Tony Twitchett | Taxi Kitchen

When I went to Taxi Kitchen to speak to Tony Twitchett, there was a lot going on in Federation Square. There were people ziplining across the Yarra, Harry Potter fans dressed as wizards, primed for the 20th anniversary free outdoor screening of Harry Potter, The Philosopher’s Stone, children running towards the 16-metre-tall Christmas tree in Christmas Square and the annual firies Christmas drinks in the Transit Hotel downstairs from Taxi Kitchen. It was all go. But when I got up to the restaurant and met Tony, it was calm and Tony gave me his undivided attention. Tony didn’t intend to become a chef. He came to Melbourne to study IT. But working in the kitchens of his brothers’ restaurants, he was quickly hooked and has never looked back. He has been lucky enough to work for some big Melbourne names who have been mentors and an inspiration to him. He is now paying that forward, training up new chefs and sharing his love of the industry. Stuck up above the pass is an A4 sheet of paper that says, ‘Be better. Make it nice.’ I think that says it all.