Getting to know Dennis
Let’s get to know the staff and residents at Leigh Place.
Dennis is the Leigh Place chef, and guess what – he was a ballroom Dancer and competed in the Australasian competition in the 1980s. He finished 4th in Australia, dancing four Latin American dances Rumba, Samba, Cha cha & Jive.
He spent the first four years of his career in the Whitsunday’s working on Hayman, Hamilton, Daydream Island, before setting off to New Zealand, Europe travelling and working in various countries – gaining plenty of experience helping him become a more experienced Chef. He returned to Australia a week before the 2000 Olympics.
He became a martial arts student in the discipline of Karate progressing, to a Black belt instructor.
Married to Heather, he has 2 beautiful children – Harrison 7 years old & Sienna 5 years old. They currently live in the Shire, south of Sydney.
“During the many years of my career, I have cooked for many celebrities on Hayman Island & Prince Phillip in Sydney for the World Wild Like Fund Banquet.
Whilst working in London, I have had a beer with the boys from Oasis, George Michael, Annie Lennox & Jay Kay from Jamiroquai.
I have stood beside Sylvester Stallone, Sharon Stone, Antonio Bandara’s and The Terminator himself at a movie premiere in Leister square.
My favourite Highlight was sitting down having a coffee with John Cleese at Highgate in London, chatting about Fawlty Towers, A fish called Wanda and at the time – the making of Fierce Creatures.
When I was in Thailand, I picked up the skill of Ice carvings & Fruit/Vegetable carvings which are a great centrepiece for Buffets/functions.
I decided to channel my career towards healthcare, working in several private hospitals and now at Leigh Place. Malnutrition was and still is a major issue in hospitals and in aged care. I wanted to correct this by providing freshly cooked meals that are made with love and care ensuring we meet all nutritional guidelines and all dietary requirements, avoiding all those cheap cooked/chill meals, giving everybody a much enjoyable experience.
I would like to think the catering team lead by myself have turned this around and you are currently enjoying all the culinary delights we are providing? I ask that you continue providing us with your feedback either verbal or on paper (via a survey) so that we can continue tweaking and improving our food and service.
Leigh Place has a great working environment allowing us to interact with the residents, everyone working together as a team and as one big family.”