Meet the Chef: Georgia Lahiff
For chef Georgia Lahiff, food and cooking is about something broad, something deep, but at the same time, something so simple. It’s about community and conversation, and it’s about celebrating the work of growers and producers. Georgia’s career as a chef has taken her across oceans and into kitchens of all kinds: from London restaurant Spring and Sydney restaurant Fred’s, where days were spent working under the guidance of brilliant chefs Skye Gyngell and Danielle Alvarez, building perfectly dressed plates of perfectly grown produce; to Solitude Farm in India, a permaculture farm-café inland of Pudacherry, cooking thali plates with the morning’s harvest, barefoot alongside women with no common language; to buzzing wine bars in Sydney, London and Rome, devoting her nights to bringing joy and pleasure through simple plates of what’s in season and what’s singing. No matter the kitchen or country, at the heart of Georgia’s food, always, is the produce, acting almost as a custodian, carrying on the work of the region’s growers and producers. And that’s a true gift to give a diner, a delicious taste of time and place.
It's Georgia’s final weeks of running the one-woman kitchen of wine bar Enoteca L’antidoto in Rome. She’s off to embark on a summer cooking in artist residencies across Italy and France as she explores what’s driving her in her work now: the idea that food is more than a transactional thing that happens in restaurants, that it’s part of a greater concept, bringing together around a table like-minded, creative people to converse (and most likely laugh and eventually dance). We talk all things food, and Georgia kindly shares with us a favourite dish that she learned to make in her adopted city of Rome, Carciofi alla Romana (Roman style artichokes). Pure delight, the artichokes yes, but more so, this vibrant chef, her way with food and her story. You can’t help but feel the brilliance brewing.
Georgia wears IN BED 100% Linen Apron in Navy Gingham
On embarking on a life in food …
The first kitchen I worked in was a bistro called Pulp Kitchen in Canberra, in the neighbourhood I grew up in. I remember going for dinner with my mum when I was 16 and asking if I could do a few days in their kitchen. I’ve always loved food and excuse the generic answer, but I think really it started from my mum – her love of food and the way food was celebrated in our household. For birthdays we would buy each other cookbooks and conversations often revolved around what we were going to cook that week. Even though my mum didn’t pursue food as her career, instead choosing the environment as her focus, it was a big passion of hers, and she definitely shared that with me. So yes, I guess that’s where it all began.
On embarking on a life in food …
Pulp Kitchen, my first kitchen, was a European-style brasserie. I started when I was 16 and did a school-based apprenticeship – I was in the restaurant two or three times a week, after school or on Saturdays, and this meant that I could get a head start on the apprenticeship, and once I finished school, I just had six months of my apprenticeship before I was a qualified chef. Being in this kitchen was exciting for me because it gave me a taste of what a cooking or food-related career could be like. Looking back, I now realise the valuable foundation Pulp Kitchen gave me through its French-leaning menu with many of the classics.
Spring in London …
When I was 18, I moved to London and started working for Skye Gyngell at her restaurant, Spring. This is where food totally exploded for me, and made me think yes, I want to do this, I want to cook for the rest of my life. The way Skye celebrated ingredients so simply but so elegantly, and always so well executed, really excited me. And all the people that were cooking there, from all over the world – from Israel, Ireland, Brazil, Australia – were people from all walks of life that just loved food. This for me, at 18, was incredibly formative and inspiring. To this day, these people are some of my nearest and dearest friends. My time in Spring’s kitchen was just really special – it opened my eyes to what life as a chef could be, and I loved it. From London, I went onto France for a year, cooking for a ski season then at a little start-up bakery called Circus in Paris.
A return to Australia, to the kitchen of Fred’s …
At that point, having never lived in Australia as an adult, I decided I was ready to return to the homeland. I started working for Danielle Alvarez at Fred’s in Sydney. This again was just such a wholesome experience. The way Danielle ran that kitchen with such love, joy and kindness was so inspiring. I loved working at Fred’s. It was a beautiful time for me, and again just met such lovely people. It also allowed me to continue working within this ethos of farm-to-table
To Solitude Farm, a permaculture farm-café in India …
I left Fred’s to work in India for five months, on a permaculture farm called Solitude Farm in the south, inland of Puducherry, in an area called Auroville. It was a super special experience. The farm and project are all about regenerating the Tamil land, and recultivating plants, vegetables and fruit that are specific to the land that have almost been forgotten about. There is a big focus on educating people about the food and traditions of the area. The farm had a daily café serving thali plates that changed daily depending on what we had harvested. I cooked with five women, outside and barefoot, with no shared language, communicating was just all done through actions and smiles, and through a joint love for the food we were making.
I cooked with five women, outside and barefoot, with no shared language, communicating was just all done through actions and smiles, and through a joint love for the food we were making.
A joyous year in Sydney’s 10 William Street …
When COVID hit, I returned to Australia and started cooking at Sydney wine bar, 10 William Street. This was a particularly joyous year, working with close friends, in a very intimate team. It was all about having fun and cooking food we loved. There was such a wonderful energy in that kitchen – everyone was just happy to be there. We worked closely with Georgie of Sift Produce, so we always had really lovely produce to cook with. Each day felt like a new opportunity to cook what we wanted, with no restraints. It was a really nice time to develop creatively.
A move to Rome …
I moved on from 10 Willy in 2022, flying into Rome once the borders re-opened, for an internship at the Rome Sustainable Food Project – an incredible food project set up by Alice Waters in the American Academy that sits at the top of Janiculum Hill, in the middle of Rome. The project is all about catering for the artists who win the Rome prize at the American Academy, but really the ethos is about a sustainable kitchen that grows produce onsite, or sources very locally – all the produce is sourced from within Lazio, the region of Rome. The access to bountiful produce here in Italy is so unique, and really got me hooked. Every day we would cook lunch and dinner for the artists, always something different. It’s this whole idea of let’s bring a community of creative people together around a table, really nourish them, and cook in a way that aligns with the environment and creatively stimulates them and us. This, for me, was a super special time – it’s what brought me to Rome, and made me want to stay. This then led me to L’antidoto, where I currently work.
It’s this whole idea of let’s bring a community of creative people together around a table, really nourish them, and cook in a way that aligns with the environment and creatively stimulates them and us.
On what Enoteca L’antidoto is all about …
L’antidoto is a wine bar in the Rome neighbourhood of Trastevere that was opened in 2020 by Flavio Pizzoli, a man with a huge love for natural wine and winemakers. Super small, super intimate; we have about 20 seats at full capacity. The ethos is all about celebrating the craft of natural wine makers, mostly Italian, but also a few from neighbouring countries – France, Georgia, Slovenia. For the food, it’s just me. This is has made for a really exciting time to explore creatively. Before this, I don’t think I would have had the confidence to write a menu that changed every day, but it’s an absolute joy and pleasure; I guess because the produce is just so bountiful here, and I’m fortunate to work with super talented producers. I run a menu with five to six plates, we make our bread in-house, usually have a little biscotti al vino and one or two desserts. This changers day to day, really depending on what I buy in the market, or get from Silvia, one of our major growers whose farm is just outside the city.
On what has been most influential on Georgia’s cooking and learning …
Spring has been the most impactful, I think because I was so young; I started when I was 18. There was an energy in that kitchen that came from a group of people who loved food and really wanted to be there. They wanted to celebrate this incredible produce that was being grown specifically for the restaurant by Fern Verrow, a farm on the England-Wales border run by Jane Scotter, an incredibly talented grower. Twice a week we would have this bountiful, exciting day when crates would come in full of curly, twirly, things of joy, from purple mustard frills to buttery baby lettuce; you could just feel how happy it genuinely made everyone when we received that produce. Skye Gyngell, is an incredible leader; the way she inspires and shares her knowledge, and has endless energy for this. She always attracted people that had the similar values. This kitchen really taught me about the food that I wanted to cook – it’s simple, it’s very flavourful, it’s Italian-Med influenced. Flavour is the focus in Spring’s kitchen, rather than elements or techniques. Skye also taught me how to plate, and how to think about food in a way where you are putting yourself in the seat of the diner, to imagine that you are eating every single spoonful of that plate: does it have the right sprinkle of salt, a sprinkle of parmesan on every little leaf, a lick of olive oil in the right places? And the way she teaches in this romantic, poetic way – this was super influential on my understanding of the food I love and love to cook, and ultimately, the restaurants I went on to cook in.
Skye also taught me how to plate, and how to think about food in a way where you are putting yourself in the seat of the diner, to imagine that you are eating every single spoonful of that plate: does it have the right sprinkle of salt, a sprinkle of parmesan on every little leaf, a lick of olive oil in the right places?
On what inspires …
I know this is a super generic answer, but really what inspires me is the produce. What’s in season, what’s singing and dancing, and celebrating this in the simplest way. Cooking in a way that isn’t taking away from the produce, but giving it the glory it deserves. I really love Italian, French, Spanish food, and that comes into my approach for sure. Vegetable-driven or anything seafood are my guilty pleasures. Really, I just love cooking things that I want to eat. That sounds selfish, but things that are simple, things that are delicious. We had this mantra at 10 Willy – just cook food you want to eat.
I know this is a super generic answer, but really what inspires me is the produce. What’s in season, what’s singing and dancing, and celebrating this in the simplest way. Cooking in a way that isn’t taking away from the produce, but giving it the glory it deserves.
On the importance of relationships with growers and producers…
One of the biggest joys of being a cook is the relationships that you form with your suppliers. In all the jobs I’ve had, this has been such a pleasure. Being a cook really is celebrating people, and how hard they work – especially growers – but anyone in this industry that’s supplying food and produce. Getting to know these people who work so hard and love what they do, then doing your best to preserve and continue their work – this is really a joy for me. I think this is why I’ve enjoyed cooking in Rome so much – the produce is just so bountiful. You walk into any market, and you’re immediately inspired. Really, Italy is God’s country for growing. I feel so lucky to be cooking here, and working with the produce that’s grown here. It sounds wanky, but for me, creating relationships with the people that grow your food is of the utmost importance, because without them, my job wouldn’t be possible. For the food that I love to cook, the produce must be singing.
On how cooking in Italy has impacted Georgia’s approach to food …
Moving to Italy has simplified my food. Often when a recipe tells you to, I don’t know, pass it through a mouli to make it smoother, I never do because it’s taking something away, or when it says to use a stock, I just use water. I love food in its simplest form and cooking and eating in Italy has really heightened that for me; don’t play with it, do less. Oh, and I cook with a lot more olive oil.
I love food in its simplest form and cooking and eating in Italy has really heightened that for me; don’t play with it, do less. Oh, and I cook with a lot more olive oil.
On what’s thrilling produce-wise as Euro summer ramps up …
Produce-wise, summer is really exploding here in Rome. Courgettes, aubergines, big juicy tomatoes, stone fruit has already arrived. I’m so lucky, I’m in my final weeks of cooking at L’antidoto and all my favourite produce is coming in, it’s lovely to leave on a big high. Things that are exiting me are round courgettes that we’re stuffing, peppers that are getting a good roast, aubergines being cooked down until they’re silky and soft, and being tossed around with celery, currants, pine nuts, sweaty onions and tomatoes in a bit of a caponata smoosh. These kinds of things thrill me. Also, peaches are here, my favourite fruit.
On what drives day-in and day-out …
I think what drives me is simply loving food. I think people who don’t love food, just probably shouldn’t cook professionally; people do have different passions in the food industry – maybe it’s organisation, maybe it’s running a team, but if you cook daily for a living, you must love food. I only ever get exhausted when I’m having to do a lot of logistics, and that just reiterates how much actually cooking is important in what I do, and I don’t think I could hold a role where I wasn’t cooking daily, because that’s what makes me happy. Often when I do very basic things like make a loaf of bread or even just chop vegetables, I think, wow, I cannot believe I get paid to do this. I think when you have this feeling, you don’t really get tired because food always gives you something, especially when you work with beautiful produce, and you know just how much work has gone into it. Your job as a cook is just a joy because you get to make people happy by celebrating this bountiful glory of goods.
Your job as a cook is just a joy because you get to make people happy by celebrating this bountiful glory of goods.
On unwinding after service and recharging on days off …
One of the things that has maybe kept me going in this industry for so long now is my wonderful ability to sleep. After service, I just pass out. I love sleep and will take as much of it as I can get. I’ve always met people who have these lovely post-service routines, but for me, it’s pretty much in the shower, into bed and good night. On my days off, I love being with friends. This is what recharges me, being around people that I love. Or I’m wandering about, eating out, drinking in the sunshine or swimming when I was living at the beach; being a social bunny. I was thinking the other day, as adults you lose all these hobbies. As a kid, I was always so busy, seven days a week always doing something, and you do kind of slowly stop doing that as you become an adult and narrow in on your career. And I was thinking, well what do I do with all my spare time now? And I guess it’s socialising. We are social bunnies.
The al fresco table is dressed with IN BED 100% Linen Table Cloth in Navy Gingham.
On a shift towards something more sustainable …
I feel there is a shift towards a more sustainable approach in restaurants and kitchens; in terms of the way you manage your restaurant, the way you cook, source and manage waste. I helped run a pop up a few years ago called Hidden Harvest – it was all about rescuing food waste and using it to cook for fortnightly dinners. It was open to the community; anyone could come and pay what they felt the food was worth. The dinners were centred around having a conversation about where the food had come from and the fact that it could be used in a beautiful way to feed and nourish people. I think participating in projects like this show you that yeah, there is a movement, and people are increasingly thinking about food in this way; that we’re trying to be more thoughtful in the way we cook and the way we run our businesses, and I think that’s crucial in our current climate. The way that the world is going, we must make these changes.
On the business model of a restaurant accommodating necessary changes …
Cooking can be an extremely socially isolating career because you work strange hours, and I think people want to have more balance in their life. I feel there is a movement focusing on the question of how we can make this a career that people want to stay in, and without it being fuelled by substance abuse. I think that comes down to creating a more sustainable environment for people to work in. It’s a tricky one, because it also questions the business model of restaurants – how we run them and how affordable they are. We want to have all these values of sourcing well, managing waste, cooking through the seasons, but at the same time, we also want to have staff that aren’t overworked, so we’re changing a lot of systems and refocusing our values but we’re still running restaurants in the traditional way. As the industry changes, I think the business model of a restaurant needs to change with it, because how can we accommodate all these shifts if it’s still the same basic transaction of a customer paying and restaurants feeding? I find this to be such an interesting conversation, and one that I’m looking to explore with future projects.
On where the role of a chef might be going …
I think, and hope, the role of the chef is shifting away from a more individualistic one to one that is more part of a community hub of sharing ideas. I’ve found working alone has been great in a creative sense, learning to trust myself and gaining the confidence to cook in the way that I want to, but it has also opened my eyes to how much I enjoy cooking with other people. I want to be in an environment with endless ideas and endless inspiration, and be stimulated by all kinds of people. This is really important for me, and I hope the role of a chef is going in a direction in which we just share and collaborate; that it’s less about ‘me’, and more about ‘us’. There’s enough ego in cooking.
On what’s next for Georgia …
I’m heading off on a bit of a summer cooking tour, which is exciting. First up, I’m heading to the north of Italy, to a performing arts festival near Trento called Centrale Fies with a good friend of mine, Giulia, who I met cooking at Rome’s American Academy. It’s a festival of creative performances and we’re doing the food for the event. Think long outdoor tables full of people sharing food and talking about their various creative projects. From there, we head to France to cook in another performing arts residency called PAF (Performing Arts Forum). It’s a big workshop over about a month where people from all over Europe are invited to put on various workshops. The scope is huge, from philosophers, to dancers to visual artists. We’re going to be running the kitchen in the house where there will be about 120 people staying, cooking breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is a project that we worked on last year and it’s such an exciting time. The energy in the house is wonderful; there are hundreds of different workshops and we run around like crazy cooking for everyone. Every meal is shared outside on long tables, and we sit down all together and have a conversation about what’s going on and about the workshops. It’s a super celebratory and creative space, and one that I’m just so happy to be part of. So, let’s see. This is a really exciting summer ahead, and I’m hoping that engaging in projects like this will lead to future work in similar spaces.
On cooking and food being about something greater …
The world of art residences that have a food focus is something I’m very interested in, and Giulia and I are both excited to explore this concept together. For me, I really want to explore this idea that food can be more than just what it is in a restaurant – a transactional thing that someone comes, they pay, you feed and they leave. I want to explore the potential of food being part of a greater concept. Whether that’s a school or a cooperative space with various projects going on, perhaps in a creative or artistic sense with disciplines like cinema, music, visual arts all being practiced in the one space; you have these talented and creative people around, with food bringing everyone together. At the end of the day, you all sit down and have a meal that nourishes and makes us feels good, but also stimulates a conversation about what’s happening in everyone’s lives and in the world.
Food is this gorgeous thing that can be shared amongst us, and this is really the thing that makes me happy, and where my focus is now – finding an environment where this concept is possible. Of course, keeping in line everything else that’s important to me – sourcing mindfully, the way a kitchen is run, the people you’re cooking with and their general happiness and excitement for what they do. But the idea that who and what you cook for is a community of people, that the food can be celebrated but that’s it not the be all and end all, and that actually, it’s just the thing that brings us together at the table.
The idea that who and what you cook for is a community of people, that the food can be celebrated but that’s it not the be all and end all, and that actually, it’s just the thing that brings us together at the table.
On day-off, at-home cooking and snacking …
My go-to is a recipe everyone should have in their repertoire. It’s the Zuni Café anchovy dressing, maybe they call it Caesar, but don’t think Caesar, it might turn you off. It’s the best. I literally put it on everything. It’s basically pounded anchovies, garlic, red wine vinegar, lots of lemon juice, Parmesan and, strangely, you whip in two eggs, almost like a backwards way of making mayonnaise. What you get is this unctuous sauce. I love putting it on bitter leaves – chicoria, or puntarelle when it’s in season. That with boiled eggs, ugh, a happy place.
And to finish, a few faves:
Favourite kitchen tool: I’m not a chef who nerds out on tools, but if I had to choose, I’d probably say a heavy, sturdy wooden chopping board. Something about chopping on wood is super satisfying, and makes me feel like I’m at home. Who doesn’t want that feeling when they’re cooking? Oh, wait, I change my mind, a sizzle platter, because I love dressing everything on them, makes me happy every time.
Favourite food book: This is so hard. Sorry, I’m going to have to give you three: The Zuni Café Cookbook, it’s fantastic. Judy Rodgers is an absolute queen – she gives so much information in that book. It’s probably one of the first books that I read cover to cover. There’s just endless wonderful technique in those pages and brilliant recipes that take you everywhere. I also love Gabrielle Hamilton’s Prune. It’s really cute, well no, not cute, it’s a great insight into restaurants and the chaos of them, and I love the way she cooks. And lastly, some of Skye Gyngell’s early books, like My Favourite Ingredients or A Year in My Kitchen. These are just beautiful books. I want to cook, and eat, every recipe in these. They completely capture why Spring is such a wonderful place to cook in, and how Skye’s food made me fall in love with the food that I love now.
Favourite food person: That’s so hard. I’d probably have to say Maggie Beer, she’s a legend. She has such a warmth about her, and she’s been cooking forever. I remember when I met her, at Fred’s in Sydney, I cooked her a galette and she came and gave me a big hug afterwards. I really admire her, and the way that she cooks. Also, I have to say Danielle Alvarez. She is one of the kindest people I’ve ever met, and she led that kitchen at Fred’s with such warmth, and with a genuine joy for food. I loved every minute of Fred’s, cooking with her. Whenever Danielle would lead a menu briefing, you could just tell how excited she was about the food and that just transcended into all of us. There’s so much to learn from her and the way she leads, not to mention cooks. I have huge admiration for Danielle.
Herb: Not to sound like I’m stealing from Dan Johnston’s interview, but marjoram is the best herb ever. I love it; it’s so elegant, and mysterious, and whenever I have it in a dish, I’m just like ugh, love you.
Place to perch for a glass and a snack in Rome right now: Maybe Bar San Calisto. It’s just great vibes, and is open from 8am to 2pm. Start your morning with coffee and a little colazione, maybe a maritozzo if that’s your vibe. As lunch times rolls around, sip on an afternoon aperitivo and watch the loads of kids and teenagers come and go. Getting into the evening, you’ve got 4.50€ Negronis. It’s just the best place to sit and people watch, and to watch Rome in all its glory.
Carciofi alla Romana (Roman style artichokes)
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 artichokes (Mammole variety)
2 lemons
2 large waxy potatoes
2 garlic cloves
1 bunch mentuccia (wild Roman mint) or good old mint if you’re not in Rome ;)
Half bunch mint
Half bunch oregano
75 ml extra-virgin olive oil
150 ml white wine
75 ml white wine vinegar
Method
Start by preparing your artichokes. Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the juice of two lemons. Peel away the tough outer leaves until you get to the tender, soft lighter leaves. Cut the top off the artichoke and use a teaspoon to remove the choke (fluffy inner part) of the vegetable. Trim and peel the tough part of the stem, then place it in the water so the artichoke doesn’t discolour.
Cut your potatoes into long strips and set aside.
Finely chop the garlic and herbs and combine in a bowl. Remove the artichokes from the water and stuff the heart where the choke was, and in between the leaves, with the herby mix.
Heat the olive oil on a low-medium heat in a heavy based saucepan that fits your artichokes snuggly standing upright. Arrange the potato strips around the artichokes, this will help to support the artichokes in staying upright.
Once you hear the oil starting the sizzle, add the white wine, vinegar and 50 ml of water. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. Allow to cook for 15–20 minutes, or until all your winey liquid has evaporated and the artichoke stems and potatoes are tender. Use a small, sharp knife to check their readiness – when it enters with little resistance, they’re ready.
At this point, you should be left with a fragrant oil at the base of your pan. I like to leave my artichokes sit for a further 5 minutes to crisp up the leaves a little in the remaining oil, but if you want to serve the artichokes perhaps with fish or other delicate things, remove the artichokes pre-crisping.
Place the artichokes and potatoes in a tumble on your plate of choice and enjoy. These are great on their own or with lamb or white fish.
