Welcoming Ryan Ward to Longitude 131°

July 16, 2021

Longitude 131° welcomes Executive Chef Ryan Ward to the Red Centre kitchen brigade. Ryan has arrived in the vast Australian outback fresh from his last posting in tropical Fiji. That’s a sea change in reverse!

Ryan Ward is an accomplished Executive Chef with more than twenty years’ experience in the trade and a real taste for the tropics, with his favourite flavours coming from the Northern Territory and Tropical North Queensland – handy for a chef at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where access to a wonderful range of bush ingredients drives the luxury lodge’s contemporary menu.

‘I’m always looking for innovative ways to introduce native ingredients into my cooking drawing inspiration from foraging, fishing and hunting,’ Ryan says.

Most recently, Ryan spent four years working as Executive Chef at high-end resorts in Fiji, including the world renowned award-winning Ahura Resorts’ Malolo Island Resort and then Likuliku Lagoon Resort. There, Ryan led a team of more than 30 Fijian chefs, providing invaluable experiences, training and mentorship.

Previously, Ryan spent five years at the Queensland Art Gallery developing the inhouse restaurant Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) after the gallery decided to offer internal catering with the focus being the integration of food and art.

‘During my tenure, the GOMA Restaurant received two hat statuses for three consecutive years and a Gourmet Traveller Star. As a result of these successes, the Queensland Art Gallery was the chosen venue for many high-profile events including the launch of Good Food Month, numerous event for top-tier Champagne houses including Perrier Jouët, Louis Roederer, Krug and Salon Delamotte and in 2014 GOMA was the chosen venue for the G20 Leaders’ Summit dining events,’ Ryan said.

Ryan says he attributes his success to leading from the front, and on his ability to mentor, train and inspire chefs in a positive and healthy working environment.

Also joining the Longitude 131° team as Restaurant Manager is Ryan’s fiancé, Bridie Bush. With many years experience under her belt-buckle, together Bridie and Ryan make a dynamic duo, ready to cook up new chapter in the outback.

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