Travis McAuley
Travis’ love of food and working as part of a kitchen team started at a young age – at age 40 he has spent half his life working as a chef!
He began his career working with Gary Cooper at the Wild Oak Café in the Dandenong’s, before Gary moved to lead the kitchen at Chateau Yering. From this, Travis moved to London to experience the famed cuisine of ones of the worlds truly gourmet cities. Travis worked at the Institute of Directors restaurant near Trafalgar Square for two years before returning to his home town of Melbourne.
It wasn’t long before Travis was working closely with John Psanis at 1 Fitzroy St, the glamorous St. Kilda restaurant. The food John and Travis produced was modern Australian fare at its very best – fresh products, innovative recipes and a focus on local seafood.
During this time, George Calombaris moved from award winning Reserve to 1 Fitzroy St to head up the team after John moved to Quaff. George and Travis quickly found an easy working relationship based on their professionalism, work ethic, love of food and a shared cheeky side that extends from the kitchen and into the dining room. Travis has worked as George’s sous chef since 2005, and moved with him when George opened the highly respected The Press Club Restaurant and Bar in Flinders Street, Melbourne in October 2006.
It is a sign of Travis’ skill that he moved on to open Hellenic Republic in Brunswick, Kew and Williamstown, which focus on traditional Greek cuisine. Travis’ philosophy when it comes to Greek cooking is to keep things simple. He works with his team of expert chefs to source the best fresh and flavoursome produce from Greece and Melbourne to create authentic recipes in a clean, modern style. Working alongside George, Travis’ dedication to his work is evident in the success of his restaurants and the growth of the growing Hellenic Republic brand.
