My very first shoot for
@quayrestaurant with
@chefpetergilmore was miles away from the restaurant itself, at
@RedShed_StudioJam in Newcastle, where Pete was painstakingly creating custom oyster shell ceramics for Quay’s re-opening and his dish of oysters with oyster cream. I also captured him and the heirloom vegetables he was growing and experimenting with in his home garden on that shoot – his favourite, most peaceful place. I didn’t quite realise at the time but these shoots shaped how I came to understand and interpret Pete’s food and Quay itself. Detail, depth and exceptionalism. From the art on the walls, the kindness and professionalism of the whole team to the menu, Quay, led by Pete, set its own bar.
Shooting Pete’s dishes has always been a fun and exacting process. Sometimes we got the shot in 15 minutes, sometimes it took an hour - but the final shot is always perfect, (subjectively, of course), and we’d just work to get it right until it was. I often think about the extraordinary journey of a dish before it reaches my camera - the research, testing and dedication to process and produce sourcing behind it. Pete’s curiosity for exceptional ingredients has taken me from Byron Bay to South Korea (with
@table181 ,
@deliciousaus and
@moremccomas ). His depth and wide-reaching inspiration is reflected by his goal of always striving to reflect the ‘modern multicultural society’ we live in. Something I believe is more important than ever, no matter how you choose to show it.
Documenting the the past eight years of Quay alongside the many talented photographers and videographers in our team
@buffet.digital has been a real privilege. While it’s sad to see its doors close, how lucky are we that it was open for so long, that it was so thoughtfully inspired, and brought joy to so many.
