Emma Woods
head chef

Starting out her restaurant career as a waiter, it was at Rockpool in 1994 that Emma made the switch from front of house to the kitchen.

She apprenticed to Neil Perry, during the time where he was pushing the boundaries of the Sydney restaurant scene, finding inspiration and discipline in his dynamic kitchen. In 1999, Emma won the coveted Josephine Pignolet Award for Best Apprentice Chef in the SMH Good Food Guide Awards.

Her apprenticeship completed, she went on to work at another Perry venture, Mars Lounge, later heading overseas. In Europe, Emma worked with renown seafood chef Rick Stein. Returning to Sydney, Emma spent over a year working with Chinese Chef Kylie Kwong at her Surry Hills restaurant, Kylie being another former student of Neil Perry.

From there, it was on to the Light Brigade, as Head Chef. It was here that she quickly established a following for her inventive, modern Asian influenced cuisine. Ultimately, Emma also won critical acclaim for her food, defining the emerging 'gastro-pub' scene.

After a few years off to start a family, Emma returns to her career at Swell, determined to again make her mark on Sydney dining.

Her philosphy is simple - use the best possible produce and ingredients for the season, keeping the dishes fresh and simple to let the produce shine.

We welcome Emma to the team at Swell, and look forward to an exciting summer in Bronte...