![KITCHEN FRONTROWER: Andrew Scott loves the tribal nature of the commercial kitchen, which he has found in trips to England, Japan and Sydney. Picture: MARK JESSER KITCHEN FRONTROWER: Andrew Scott loves the tribal nature of the commercial kitchen, which he has found in trips to England, Japan and Sydney. Picture: MARK JESSER](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/9jp2tjuwKpcNcyMwTq82JY/5cbf61ab-bc44-4bac-b336-6330f5d86aef.jpg/r0_0_2744_4574_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Born and bred Albury chef Andrew “Speedy” Scott is drawn to the tribal and rugby-like nature of the commercial kitchen.
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Having cooked in Sydney, Japan, England and Albury, the head chef of new Albury restaurant SoCal Cantina said the team environment was a constant throughout his travels.
“It’s a lot like rugby; you’ve got a team and team-mates and they become your family,” Scott said.
“I do genuinely like pressure and the tribal nature of it though.”
The former Albury High School student trained at Albury eateries Adamshurst Restaurant and Function Centre and Electra Cafe before he travelled to Sydney as part of a David O’Dea Scholarship.
He worked at hatted restaurant Sepia, which serves Japanese-inspired dishes in an art deco-style dining room.
This led to a stint in Tokyo in a French-inspired Japanese restaurant and later working in north-west England, where he played rugby.
“I was cheffing at a little Rosette restaurant called Plato’s,” he said.
“The rugby over there was very different; it was very hard and very wet; it was awesome.”
Having grown up playing rugby for Albury-Wodonga Steamers, Scott earned his nickname “Speedy” for “the world’s slowest try”, a 90-metre run-walk in the under-16s. He lined up again for The Steamers in their premiership win in 2015.
“I’m pretty keen to play again; it’s the only other thing I’m built properly for.”
SoCal Cantina owners Ben and Mel Blomeley, who opened the eatery in the former Celladoor dining space, said it was inspired by their favourite Mexican restaurant at Byron Bay while living there for four years.
“It is inspired by our travels and our Californian room-mates at Byron,” Ben said.
What's your favourite dish, Andrew?
Before I started working at Sepia I ate there and I had beer icecream with chocolate delice and salted praline for dessert.
What are the staples in your pantry?
I have protein powder and a potato this week!
What's the biggest product discovery you have made in cooking?
Thermomix is probably the one thing I can’t live without. I’ve been using one since 2009.
What's your secret vice?
I don’t have one. If you like it you should just eat it.
Where was your most unforgettable meal?
Sepia in Sydney.
What's your favourite cooking utensil?
Thermomix.
What's in your kitchen toolkit?
Kasumi knives.
What are you drinking?
Bulk coffee from Decker and Lee (Amp Lane). Double shot latte.
Details:
SoCal Cantina,
Basement, 553 Dean Street, Albury
Phone: (02) 6041 2819
Opens Wednesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner service, high noon until late.