Peter Kuruvita (born October 1963) is an Australian

chef A chef is a trained professional cook and tradesman who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term ''chef de cuisine'' (), the director or head of a kitche ...

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspec ...

and media personality, known for his rich culturally inspired cooking, highly influenced by his

Sri Lanka Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්‍රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...

n father and

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n mother.

Early life

Born in 1963 in

Fulham Fulham () is an area of the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham in West London, England, southwest of Charing Cross. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, bordering Hammersmith, Kensington and Chelsea. The area faces Wandsworth ...

, to a Sri Lankan father and Austrian mother, Kuruvita lived the first four years of his life in England. In 1967 Kuruvita's family decided to move to his father's hometown of

Colombo Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...

, Sri Lanka. While growing up in Sri Lanka, he was introduced to cooking through his grandmother's preparation of Sri Lankan cuisine. It was this and a strong sense of family that inspired him to pursue food as a career. In 1974 Kuruvita and his family moved to

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

, where he went to school. Upon finishing high school he began an apprenticeship as a chef at East Sydney TAFE. He completed his final year at the new Ryde Catering College.

Career

Kuruvita's first job was in the kitchen at a local seafood restaurant in southern Sydney, he remained there until 1981 when he moved to complete his studies and gain experience working with

Greg Doyle Greg Doyle (born 24 September 1970) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with St Kilda and Melbourne in the Australian Football League The Australian Football League (AFL) is the only fully professional competition of Aust ...

, at the Rogues restaurant & nightclub, where he worked for the next two years. In 1982, completing his apprenticeship Kuruvita took up a role, at the One Star Michelin restaurant Rue St Jacques in London, as the commis chef. Kuruvita later secured a chef role, at the Three Star Michelin restaurant,

Waterside Inn The Waterside Inn, located in Bray, Berkshire, England, is a restaurant founded by the brothers Michel and Albert Roux after the success of Le Gavroche. It is currently run by Michel's son, Alain. The restaurant has three Michelin stars, and in ...

, Bray England Peter has since worked all over the world at hotels and resorts including the

Four Seasons Hotel Four Seasons Hotels Limited, trading as Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, is an international luxury hotel and resort company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Four Seasons currently operates more than 100 hotels and resorts worldwide.D ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

USA, Yasawa Island Lodge, Fiji, as well as some of Sydney's top restaurants Barrenjoey House; Bilson's; Hayman Island Resort.

Restaurants

;Flying Fish 2003 Peter Kuruvita is Consultant Chef of Flying Fish Restaurant in Pyrmont, New South Wales on

Sydney Harbour Port Jackson, consisting of the waters of Sydney Harbour, Middle Harbour, North Harbour and the Lane Cove and Parramatta Rivers, is the ria or natural harbour of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The harbour is an inlet of the Tasman Sea (p ...

. The restaurant was opened in 2004. The Flying Fish serves modern Australian dishes with a strong seafood focus. ;Flying Fish, Fiji Peter opened Flying Fish Fiji in partnership with Starwood Hotels in 2008, situated on the sand at the Sheraton Fiji Resort Nadi Fiji ;Steak House by Peter Kuruvita Situated at the Westin Hotel Nadi Fiji. ;Noosa Beach House Peters Latest partnership with Accor hotels, situated in the Sofitel Noosa Resort and Spa.

Television shows

*''

My Sri Lanka with Peter Kuruvita ''My Sri Lanka with Peter Kuruvita'' is a 10-part Australian cooking television series created by The Precinct Studios that originally aired on SBS One on 3 November 2011 until 5 January 2012. It is presented by Australian born Sri Lankan chef ...

'' (2011) - A 10-part series as Peter Kuruvita returns to his ancestral homeland of Sri Lanka. Beginning in

, Kuruvita travels extensively to many different corners across the country experiencing a range of different tastes and colours. *''

Island Feast With Peter Kuruvita An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerry, skerries, cays or keys. An r ...

'' (2011) - A 10-part series. *'' Mexican Fiesta with Peter Kuruvita'' (2014) - A 10-part series. *''Peter Kuruvita's Coastal Kitchen'' (2016)

Books

* ''Serendip: My Sri Lankan Journey'', * ''Serendip: My Sri Lankan Kitchen'',

References

External links

Peter Kuruvita

Flying Fish
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kuruvita, Peter 1963 births Australian television chefs Australian restaurateurs Australian cookbook writers Living people Australian people of Sri Lankan descent Australian people of Austrian descent British people of Sri Lankan descent British people of Austrian descent Sri Lankan television chefs