High profile chef Sean Connolly has his sights on a Christmas off with his family after leaving his position with Sydney’s Star City after 15 years there.
Connolly, who was running Star City’s hatted Astral Restaurant and also Sean’s Kitchen, left the company last week after resigning several weeks ago.
Star City management said the casino’s new executive chef, Andy North, has assumed responsibility for the day to day operations of the two restaurants. North joined Star City earlier this year after a period as executive chef of Crown Casino restaurants in Melbourne.
Connolly told Hospitality magazine this afternoon that he has no firm plans for his future but said that after such a lengthy period at Star City he thought it was time to make a move to pursue other interests.
“It was all just very amicable,” Connolly said. “I’ve done 15 years and I realised I had maxed out everything I could do at the businesses and I just thought it was a nice way to end an innings off so I let them know about 12 weeks ago.
“I have achieved things there that I never dreamed we could achieve there, we did some amazing stuff, and also with the television opportunities and my book I had just ticked all the boxes and it was, ‘Well, what’s next for Sean’.
"I just thought I had done what I wanted to do and I wanted to be free of the corporate umbrella and just wanted to be Sean again.
“I wanted to have a really fabulous Christmas and New Year and take some time to think about my future.”
Connolly will be involved with the World Chef Showcase that is a major part of the Sydney International Food Festival in October and then is spending a week travelling in Italy with Antonio Carluccio as part of a trip with the Slow Food movement there.
He said he’s also in development for another television series and also hopes to write another book. “Maybe a story about travelling from the north of England to the southern hemisphere,” Connolly said.
In a statement Star City managing director Sid Vaikunta said the company would miss Connolly’s “expertise and good nature”.
“We wish him every success in the future and thank him for his time at Star City.”
During his time with Star City Connolly was awarded Chef of the Year in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide in 2008. As well Astral restaurant has been awarded a Chef’s Hat by the guide every year since 2007.
