COOPER THOMAS
FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE CHEF
I am passionate about creating restaurant quality dining experiences for people in unimaginable locations such as waterfalls, mountain tops, lookouts, sand dunes, ski fields & desserts. This is my personal mission!
- COOPER THOMAS
Hey there, my name is Cooper and I’m the person behind The Wilderness Chef.
I call Newcastle (NSW, Australia) home, so you’ll find me catering regularly in the Hunter Valley, Nelson Bay, Sydney and Blue Mountains areas but it doesn’t stop there. Not only do I travel interstate on a regular basis, i’ve also travelled internationally on multiple occasions.
As a keen explorer, I am a travelling chef (it's what I do). Be it interstate or international you can count me in..I am ready to broaden my horizons!
You will often find me camping, rock climbing, mountain biking, fishing or foraging for the freshest produce, going for hikes and sitting around the fire.
I am passionate about creating incredible food, produced in a sustainable and ethical manner. I love the idea of removing the ‘middle man’ and sourcing directly from the producer, the one whose blood, sweat and tears are embedded in it. This brings about a mutually rewarding connection between the end-user (you!) and the the producer.
If you like the sounds of this, then let’s chat about your wedding or upcoming event!
MEET OUR INCREDIBLE TEAM
Our team comprises of highly skilled and passionate professionals who have extensive expertise in the hospitality, restaurant & catering industry. We operate with a strong business model that emphasises exceptional quality, personalised service, and attention to detail. Currently, we have 4 full-time employees and 15 casual employees who contribute their talents to ensure seamless operations and customer satisfaction.
We are extremely proud to say that we have 100% employee retention and over the last 7 years we have not had any team members leave. We invest time and resources into recruiting the right people for the job, upskilling, building team engagement and building a culture that our team is proud to be a part of.