KELLY Lord has years of experience leading kitchen teams in five-star hotels, with an innate gift for food styling winning him an impressive reputation.
Kelly began his career as a kitchen hand in a Brisbane restaurant before becoming an apprentice at the age of 15.
Over the next 12 years, Kelly worked his way up the hotel career path to executive chef, cooking for many celebrities, as well as the Queen.
Realising his future hotel career would mean more meetings that cooking, Kelly decided to take the plunge and head back into the heat of a smaller restaurant kitchen.
In 2004, Kelly started at the Spirit House where he spent four years as the head chef, before joining the cooking school team.
This was the beginning of a learning curve in Asian cuisine for Kelly, a journey that has taken him to Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia.
Now working with a team of 10 chefs and three apprentices, Kelly helps design the Spirit House menu and leads regular cooking classes.
Kelly will present at the 2015 Ginger Factory Flower and Food Festival, leading food enthusiast through some of his favourite recipes, as well as sharing his knowledge on how to create authentic Thai flavours.
