About Simon
Simon Sandall is a chef, consultant and restaurateur who has worked in hatted restaurants for nearly two decades, including a 17-year tenure as Executive Chef of the MorSul Group, 8 years of which were spent at the helm of Aria as Head Chef. In 2018 he opened his own restaurant Boronia Kitchen, allowing him to use his decades of experience to help other restaurateurs successfully realise their vision. Now, Simon is embarking on his greatest achievement yet, having been appointed to lead the Retail Food and Beverage operations at the new Powerhouse Parramatta.
Where it all began
Simon began his career attending South Warwickshire College in England where he trained in traditional European culinary techniques. He progressed to restaurants including: The Ritz Club in the Ritz Hotel, London; Les Ambassadeurs Club, London; Swallow Royal Hotel, Bristol; The Brownsover Hall Hotel and the Grosvenor House Hotel, both in Rugby, England.
In 1995 Simon immigrated to Sydney, Australia, where he was employed at The Sydney Opera House at both The Harbour Restaurant and Bennelong Restaurant, working with chefs Andy Turner and Michael Moore.
In 1999, Simon joined Matt Moran as the Head Chef of ARIA Sydney. He acknowledges Matt and the team at ARIA as a huge inspiration and credits this busy restaurant environment with teaching him to achieve quality and consistency to an impeccable standard.
A friendship was formed
After managing the kitchens of Matt’s flagship restaurant ARIA, Simon established ARIA Catering, the resident caterer at The Sydney Opera House. He went on to become Group Executive Chef, leading the kitchen teams across the MorSul (Moran and Sullivan) group, (now Solotel) which included Aria Sydney and Brisbane Aria Catering, Chiswick, Chiswick at the Gallery, Opera Bar, River Bar and North Bondi Fish.
Although he has been inspired by many people along the path of his career, Simon maintains that his continued enthusiasm and energy for his work comes directly from the industry itself.
Simon has won many awards for excellence including gold medals from both Torquay International Festival of Food and Wine and The West of England Salon Culinaire.
Going out on his own
In June 2018, Simon opened the doors to Boronia Kitchen, in Hunters Hill. Created for the local community, the contemporary eatery serves home-style food from the open kitchen using the absolute best produce from Australia’s air, ocean and land.
In 2021 Boronia Next Door opened the doors, offering a private dining and event space adjacent to the restaurant.
In 2022, Boronia Catering was launched, offering a complete event catering service to Sydney and regional NSW. Given Simon’s comprehensive catering background, Boronia Catering continues to grow from strength to strength.
Simon has also established a hospitality consultancy company, Sandall and Co., assisting both new and established hospitality businesses in all facets of the industry, including kitchen operations, human resources and marketing.
A new legacy: Powerhouse Parramatta
Simon's newest venture sees him draw on more than four decades of experience to lead the team behind the retail food and beverage operations across Powerhouse Parramatta. The role spans three distinct venues: the Restaurant, with its large terrace overlooking the Parramatta River; the Cinema Bar; and a Café and Wine Bar, designed to flex between indoor and outdoor seating.
It's a project unlike any other in his career. While he's run kitchens his whole life, to be trusted with the retail food and beverage program at a project of this scale, in a building that will shape how Sydney experiences culture for generations, is a huge honour for Simon.