The career of Optus Stadium’s executive chef, Jochen Beranek, began in the Austrian Alps, undertaking an apprenticeship at the Gault & Millau-hatted Restaurant Mirabel in Salzburg. It was there where he learnt the value of locally sourced, seasonal produce.
Beranek has since travelled the world, working as an executive chef in the US, Caribbean, Asia and now Australia. Prior to joining Optus Stadium in Perth, he led the culinary team of Macau’s 5-star hotel, Altira, to a Michelin Star.
His cooking style has always been alpine with an Italian influence, reflecting the mountain ranges between Austria, Italy and Slovenia where he spent his summer holidays as a child. These experiences had a major influence on his approach to food.
“My food philosophy is honest and authentic,” says Beranek. “Freshness and seasonality are at the core of my culinary practices, along with simplicity and beautiful illustration.”
The executive chef is committed to ensuring all food served at Optus Stadium is prepared internally and not outsourced.
“It’s very easy to go down the path of ordering ready prepared food, but a major goal of mine is to ensure all the food we offer is prepared and cooked in-house,” he says.
Beranek entrusts his culinary team to develop menus across the broad range of hospitality options at Optus Stadium, from retail and premium hospitality on major event days, to meetings and special events on non-event days. These chef-led menus celebrate multicultural flavours, seasonal ingredients and highest-quality Western Australian produce.
Beranek and his team never rest on their laurels, constantly looking for new and innovative approaches to their menus.
“We strive to push the boundaries of traditional culinary practices by experimenting with new ingredients, flavours, textures and presentation methods,” he says.
Optus Stadium’s approach to menu changes is dynamic and harmonious with the changing seasons. From the hearty root vegetables and warm spices of winter to sun-soaked fruits and crisp greens of summer, every dish is a celebration of unique flavours and textures of the season.
“For the AFL season, we are planning to introduce a menu rotation to break the norm,” says Beranek. “The menus will reflect the bounty of summer and winter, and highlight the freshest, most vibrant produce that aligns with the season.”
Through a chef-led ethos, an innovative and creative approach, and commitment to quality, Beranek has transformed people’s thinking about stadium hospitality offerings. Visitors to Optus Stadium can expect world-class dining every time, from conventional retail outlet food to the venue’s fine-dining premium hospitality spaces.
This story appears in the Autumn issue of Spice, as part of our annual Hot Seat feature, which shines a spotlight on the MICE industry’s movers and shakers, and outlines what’s in store for the next 12 months.
