Odd Culture has appointed two key leadership roles to support founder and CEO James Thorpe and Creative Director Nick Zavadszky on new concept development and venue sustainability.
Celebrated restaurant operator and sommelier Rebecca Lines has joined as chief operating officer, while Michelin-award winning chef Alex Haupt has joined as group executive chef.
Haupt returns to Sydney after closing his cult-followed Amsterdam restaurant 101 Gowrie. The chef has worked in some of the world’s best kitchens, including Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. He received the lauded Michelin Young Chef of the Year Award in 2021, the same year that he competed on Netflix’s The Final Table.
Haupt will lead Odd Culture’s culinary direction, across menu innovation, refining food offerings, and mentoring the culinary team. He will also be a key asset in shaping the new menu at the group’s upcoming Sydney CBD location, which is set to open this year.
Boasting over three decades of experience in hospitality, including as the co-owner of Banksii in Barangaroo and Redbird Chinese in Redfern, Lines brings a depth of expertise to the role. Lines will oversee operational efficiency and strategies, and drive service excellence.
Odd Culture has also promoted long-standing chef John Hockey to Head of Pub Kitchens, overseeing The Duke of Enmore and The Old Fitzroy. Meanwhile, Bistro Grenier Head Chef Jesse Warkentin will work on uplifts and menu innovation alongside Haupt. Sabrina Medcalf will expand the group’s live music and entertainment program as group operations and entertainment manager; and as group beverage manager, Jordan Blackman will continue to develop beverage and wine programs, and oversee sommelier training.
The Odd Culture Group holds a portfolio of six venues across Woolloomooloo and Sydney’s Inner West. The group has plans to expand into Sydney’s CBD in 2025.
Photography by Ethan Smart.
