonal fare with a distinctly British twist.
2021 saw Matt take up the role of Culinary Captain at Montalto in Red Hill on the Mornington Peninsula – overlooking the food and beverage offerings across the estate, and more recently Creative Director at Montalto where he works closely with Craig Penglase (Executive Chef), Diana Desensi (Head Chef, The Restaurant at Montalto), Julie Bennett (Produce Manager) and Simon Black (Chief Winemaker) to drive the ‘estate to plate’ philosophy throughout the business.
