In focus: chef-restaurateur, Neil Perry, on everything from furniture to food
Neil Perry, influential chef-restaurateur and popular media personality, is one of the celebrity curators of our newly launched The Store by Fairfax, a marketplace of quality products by Australian designers and artists.
Exclusively for subscribers, we took a few minutes with Neil to talk about his style and how it influences his selection of lifestyle items from furniture to food.
STYLE
What is your style in one sentence?
Neil Perry: Minimalistic, clean and sharp.
What are five essentials for your working day?
NP: Bircher muesli, juice, laptop, cookbook library, comfortable chair.
How do you approach the interior design concept of a restaurant?
NP: Always with a strong brief to my designer of what it is meant to be and why, with a strong business plan to make sure we can afford it.
Provenance and sustainability are paramount to you in terms of produce – how does that ethos affect other parts of your life?
NP: Yes very strong in life generally. We try to make sure we will leave a planet that our children can enjoy. I wish politicians had the same care. It’s so stupid – even if there were no climate change, all we would end up with is a cleaner planet. Go figure they can’t work that out in Canberra.
What is your guiding factor when buying an artwork/design piece?
NP: Does it move me? It’s that simple.
What is your favourite piece of furniture?
NP: A Moroso ‘Lowland’ sofa by Patricia Urquiola.
PASSIONS AND OBSESSIONS
What brings you joy?
NP: Seeing my staff behave like they own the place.
What do you do when you’re not working?
NP: I’m drinking wine or skiing.
What do you wish someone (or you) could design the ideal solution for?
NP: A teleporter, so I could be in all the places I need to be without wasting time.
DIVERSIONS
What is your current bedside reading?
NP: Land of Fish and Rice, by Fuchsia Dunlop.
What is the next ‘hot’ cuisine/food trend?
NP: I’m liking Middle Eastern for a big push, lots of vegetables and pulses, extra virgin olive oil and spices. It’s the perfect Mediterranean diet.
Name three essential tools in your home kitchen.
NP: Good knives, a quality, heavy chopping board, and mortar and pestle.
Name three essential ingredients in your pantry.
NP: Salt, chillies, lemon.
DESTINATIONS
Is there anywhere in the world you consider your spiritual home?
NP: Sydney – it flows through my veins.
Pack light or pack everything?
NP: Pack light – and tell your wife she doesn’t need that many shoes.
What are your five travel essentials?
NP: A mohair eye mask, La Mer moisturiser, iPad, B&O noise cancelling headsets and electric toothbrush.
Favourite gallery/design destination/public art space in the world?
NP: The Louvre – I love the subterranean nature of the public space and the fact you would have no idea what is under the pyramid from the outside.
Most interesting/awe-inspiring overseas dining experience?
NP: Too many to mention, but I love Asador Etxebarri, near San Sebastian.
Get an exclusive subscriber discount on The Store items. Click here to find out more.
Check out Neil Perry’s curated selection for The Store here.
Find out more about The Store’s all-star line up of curators here.
