Paul Desmet …..(AKA The Wookiee )arrived in Sydney 5 years ago.A love of traditional old style cooking and aversion to the modern “foams and micro herb”fixation /fad drew him to start SaltPepperNutmeg as a catering company, specialising in canapes and private dining .Many adventures later an opportunity in Roseville came up and the rest is History.
Paul grew up in South Africa. With roots in Europe and a God Mother who worked under Lenotre in Paris, good food was always on the table and traditional skills and recipes are central to the way of working.Paul started in kitchens early in the eighties and His palate was honed in Switzerland,Belgium and London. In 1998 He uprooted the Family and spent the next few years , in Borneo, Malaysia and Singapore. This experience further extended His repetoire and the move to Sydney became a reality in early 2007.
Wookie believes in foraging for the best available ingredients on any given day- small quantities are brought and the mise en place turns over fast. The specials board changes constantly, daily , sometimes twice daily. Regular customers know to get in quick and reserve portions ,especially when the fishing has been good.He has an obsession with Olive Oil and good bread.Paul is completely anal about ripening Tomatoes properly and is on a quest for perfect Gnocchi.
Interaction with customers is important and customisation of dishes and menus is encouraged to make every customers experience as unique as possible.Paul has a particular specialisation and interest in catering for special Dietary needs while the Wookie looks after Childrens food and loves encouraging young palates to get away from chips and nuggets
