Ben O'Donoghue facts for kids

Benjamin O'Donoghue (born 22 May 1970) is a famous Australian chef. He has worked in many top restaurants and appeared on several TV cooking shows.

Ben O'Donoghue's Early Life

Ben O'Donoghue was born in England. When he was five years old, his family moved to Port Hedland in Australia. Five years later, they moved again to Perth.

After finishing school, Ben got his first job in a kitchen. He worked as a kitchen hand at a restaurant on Rottnest Island during the summer. This job made him want to become a chef. He then started an apprenticeship at a seafood restaurant called Jo Jo's in Nedlands.

Ben O'Donoghue's Cooking Career

After becoming a qualified chef, Ben O'Donoghue quickly moved up in the cooking world. He became a sous chef at Jessica's Seafood Restaurant in Perth. A sous chef is like the second-in-command in a kitchen.

He then worked as a Chef de Partie at Goodfella's restaurant in Newtown, Sydney. A Chef de Partie is in charge of a specific section of the kitchen. Later, he moved to the Tribeca restaurant in Double Bay, where he became a sous chef again. In 1993, Tribeca won the "Best New Restaurant Award" from the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

In 1996, Ben traveled to the United Kingdom. He worked at The River Café, which is a very well-known restaurant. After that, he became the Head Chef at Monte's Club in Knightsbridge, working with famous chef Jamie Oliver. He also worked as Head Chef at the Atlantic Bar & Grill. Ben helped Oliver Peyton win a contract to open the National Dining Room at the National Gallery with his creative menus. Ben also helped Jamie Oliver with catering for important events, even cooking for leaders like Tony Blair.

Ben O'Donoghue on Television

Ben O'Donoghue became well-known on television. He appeared in two episodes of Jamie Oliver's show, The Naked Chef. After that, he made his own show in Morocco for American TV.

In 2002, he co-hosted a ten-part TV series for BBC Two called The Best. There was also a book that went with the show.

When Ben returned to Australia, he started filming Surfing the Menu. This was an eight-part food and travel series for the ABC. He hosted it with fellow chef Curtis Stone. The show started in 2003 and was so popular that it ran for three more seasons.

From 2007, Ben appeared on LifeStyle Food in shows like The Best in Australia with Darren Simpson and Anna Gare. He also hosted Drive thru Australia, Tom & Ben's Singapore, and Aussie BBQ Hero.

In 2009, Ben took part in a "Celebrity Chef Challenge" on Masterchef Australia. He cooked a seared kangaroo loin but was beaten by a contestant.

Ben O'Donoghue's Cookbooks

Ben O'Donoghue has written several cookbooks. These books share his recipes and cooking tips. His books include:

• Outdoor: Grill Your Way Round the World
• Ben's Barbeque
• At Home With Ben
• Ben's Barbecue Bible
• Ben's Meat Bible (released in 2015)

He also wrote articles for major food magazines, including Delicious, for ten years.

Ben O'Donoghue's Restaurants

Ben O'Donoghue used to own three restaurants and shops in Brisbane. These were Billykart Kitchen, Billykart West End, and Billykart Bar. He sold Billykart Kitchen in 2021.

Ben O'Donoghue's Personal Life

Ben O'Donoghue lives in Australia with his wife, Dee. They have three children named Ruby, Herb, and Cash.