QAGOMA
Name and position?
Josue Lopez - Executive Chef
Tell us about your business/organisation?
At Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA) we have three Function and Beverage venues, QAG cafe, GOMA Café Bistro and GOMA Restaurant. We also host event catering across both QAG and GOMA.
What is your role at your organisation?
As QAGOMA Executive Chef I oversee the food production and creative direction for all of the venues and catering. Along with my leadership team, I manage a brigade of 24 chefs all striving for gastronomic excellence.
What are your key skills and responsibilities?
Because cooking is so creative, an Executive Chef sets the 'signature' style of food for the venues. A key skill is of course cooking, but there are a lot of calculative decisions that determine what makes in onto the menu. Management, advocating the department, media engagements are important responsibilities.
How many people work at your business?
Over 200 staff across the two galleries – Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art.
What is your favourite place in the precinct?
I really enjoy the programming that the Queensland Museum offers and will often bring my children to see and learn from the exhibitions they have.
What do you want BSB members to know about you or your business?
This year we were awarded a two hat rating by the Brisbane Good Food Guide, it is one of only four restaurants with this status in Brisbane. We have an awarded wine list and can offer a great spot for business lunch to impress clients. The GOMA Restaurant is open for lunch Wednesday-Sunday.
What is something people wouldn’t know about your business?
All profits from the Gallery venues and catering go directly to supporting the activities of Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art.
What has recently happened at your organisation?
I was humbled to recently be awarded Citi Chef of the Year by the Good Food Guide.
What have you learnt lately?
Barking Crayfish are delicious and local to Hervey Bay. I would love to feature these on my next menu for the GOMA Restaurant.
What do you hope to achieve in your industry?
I suppose everyone wants to leave a positive influence in their industry. I hope to inspire my team to continually learn, try new things and create with integrity.
What inspires you?
Daily inspiration comes from noticing, making interesting associations and doing a bit of research. I enjoy telling stories and thinking about connectivity, I feel this element of storytelling is integral to the service of the food and wine.
What are your words of wisdom?
Appreciate how the food made it to your plate, the chefs who loved cooking it, the transporters who carried it from the farmers, who laboured over it for months until harvest. If we think about the food chain we're less likely to waste and more likely to enjoy.
