Como The Treasury has announced a new head chef for Wildflower, its restaurant based on a farmer-and-forager-driven menu of dishes revolving around the indigenous six seasons.
Chef Matthew Sartori has been part of the Wildflower team since its opening and has worked closely under the direction of outgoing executive chef Jed Gerrard.
Wildflower celebrates the local produce available throughout the year, with ingredients including eucalyptus, finger limes and pepperberries as well as foraged native herbs such as samphire, saltbush and barilla from Perth’s wetlands and produce sourced fresh from Wildflower’s on-site ‘urban cultivator’ and rooftop beehives producing ‘Wildflower honey’.
Growing up in inland Western Australia, Sartori developed an appreciation for its bush foods. He first moved to Perth to train under Neal Jackson at Jackson’s Restaurant, where he further developed a passion for sourcing unique ingredients. He then worked at a number of well-knownWestern Australian restaurants including Restaurant Amuse, Greenhouse Perth and Fervor, where chef Paul Iskov was instrumental in shaping his knowledge of the versatility of native ingredients.
“The most exciting challenge of working with native ingredients is respecting their delicate seasonality, but the rewards are endless, allowing you to forge your own techniques without boundariesm” says Sartori. “I am thrilled to be taking over the helm of Wildflower from Executive Chef Jed Gerrard and looking forward to continuing to position Wildflower at the forefront of Western Australian cuisine.”
Of the appointment, Anneke Brown, general manager, COMO The Treasury, says, “It is with great pleasure that we announce Matt Sartori as the new Head Chef of Wildflower. As an instrumental part in the opening team at Wildflower, Matt has been Jed’s right hand man, and steps into the leadership role with great passion and commitment to the vision of Wildflower. The team at COMO The Treasury want to thank Jed Gerrard for his service at Wildflower over the past three years. He was instrumental in setting up a strong and inspirational team at the restaurant, and we wish him all the best in his next endeavour.”