When John McLeay fell into cooking, the thought of regular travel to Asia as a part of his job was never a consideration. In 2009 John regularly visits Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, helping to fuel John’s passion and expertise for modern South-East Asian cuisine.

John has worked for some of Melbourne’s most highly regarded restaurants including the Botanical, No 3 Station Pier, The Establishment and Live bait where, under the tutelage of Kath Claringbold, John developed his own style that has become his trademark. His menu at Red Spice Road is a culmination of all he has learnt, a modern interpretation of Asian ingredients and techniques.

Over his career John has received many great reviews including an 18/20 from Stephen Downes, where John’s Tomato Assiette at The Establishment was considered a stand out dish. Bob Hart in the Weekend section of the Herald Sun praised John’s smart cooking which “ensures bold flavours don’t overpower the key ingredients” and was applauded for his Thai inspired Gently braised Pork hock.

John has been involved in the William Angliss Great Chefs series for the past four years and conducts demonstrations at Melbourne’s CAE and Essential Ingredient in Prahran. He is working on his first book and will be appearing in his first TV guest segments in the coming months.