Meet our Executive Chef Jason Alcock

Jason Alcock, Executive Chef at The Star Sydney is an accomplished and passionate Chef with an innovative culinary style that highlights visual elegance and experiential elements. We sat down with Jason to ask him about his inspirations and experiences.

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in the small country town of Pemberton in Western Australia. A region famous for natural beauty surrounded by the Karri forest and celebrated for its bountiful harvest. 

As a chef, what are your main influences?

An early influence was my French mother, who is a great cook. At the age of fourteen I spent weekends and school holidays in the kitchen of an award winning boutique winery restaurant. This inspired me to pursue a career in the culinary arts.

Throughout my career, I have sought out and worked with many talented food artisans and great leaders in top organisations around the world. These experiences have informed my leadership style and drive my passion to share what I have learnt with my teams and assist them to become tomorrow’s leaders.

What does your role at The Star involve? 

In my current role at The Star I am privileged to be responsible for premium and casual dining outlets and oversee a team of 290 culinary team members. Most recently I have worked with our talented team to design the Event Centre’s 19 new menus, inspired by the latest culinary techniques and trends from around the world. I truly believe event cuisine has the power to evoke genuine emotions, and create memories that outlast the event.   

What sets the Event Centre’s culinary offering apart from other venues?

Plenty! We craft every event in collaboration with our guests to ensure the menu reflects the spirit of their program. We’re always looking for new, exciting and most importantly premium quality produce to showcase to our guests. 

We design and develop our menus with the very best seasonal and local produce; this means we keep our dishes focused on ensuring produce is the highlight of the dish. 

We have also incorporated our signature restaurants’ offerings from our Star Chefs into our events and new menus. Plus, the talent we have in our kitchen spans from all corners of the world and we always make sure we are making the most of this unique diversity to inspire the creation of our dishes. 

You have a passion for sharing your knowledge with others. Can you explain how that has manifested in The Star Culinary Institute Apprenticeship Program?

Definitely. In May 2012, I had the privilege of working with our team to launch The Star Culinary Institute, The Star’s own Apprentice Program is dedicated to setting a new standard for apprenticeship programs, mentoring those who are the future of our industry in Australia. 

I believe it is essential that we continue to contribute to the future success of the hospitality industry by attracting, training and retaining talented staff within The Star Entertainment Group and the wider hospitality industry. 

The Star Culinary Institute provides apprentices exposure to a broad range of culinary experiences spanning over 12 food outlets, two production kitchens, a butchery and a pastry kitchen. We are proud to offer a dynamic and supportive atmosphere for the next generation of world-class chef’s to learn in award-winning kitchens, be challenged and excel.