Gerhard Wayd

Gerhard started his cooking career with a chefs Apprenticeship in Graz, Austria. He always loved cooking thanks to his Grandmother who was an amazing cook.

After working in a 5 star resort hotel Bad Schonau, which had a hatted fine dining restaurant, followed by a 5 Star Vegetarian Health Resort, which was one of the first for that time in Europe, he then went to work as a chef with the prestigious Cunard 5 Star Cruise liner Vistafiord. After 2 years at sea he took on a sous chef position at the seafood restaurant ‘Loquats’ in Hamilton Bermuda for 1 year. 

He then returned to Austria where he became head chef for a winter season at the prestigious Hotel Sandhof at the Winter Sport Resort Lech am Arlberg.

In 1988 Australia needed chefs and Gerhard moved Down Under, working at the 5 star Southern Cross Hotel in Sydney as sous chef, followed by an executive chef position with Spotless Catering on Groote Eylandt, the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria in Northern Territory. This presented him with many new catering challenges – working on a remote island, organising 3 kitchens, catering for over 1,000 meals a day whilst heading up a 40-seat fine dining restaurant for overseas clients and visitors. From there Gerhard took on the executive position for the Novotel Lake Crackenback in the Snowy Mountains, which has an award-winning fine dining restaurant.

In 1998 Gerhard changed direction and started with his family a contract catering company. He operated venues like Castlereagh Boutique Hotel in Sydney, Monkey Bar Hotel in Balmain and he worked alongside famous names such as Master Chef Tony Bilson on his fundraising functions and the Hope Estate Winery in the Hunter Valley.

Gerhard is trained in classical French cooking but likes to mix in a little of his Austrian influences. He has worked as a Personal and Private Chef for the past 5 years.