When 16-year-old Graham Waddell landed his first job as a kitchen hand at the 1997 Open Championship at Troon, the young Scot concedes he was more interested in catching a glimpse of Tiger Woods than in developing his culinary skills.
He didn’t get to meet Woods at that tournament, but he did develop a passion for cooking and the buzz of working in a busy, hectic kitchen.
Soon after, he was offered an apprenticeship at the fashionable Highgrove House Hotel in his home town of Troon, south of Glasgow, though his initial responsibilities were limited to cutting up vegetables.
“It was six months before I was allowed to even make soup,” he said.
A quarter of a century later, after a career that’s taken him around the world and given him the opportunity to cook in some of the best restaurants, Graham has renewed that early connection with golf.
He’s just been appointed head chef at Noosa Springs Golf and Spa Resort’s Relish restaurant and the affable, easy-going Graham couldn’t be happier.
“It’s a fantastic venue with a lovely, big kitchen and the staff are fantastic,” he said.
“I also love being able to cook the kind of food I like, based on fresh seasonal produce.”
Reflecting on his past experiences in some of the finest restaurants in Glasgow, London and Brisbane, Graham said: “I have one foot in French gastronomy; the other in Queensland’s larder”.
When he was still a teenager, Graham cooked with celebrity chef Nick Nairn in Glasgow, then moved to London where he worked in the kitchens of Mayfair’s Le Caprice, Lady Diana’s favourite eatery, and Covent Garden’s famous Fish restaurant.
Then he took a break, flew to Sydney and backpacked through NSW and Queensland, picking up work at Fraser Island, Dunk Island and Daydream Island.
“I had to pinch myself,” he said. “The weather and people were wonderful and it was exciting to work in such busy, exciting environments.”
By this time Graham had lost all interest in returning to the United Kingdom.
He took a job as a chef at stylish Baguette restaurant in the Brisbane suburb of Hamilton, remaining there for five years and, along the way, meeting Sarah, another chef, who became his wife.
Together they spent a year working in Melbourne before returning to Brisbane, firstly to help out at Baguette, then to open their own restaurant, St Baxter, in New Farm. At the same time Graham headed up the kitchen of the award-winning Alliance Hotel in Spring Hill.
Whenever they could, they headed to Noosa for holidays, and when Sarah, who had done her apprenticeship at Sails restaurant in Hastings Street, landed a job in Noosa, the family – which by then included daughters Ilsa, Evie and Bella – relocated.
Graham said he was delighted to be working at Noosa Springs, and looking forward to putting his own stamp on Relish’s cuisine.
“I believe in letting Mother Nature speak for herself,” he said.
“The creativity of designing new dishes is what keeps me excited about the job.”
Though he’s been at Noosa Springs for only a few weeks, he’s already prepared an entirely new seasonal menu which was quietly introduced a week ago.
“I’m very pleased with the feedback and I think patrons will notice the new approach,” he said.
Working at Noosa Springs has also allowed Graham to rekindle his love of golf – something he’d neglected since those childhood days when he honed his swing on the fairways of Troon.
“I’ve been hitting balls on the practice range and I’m planning to have a game next week,” he said.
