Jesse Gerner

October 2019

With ‘Goatober’ now in full swing, we’re joined by Aussie Jesse Gerner, who fell in love with the flavours of the Mediterranean on a six-month road trip around Europe. Drawing further inspiration from successful stints in the kitchens of Moro and River Café here in London, Jesse returned to Melbourne in 2008 and opened Añada, the first in a wildly successful miniempire of Spanish-influenced restaurants in the city that also includes Bomba Tapas Bar and Rooftop, Park Street Dining and Nómada Café and Tapas.

A regular visitor to Spain, Jesse has cooked alongside some of the most decorated chefs in the country from Barcelona to San Sebastian, perfecting the beautifully simple style (which like all the best things, is anything but…) that gets you to super-effing-tasty dishes like ‘Cecina and Bone Marrow Toast’, ‘Clams, Fermented Chilli and Manzanilla’ and the star of his Carousel menu, ‘Cabrito Goat Cutlets, Liver, Girolles, Mojo and Carrots in Orange Blossom’. A stellar chef and a stand up guy, Jesse also boasts one of the most badass collections of vermouths in the southern hemisphere, a selection of which he’ll be bringing with him for us to enjoy. It promises to be one hell of a week.