Stuart Cook, former CEO of Zombrero, adopted a plant-based lifestyle after his wife and business partner, Samantha Cook, fell incredibly ill a few years back. Her doctors advised a meat-free diet and in solidarity, Stuart took up the challenge too.
Taking this new dietary allegiance to the next level, Cook's latest venture, Bondi's Flave, is serving up tasty plant-based eats from a man who has cooked for some of the biggest names in showbiz.
Executive chef and Bondi local, Scott Findlay, brings with him a wealth of experience alongside remarkable credentials. He trained under Gordon Ramsey, before honing his plant-based recipes over a decade working as a private chef to the legendary Sir Paul McCartney (a pioneer of the Meatless Mondays Movement), as well as working for a multitude of other celebs including ‘flexitarians’ Rihanna, Beyoncé, Madonna and Elton John.
The Flave team use meat-replacement products like the mushroom-based meat from Fable (in its smoked barbeque brisket), and “chicken” tenders and “beef” strips from Meet Co in jerk chicken and rendang curry. Healthy doesn't mean boring though – not by a long shot. Diners can expect fried "chicken" burgers, classic cheeseburgers, "meat" balls and tartare sushi bowls. Finish off your meal with a sweet potato caramel brownie that you can feel good about.