Rhy Waddington

Executive Chef - Bondi Bar & Kitchen

Rhy’s fruitful adventure in Australian cuisine began 14 years ago in the Murray River twin city of Albury Wodonga, where he served his apprenticeship at the Zillion Food Studio. In 1996 Rhy made his first foray into tropical North Queensland, working at the Starfish bar and grill in Port Douglas.

He returned to Victoria to spend three years as head chef at Café Greco at the Crown Casino in Melbourne, before opening Miller’s on the Beach, a modern Australian restaurant at Mission Beach, North Queensland.

Rhy was back in regional Victoria in 2002 to take the helm at the award-winning Bank Restaurant in Beechworth, before opening his own establishment with his wife Sam (now one of Bondi’s most popular servers), Waddingtons at Kergunyah in 2003. Rhy and Sam joined Bondi in late 2006.

Rhy’s commitment to food education saw him serve on the board of the Hume Murray Food Bowl, a self-sufficient organization that promoted local producers through farmer’s markets and events such as the Chefs of the Murray program, where he worked closely with the young hospitality students in the area. He also collaborated with the Riverina’s famed Stefano Di Pieri in a number of events including the Albury Food and Wine Festival, which attracts crowds of 10 -15,000.

Rhy counts the opportunity to cook with quality Australian produce on the other side of the world as a high point of his varied and successful career. He also derives intense satisfaction from working with the Mexican boys and girls in the Bondi kitchen and seeing them grow into great young cooks.