The son of Cockney pub operators, who himself trained at a five-star London hotel and played on the same soccer team as Gordon Ramsay, runs the kitchen at Wodonga RSL.
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Lee Botting did a five-year apprenticeship at luxury Park Lane hotel, The Dorchester, before he plied his trade in Bangkok and Saudi Arabia and settled in Melbourne.
“When I started at The Dorchester in 1975 there were 120 chefs on the floor; there was 24/7 room service, dining rooms including kosher, Italian and Asian,” he said.
“The training was second to none.”
As operations manager for K2K Events in Melbourne, Botting catered for the Spring Racing Carnival and the Princess and Regent theatres.
He moved to the Border after his son Spencer, 16, was tragically killed in a car accident at Staghorn Flat about 12 months ago.
“This community here surrounded me and I wanted to give back,” he said.
“We’re turning the club into a corporate business; we don’t get a lot of funding and we’re working hard with the Chamber of Commerce.”
What's your favourite dish?
Thai food; I lived in Bangkok. One ingredient can change a whole dish.
What's the biggest product discovery you have made in cooking?
The quality produce in Australia.
What are the staples in your pantry?
English baked beans.
What's your secret vice?
Swiss rolls and the Mad Hatter tipping at the club.
What is your recipe standby?
Thai fish cakes.
What is your most unforgettable meal and where?
Heston Blumenthal’s The Fat Duck in Melbourne, opening night. He did everything you’d hope it would be; the quality of the dishes, the theatre, even the sounds of the ocean.
What's your favourite cooking utensil?
Knives. Gustav Emil.
What did you have for dinner last night?
There was a wake at the club; homemade sandwiches and scones.
What are you drinking?
Great Northern (beer).