Damien Pignolet

Pignolet has overcome adversity in his life. Going into hospital at the age of 5, he came out when he was eight, spending almost four years lying flat in a full-body cast because of a rare hip disease. Pignolet says the experience made him inward-looking and shy and couldn't play sports for years. "I was always the odd person out," he remembers. "I lived in a complete fantasy world."{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/damiens-obsession/2005/10/31/1130720475875.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Damien's obsession | date=1 November 2005}} Pignolet found comfort in cooking and started out utilising Women's Weekly cookbooks but soon went to the local library and discovered the great chef, Escoffier.

In 1966 Pignolet began a four-year course in catering and hotel management at William Angliss College. His career began in catering and led to teaching and the administration of a Melbourne cooking school.{{cite web|url=http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/chefs/damienpignolet/|title=Damien Pignolet: Celebrity Chef - Lifestyle FOOD|accessdate=20 March 2018}} Pignolet worked in hospital and institutional cooking in Melbourne and in 1979 he moved to Sydney and made his name working in the restaurant Pavilion in the Park in the Domain. It was where, he met Josephine Carroll. Pignolet says of her "We just fell in love like that. Instantly. But she was an apprentice, I was the executive chef. We were just good friends. The next year, we changed that." Together they worked, Damien as co-owner as executive chef of Butlers then from 1981, Josephine and damien bought Claude's in Oxford Street in Woollahra and maintained it as a 36-seat classically French restaurant; the restaurant received much acclaim.{{cite web | last = O'Donnell | first = Mietta | authorlink = Mietta O'Donnell | year = 1996 | url = http://www.miettas.com.au/chefs/mietta_friends/pignolet586.html | title = Damien Pignolet: Chef-partner, Bistro Moncur, Sydney | work = Great Australian Chefs | publisher = Mietta's | accessdate = 2008-03-06 }}

On 21 December 1987, Pignolet was driving back from Canberra, with his wife Josephine, whom he had been married to for six and a half years, together with Chefs Anne Taylor and Ian McCullough. All three were asleep and, for a split second Pignolet fell asleep and struck head on with an oncoming car, killing its driver and Josephine and seriously injuring Taylor and McCullough. Pignolet suffered major jaw injuries and broken hip requiring major surgery and kept in hospital for three months and 2 months at home recuperating.{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/damiens-obsession/2005/10/31/1130720475875.html?page=2 | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Damien's obsession | date=1 November 2005}}

Josephine is remembered through the Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award, which sends the most promising young chefs overseas. Winning the Josephine Pignolet Young Chef of the Year Award has been the stepping stone to a brilliant career for many chefs. Previous winners include Mark Best, the head chef of Marque Restaurant, Damian Heads

of Milsons and now Pony,{{cite web|url=http://readysteadycook.ten.com.au/chefs.htm|title=Ready Steady Cook|first=Network|last=Ten|website=TenPlay - Ready Steady Cook|accessdate=20 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100611070312/http://readysteadycook.ten.com.au/chefs.htm|archive-date=11 June 2010|url-status=dead}} Daniel Puskas and James Parry of Oscillate Wildly,{{cite news| url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/berowra-waters-is-top-nosh-again/2008/09/01/1220121134268.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | title=Berowra Waters is top nosh again | date=2 September 2008}}{{cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2010/03/15/1268501430866.html |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100723012524/http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2010/03/15/1268501430866.html |archivedate=23 July 2010|title=Young Guns take aim|date=16 March 2010|author=Jill Dupleix}} and Phil Wood, Executive Chef at Rockpool Est. 1989.{{Cite web |url=http://www.rockpool.com/rockpoolsydney/food/ |title=Food - Rockpool Sydney |access-date=7 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026185422/http://www.rockpool.com/rockpoolsydney/food/ |archive-date=26 October 2015 |url-status=dead }}{{Cite web|url=http://www.goodfood.com.au/good-food/good-food-guide/damien-pignolet-shaper-of-chefs-20150826-gj65ci.html|title=Damien Pignolet: Shaper of chefs|date=September 2015}}

In 1992 Damien went into partnership with Ron White and purchased the Woollahra Hotel creating Bistro Moncur in Woollahara.

He has been recognised as a leader in his field within New South Wales.He was inducted into the NSW Restaurant and Catering industry's Hall of Fame in 2000 thus meeting the criteria: 1. At least 20 years in a professional capacity within the industry. 2. A unique and definitive contributor to the industry. 3. Recognised as a leader within their field. 4. Participation as an active and upstanding citizen of the community. {{cite web | url = http://www.rcnsw.asn.au/hof/hof.htm | title = John K Walker Hall of Fame | publisher = Restaurant and Catering NSW/ACT (Industry association) | accessdate = 2008-03-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080226060009/http://www.rcnsw.asn.au/hof/hof.htm | archive-date = 26 February 2008 | url-status = dead }}

He is the author of French, with photography by Earl Carter, published in 2005 by Lantern (Penguin Aus.) ({{ISBN|192098917X}}).{{cite news |first= Catherine |last= Keenan |title= Damien's obsession

|url= http://www.smh.com.au/news/good-living/damiens-obsession/2005/10/31/1130720475875.html |work= The Sydney Morning Herald|date= 2005-11-01 |accessdate= 2008-03-06}} followed by Salades in 2010, with photography by Anson Smart by Lantern (Penguin Aus) (IBSN 19209 895552)

{{See also|List of French restaurants}}

File:Bistro Moncur 1.jpg]]

File:Woollahra Hotel.jpg

Bistro Moncur is a restaurant which is part of the Woollahra Hotel in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It opened in 1993. The main focus was French regional cuisine. Damien Pignolet held the role of the executive chef.[http://www.woollahrahotel.com.au/ The Woollahra Hotel :: Official Website], [http://www.woollahrahotel.com.au/ Bistro Moncur], 4 March 2008.

• Restaurant & Catering Association Awards for Excellence Winner - 2003 and 2004 - Best Restaurant in a Pub
• Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2004 - Awarded Two Chef's Hats
• Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2005 - 2007 - Awarded Two Chef's Hats

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.woollahrahotel.com.au Woollahra Hotel official site]
• [http://www.truelocal.com.au/business/bistro-moncur/woollahra Restaurant reviews, map and street view]

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Category:Australian chefs

Category:Living people

Category:1948 births

Category:Australian people of French descent

Category:People from Melbourne

Category:Chefs from Sydney