Bios
John Kilroy - Proprietor
Brisbane restaurateur John Kilroy is widely acknowledged as being one of the major contributors to the exciting reformation which has swept through the Australian red meat industry over the past six to eight years.Through his iconic Brisbane Restaurant, Cha Cha Char Wine Bar and Grill, John has been one of the key architects in the rebuilding and repositioning of beef's image in the minds of restaurant and hotel diners across the country. The ongoing boom in quality steak dining venues across Queensland and eastern Australia is in no small way linked to the original vision for beef as a top - end restaurant product pioneered and implemented by John Kilroy.
Although he has spent the past 20 years immersed in Brisbane's "big city" fine dining and restaurant scene, John has lost none of the friendly, easy- going mannerisms instilled during a bush upbringing, having been raised on a grazing property near St George in Western Queensland.
Following several years knocking around Australia as a young surveyor, he decided to settle in Brisbane, choosing the hospitality industry as his future career path.
He established Brisbane's much-loved Giardinetto Restaurant in Fortitude Valley precinct in the 1980s. Acknowledgment soon followed when the venue was chosen as finalist in the 1984 Bulletin Quelltaler Restaurant of the Year awards.
Following the success of Giardinetto, John spent several years leasing and revitalising some of Brisbane's famous landmark hotels including the Broadway, the Terminus and the Barracks, before making his first major acquisition in 1992 with the purchase of Wanganui Gardens reception centre. After extensive redevelopment, the picturesque Wanganui Gardens site situated on the Brisbane River at Yeronga now caters for up to eight weddings weekly, as well as a busy schedule of conferences, seminars, balls and corporate events.
It was during 1996 that John started 'sizing up' opportunities for an inner city eatery, which eventually led to the establishment of Cha Cha Char. At the time of its opening in 1997, the concept of a top - end steak dining venue was considered a somewhat "risky" move within the food service industry. Traditionally, beef products had a reputation for inconsistency and unlike many other food products; there was also a lack of clear identity behind red meat. John's vision aimed to redefine beef as a popular dining option by cultivating the use of thorough - chain quality control mechanisms to eliminate inconsistency and to establish a distinct identity behind each different product on the menu. In much the same way that wines from different parts of Australia are celebrated for their regional characteristics, John set about finding similar points of difference between beef sourced from various regions. His passion was to promote beef as a valuable and diverse product rather than as a commodity.
What emerged was a beef menu unlike anything seen previously in the Australian food service scene - crammed with information about each individual supplier, their breeds of cattle, local soil types, the pastures grazed in the paddock and different grains and supplements fed during the production process, the age of the animal at processing, ageing processes and other information.
John has been a consistent and very vocal supporter of industry QA systems - most notably the Meat Standards Australia grading program - as a means of delivering consistently high eating quality through tenderness, juiciness and flavour. He was also one of the catalysts behind the emergence of beef brands and labels, highlighting points of difference between various products and also aided with advice for developers of branded beef products. Because of such changes, diners began to talk about beef in a new and exciting way.
In a classic case of 'imitation being the sincerest form of flattery', many principles which were pioneered through Cha Cha Char have since become widely adopted across the Australian food service industry.
John's lasting passion for, and great knowledge about red meat has led to him becoming an ' in-demand' speaker at industry gatherings throughout the beef supply chain. He travels widely throughout Australia speaking to beef producers, feedlot operators, processors and consumer groups with emphasis on changing consumer attitudes to beef and also means by which the industry can best address these challenges.
John has also placed great emphasis on educating diners and beef eaters about important issues such as correct storage and handling, to cooking techniques and maximising the flavours and tenderness from each individual cut. He has also been closely involved with the 'Trailblazing Paddock to Palates Taste Test Series' and has also led the challenge in familiarising Australian diners with exciting new products such as the highly marbled Wagyu beef.
Much of this is driven through:
- Restaurant beef tastings - conducted on a regular basis where clients have the opportunity to sample cuts of beef from a diverse range of feeding regimes, ages, breeds and geographic areas.
- Cooking demonstrations - undertaken regularly for the public and industry at Black Pearl Epicure, The Brisbane Home Show, Masters of Beef classes and Royal Brisbane Shows.
- Media contact - over time, John has become a widely quoted source within the extensive metropolitan and rural print and electronic media on matters relating to beef and consumer trends. He is well respected in his field and is contacted by journalists and writers throughout Australia on a regular basis for such opinions.
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Exectutive Chef
Born and raised in Western Australia, Ben worked in various restaurants in Perth, test driving food styles as well as observing the varying approaches to kitchen management, plating techniques and restaurant styles.
He then moved to Sydney gaining valuable experience in a variety of departments within the Stamford Plaza in Double Bay. From there he was recruited by Gulf Air, relocated to Bahrain and made responsible for menu creation, production and presentation of all in-flight meals to first-class passengers.
The position involved extensive travel and the opportunity to work alongside many highly regarded chefs from all over the world. These experiences had a huge impact broadening his culinary horizons and helping to formulate his own food style. Upon returning to Perth, Williamson was appointed senior Sous Chef at the prestigious Ultimo Catering Company.
A short time after he moved to Brisbane and after a brief stint at Cha, he worked at 1889 Enoteca, a highly rated award winning restaurant in Woolloongabba. He was sorely missed from the Cha kitchens and was eventually persuaded to return, this time to the helm.
Williamson is responsible for the creative side of the menu as well as the full running the kitchen which he does in conjunction with Head Chef, Richard Brown.
Richard Brown
Head Chef
Richard has been working in kitchens and in particular those specialising in beef since 1994. Whilst working as an apprentice and honing his skills in wood roasting and char grilling meats over open coals commenced his obsession with meat. He has since managed 3 major players in the beef specialty arena namely Daniels Steakhouse in Brisbane before then on to Cha Cha Char where he is now the Head Chef. Richard has been with JK and Cha Cha Char for a career spanning 8 years par for a brief stint with Moo Moo’s on the Gold Coast in 2006 only to return to Char and continue his close relationship with JK.For Richard being the Head Chef at Cha Cha Char and in particular his passion for beef enables him the pleasure of working with quality meats and produce. To consistently produce the quality that customers have come to expect the skill of the chef is as important as that of the freshness of produce. Where possible Richard is passionate about using local produce and understanding your customers needs in order to deliver what they want and exceed their expectation.
Richard is a firm believer that good food should be shared amongst friends and family in order to create a common bond and it is this approach that has enabled Richard to consistently produce a quality and progressive menu that keeps diners returning to Cha Cha Char day after day.
Joanne Harris
Maitre’d
Jo finds the hospitality industry both dynamic and fulfilling having being involved in the industry for 15 years working in restaurants, bars and hotels in New Zealand, Melbourne and Brisbane. While enjoying the constant challenge of exceeding customers expectations she also values our regular clientele and having the chance to personally meet new and potentially new regulars. Jo has achieved a professionalism that perfectly complements the “Char” experience. With Cha Cha Char restaurant having won many accolades Jo finds her rapport with customers and staff both rewarding and enriching. Jo continually delivers valued and professional service to our extensive clientele.
