It Takes a Village - Meet our new Head Chef Josh de Caen
BACK TO FUN STUFFIt takes a village to bring Eagle Bay Brewing Co. to life, and with every village its people are its backbone. As part of our It Takes A Village journal, we catch up with some of the people that make our village so vibrant. Meet Joshua De Caen, Head Chef at Eagle Bay Brewing Co.
We are super excited to welcome Josh to the Eagle Bay family, having recently started with us as our new Head Chef. Josh’s background is varied, but he is no stranger to breweries, having opened Wild Hop’s kitchen back in 2019.
What sparked your wanting to work at Eagle Bay?
“After my experience at Wild Hop, I’ve always been on the lookout for something along the same lines. Breweries are fast-paced and fun. They aren’t as serious when it comes to food compared to venues that are fine dining… where the food has to be so particular and perfect. I don’t really enjoy that, I did it for a while and I liked the challenge but it’s not a day-to-day job for me. I think work needs to be fun, with freedom to focus on things tasting good and being in season, instead of a dish needing to have 14 elements on it for it to go on the plate. What’s fun about working at breweries and pubs is you get to feed the masses rather than 40 people per night.”
Describe your food ethos?
“I take a little bit of everything. My roots are Italian, that’s all mum’s side, Sicilian, so I think that’s where the love of food kind of comes from. That’s my safe spot… but then cooking over fire gets in your blood, so that South American style of food is a pretty close second. Middle Eastern dishes, tapas in Spain and then that Middle Eastern and stuff, like the tapas of Spain and Greek food, I love it with all my heart. I think cooking food is about freedom, that’s the best part. Having a dynamic team where you’ve got different nationalities in one kitchen is always great, it’s good to learn off them as well. They’ve all got their own lives and experiences and food styles. You learn little pieces as you go and I’ve been doing it for 18 years, so there’s so many different chefs that have influenced me over the years.”
How did you fall into cheffing? How did you end up where you are now?
“By the end of year 10 I was doing work experience at different places. I walked into a kitchen one day and everyone was swearing. It was hot and busy and they’re all laughing together and they just looked like a bunch of pirates that produce really good food and I wanted to be a part of that.
Once I started my apprenticeship when I moved to Victoria – that’s where all my Italian side of the family is. I started cooking at a place called GC’s. I eventually moved back to Western Australia. I finished my apprenticeship at Mojo’s in Bunbury and moved up to Perth to work, I was part of the kitchen team at The Silver Spoon, Baltazar, and then the Subiaco Hotel. I had a really good mentor there, Jason Floyd, who I still speak to every couple of days. I was his Sous Chef there post a stint travelling and working around Europe, then I was his Sous Chef at the Ark Group where I worked at The Squire’s Fortune and The Duke. Over time I found I was working a lot and there was no real time for my son, so eventually I handed in my resignation and moved my family down to Margaret River.
We love it down here, love the lifestyle and had our second child down here. Everything has just fallen into place. I was working at Equinox and a good friend of mine said she had some mates who were opening Wild Hop brewery. She asked me if I wanted to have a look? I went round and it was just a shed and a concrete slab at that stage, but I loved their whole ethos. What they wanted to (and now do) with wood fire, long tables and that share food environment where everyone is passing around plates, laughing, not taking food too seriously. That captivated me, along with the opportunity of growing all the veggies myself in their veggie garden.
I found later down the track I wanted to know all the winemakers, brewers and hospitality owners in the south west and expand my experiences outside of the kitchen so spent a small time away from there. So I moved to Peccavi Wines and I became their Estate Manager, learnt how to make wine and got into private cheffing. This was probably one of the best jobs I ever had.
Then I ended up working under my good mate Brendan Pratt (ex Vasse Felix), as Head Chef of Busselton Pavillion. It was an amazing opportunity and he is a truly talented chef. However as time went on I discovered my desire for more family time, so when Eagle Bay Brewing Co were looking for a Head Chef, I jumped at the opportunity.”
What are your fave local go-tos?
“Chow’s Table. Every day for the rest of my life. But Mal Chow is also one of my best mates so I’m a bit biased.
“Ben Jacob, owner of Lagoon, is an amazingly talented man. They do the best seafood in the region by far.”
“I went to Ooze and Tang a few weeks ago and it’s just really good, humble food and amazing whiskey cocktails. I love their cocktails and their ethos.”
“Benny Day at Cullen Wine’s restaurant. His food is immaculate.”
“La Scarpetta Trattoria. It reminds me of some dank little place in the back streets of Italy, in Venice, or Naples. It reminds me of my Nana and warms my heart a little bit. My wife and I go there at least once a year for a date night and drink too much red wine.”
Staffy of choice?
“Old School IPA. Anything big and hoppy.”
Favourite dish on the menu right now?
“Tartare. Now that we’ve had some sun this week.”
Final bit of life advice for anyone getting into cheffing?
“Do it because you love it. If you don’t love it, it’ll take too much from you and then you’ll end up hating it and doing something else anyway. But if you love it, if you love the rush, the creativity and the camaraderie. If you’ve got what it takes to produce good food and work as part of a team, then there’s nothing that can replace it.”