I was 10 years old when I first cooked my first meal. It was macaroni cheese.. maggie of course. Mum and dad were shift workers at the time and I took the responsibility to feed my younger brother and sister. Next was spaghetti. I loved the crunch of undercooked pasta as a child.
Moving forward 7 years later I dropped out of high school to pursue my passion for cooking. Starting my first year in a small family run CBD business I decided to move into the hotels to define my skill and technique. I moved into the melbourne brunch scene in 2012, with most recent tenor at Industry Beans Fitzroy where we were pushing boundaries with food and coffee in the progressive melbourne cafe environment.
I was lucky enough to have worked and learnt under amazing chefs such as James Webb (park Hyatt hotel), Ian Curly (European) and Robbert Kabbord (merricote) which is paramount for any young budding chef.
Classically trained in French and Italian cuisine, with a love of south east Asian flavours. My menus are a representation of modern Australian cuisine focusing on the purity of flavour from the ingredients at use.
Along with A little bit of table side theatre and presentation will make your dinner party all that more memorable.
Personal Chef Menus by Jess Allen
Testimonials for Jess Allen
Jess was extremely punctual, friendly and well prepared. The food was delicious with amazing small detail that made everything presented beautifully.
Food: | Service:Zinta Walter-Bruns (VIC)
Jess was fun and engaging adding to the atmosphere of our evening.
The food was amazing!!
Food: | Service:Bhekizulu Zwangobani (VIC)
Jess and Christine arrived promptly as scheduled. They were polite and professional and conversed happily with all the guests. The food was amazing and explanations were given as to the ingredients of each dish. At the end of the night they did an amazing job of cleaning up after themselves, in fact I don’t think my kitchen has ever been cleaner!! I cannot speak more highly of both of them. We will certainly be doing it again!!
Food: | Service:Melissa Jurie (VIC)
Chef Jess went well beyond the call of duty, the food was great and service awesome. He did he research prior to coming so knew what to expect for a Burns Night celebration.
Food: | Service:Kim Steel (VIC)
Jess was excellent and the food he served was delicious. Jess was accommodating of dietary requirements & was able to suggest options. The entre platter for want of a better word was delicious and was a hit with everyone. Not taking anything away from the other 2 courses.
Food: | Service:Ruben Whyte (VIC)
Fantastic Chef. Booking process was a little disjointed and difficult but okay. Accepting credit card would be good.
Food: | Service:Mitch Davies (VIC)
We organised a dinner through At Your Table for my partner’s 30th Birthday last month. I want to say a huge thank you to Chef Jess and Christina who were fabulous hosts – approachable, professional, accomodating and fun! We had a wonderful meal – the blue swimmer crab remoulade was a crowd favourite! All three courses were delicious! Thanks so much again for making it such a wonderful evening to remember- would highly recommend for any event (or even if you just feel like treating yourself!)
Food: | Service:Amy Stewart (VIC)
I wanted something special and different for my 60th birthday.
AtyourTable and especially chef Jess gave me that.He was friendly, and informative about each course, our guests loved him and his partner. I questioned Jess regarding his menu, and then entrusted him with it. We were all delighted with the food. It was delicious
Food: | Service:
.Debbie Robertson (VIC)