Fin Burgess

Sous-chef at Gauge, Brisbane

It was while working at a local fish and chip shop on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast that

Fin Burgess fell in love with the atmosphere of a kitchen. “I was only 14 years old,” recalls Burgess. “We worked hard but had a lot of fun.”

Through his final years at high school and while studying at university, Burgess moved from café to café, honing his skills during busy Saturday breakfast shifts. But a degree in finance couldn’t keep him away from the buzzy world of hospitality.

“It was at one of the cafés I’d worked previously that I got the chance to jump back in the kitchen, as the guy doing the cooking was going away for a weekend and they needed someone to man the pans.” says Burgess. “I loved it. Getting to cook was a blast and it also meant I could make myself whatever I liked.”

After completing his degree, travelling overseas, working in a small butcher’s kitchen and starting a chef’s apprenticeship, Burgess’s passion for cooking prevailed, and in mid-2019, he landed a role as sous-chef at Gauge – an ambitious, contemporary-Australian restaurant in South Brisbane.

“A lot of really talented young cooks have come through the kitchen here [at Gauge] and it’s an honour to be a part of it,” says the 27-year-old. “The head chefs, Cormac Bradfield and Phil Marchant – referred to by staff as ‘Mum and Dad’ – have played a huge role in my own growth as a chef. Two different styles of cooking and working, but always with a very clear direction and execution.”

When it comes to his own cooking style, Burgess enjoys using vegetables, particularly ones that are under-appreciated. “I also enjoy finding new ways to utilise vegetables that people know well,” he says, as demonstrated in this tempura witlof recipe.

As for the future of food? “Try to use what’s in season and grown locally,” says Burgess.

“We are super-lucky in Queensland to have access to a lot of quality local producers. It’s an easy job when the produce we receive is of such a high standard.”