Tobie Puttock

Tobie Puttock is an Australian celebrity chef, best known for his association with British chef Jamie Oliver.

Cooking career

Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Puttock trained at Box Hill Institute of TAFE, and first worked at Caffe e Cucina in South Yarra. [Lethlen, John: [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/16/1092508353539.html Espresso - Kids in the kitchen] , "The Age", 17 August 2004.] Working around Australia, and eventually Europe, Puttock first met Jamie Oliver in 1999 at River Café in London, where both of them worked for a time. [Downie, Stephen: [http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,20403519-10388,00.html Jamie Oliver's kitchen mission] , news.com.au, 13 September 2006.] Puttock returned to Melbourne, where he set up his own Italian restaurant, Termini, and appeared as a regular guest chef on the Australian version of "Ready Steady Cook", a cooking game show based on a British format. [ [http://www.ten.com.au/ten/tv_readysteadycook.html Ready Steady Cook] , Network Ten.]

In 2001, he was contacted by Oliver, now a well-known celebrity chef, who asked for his help in setting up a training restaurant for underprivileged young people. Puttock returned to London, and helped Oliver set up the first Fifteen restaurant in Hoxton, London. The creation of the restaurant and training scheme formed the basis of a 2002 TV series on Channel 4, "Jamie's Kitchen". Puttock remained at Fifteen as executive head chef for several years, until homesickness prompted him to suggest to Oliver that they set up an Australian version of Fifteen in his hometown of Melbourne. [McManus, Bridget: [http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/if-you-cant-stand-the-heat-get-out-of-jamies-kitchen/2006/09/08/1157222328986.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2 If you can't stand the heat, get out of Jamie's Kitchen] , "The Age", 9 September 2006.]

Oliver agreed, and in 2006, a follow-up series "Jamie’s Kitchen Australia" was shown on Australia's Network Ten, which chronicled the establishment of Fifteen Melbourne and the training of its staff. Puttock is now executive head chef of the Melbourne restaurant, and still makes appearances on "Ready Steady Cook".

Personal life

Puttock married his girlfriend of five years, Georgia Katz, on 7 April 2007. [Sydney Confidential: [http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,,21527742-5006002,00.html Tobie's tasty nuptials] , "The Daily Telegraph (Australia)", 10 April 2007.]

He is the godfather of Jamie Oliver's youngest daughter, Daisy Boo, born April 2003. [ Kizilos, Katherine: [http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/recipes-for-success/2006/09/11/1157826867770.html?page=fullpage Recipes for success] , "The Sydney Morning Herald", 12 September 2006.]

Publications

*cite book | last = Puttock | first = Tobie | year = 2006 | title = Daily Italian | publisher = Penguin | location = Melbourne | id = ISBN 9781920989501

References

External links

*Author profile: [http://www.penguin.com.au/authors/author-author-profile.cfm?AuthorId=0000004213 Tobie Puttock] , Penguin Books Australia.
* [http://www.fifteenmelbourne.com.au/ Fifteen Melbourne website]