Neil Perry

Neil Arthur Perry AM is an Australian chef, restaurateur, author and television presenter.

He also is the co-ordinator for Qantas Flight Catering under his company Rockpool Consulting.

Perry was born in Sydney and attended Newington College and Drummoyne Boys' High School.

At Newington, a GPS school which stipulates a strict dress code, he wasn't allowed to have long hair.

He used to grow his hair in the holidays and roll it up in combs when he went back to school.

The school sergeant recognised what he was doing and sent him to the barber to have it cut off.

In Year 10, Perry called his mother and said; "I'm leaving school."

Following this, he began attending Drummoyne High, a public school, and did not cut his hair for two years, leading to his signature look of a ponytail.

The historic building was completed in 1901 to the design of Arthur Anderson of A.L. & G. McCredie & Anderson.

In October 1986, Perry opened the Blue Water Grill at Bondi Beach which became an overnight success.

He then opened Rockpool in February 1989 with his business partner and cousin Trish Richards.

Perry became director of food, beverage, and service for the Australian flagship airline Qantas in 1997 and has been responsible for the in-flight and ground based culinary offerings for over 25 years.

Menus are developed quarterly for International First and Business Class travellers, with the Rockpool team overseeing the implementation and introduction to catering centres at key ports.

In 2007, Perry opened Rockpool Bar & Grill in Melbourne.

Less formal than Rockpool, the restaurant is an upmarket steakhouse, located in Crown Casino.

High quality beef cooked over wood-fire grill, supported by a modern and international à la carte menu form the backbone of the food served.

In spite of the riskiness of opening a large restaurant (serving up to 200 people a day) in a venue as high profile and lucrative as Crown Casino, the restaurant has proved a major success.

Rockpool Bar & Grill Melbourne has also received positive reviews from critics since opening, including being awarded two coveted "chefs hats" in the Melbourne Good Food Guide.

Meanwhile, this same year, having maintained Rockpool for almost two decades as a Sydney fine dining restaurant, Perry finally decided to close the restaurant and reopen with a change of direction as a "casual seafood venue" instead.

Perry cited a lack of will to continue operating Rockpool at the demanding and highly competitive level he had been as the main reason for the change.

Though this new incarnation of Rockpool had only been open for a brief time, in mid-2008 Perry had a change of heart and suddenly announced that Rockpool would be returning to its original form as a fine-diner.

As Perry put it: "Rockpool classic".

The restaurant has since reopened, with an ethos and menu akin to its old form.

2009 saw the opening of two more restaurants in Sydney, both located in the same art deco building on Bligh Street in Sydney's CBD.

First to open was Spice Temple in the basement level.

Like the now-defunct XO Perry opened in Surry Hills some years ago, Spice Temple represents another foray by Perry into more traditional Asian cuisine —specifically regional Chinese food this time—given a sophisticated polish.

Spice Temple was soon followed by the opening in the above level of a sibling instalment of Melbourne's successful Rockpool Bar & Grill.

Since 2010, Rockpool Bar & Grill Sydney has been the recipient of the Wine Spectator Grand Award.

Since November 2013 Rockpool has been in the former Burns Philp Building in Bridge Street, Sydney.

In February 2015 Perry was the guest of honour at the official opening of the Founders Hospitality Centre at Newington.

Prior to joining the hospitality industry Perry started an apprenticeship as a hairdresser before dropping out and working as a waiter.

This is where he found his calling as a chef.

Perry's career in the hospitality industry began with working at Mishas Balmoral Beach where he left as a second year apprentice then managing Sails restaurants at the Sydney suburb of McMahons Point, and then at Rose Bay.

This was where most of Perry's floor management skills were learnt.

By the time he was 24 he found himself gravitating towards the kitchen, and realised his passion for cooking by working with, and learning from over the ensuing years, chefs such as Damien Pignolet, Gay Bilson, Stephanie Alexander, Steve Manfredi and David Thompson.

Although he uses the title, Perry never actually completed a chef apprenticeship.

Perry became head chef at Barrenjoey Restaurant, Palm Beach and was given creative control over Perry's in Paddington.

In 2015 his role was expanded to include of wines and beverages.

In 2022, to celebrate the 25-year collaboration with Perry, Qantas reintroduced a selection of his most popular inflight and lounge dishes.

In 2021 Perry opened another Sydney restaurant called Margaret, designed by Australian industrial designer David Caon and Acme & Co, followed in 2022 by a sister restaurant next door—aptly named Next Door.