Luke Bourke, sous-chef at Rockpool Bar & Grill and graduate of the National Indigenous Culinary Institute, has been named as The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025 young chef of the year.

“He started as an apprentice on the larder section, picking herbs and washing salads, and shucking lots of oysters,” says former Rockpool executive chef Corey Costelloe. “And then he ended up doing pretty much every single section of the kitchen – and I think there’s about 12 or 13.”

Bourke, who has Palawa heritage and grew up on Dharug country in Penrith, accepted the award at a gala ceremony in the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall on Monday night.

“Kids from western Sydney don’t normally get this opportunity,” he says. “I’m over the moon.

“It definitely took a lot of backing from my team and family to get to the point where I could be up on that stage – to show that no matter where you come from, you can do big things, and there are people out there that will support you 100 per cent.”

A judging panel of industry experts chose Bourke for his demonstrated ability as a cook, along with his active role in mentoring young chefs, particularly Indigenous chefs, and his ambition to open a restaurant that engages deeply with his culture.

The 29-year-old says it has been a long-term goal to open a restaurant or wine bar in Penrith. His twin brother Sam and sister Teagan are also chefs.

“Not just farm to table, but our backyard and culture to your plate,” says Bourke.

“Using native ingredients grown on our land, and drawing on 60,000 years of culture to create a food journey that showcases Indigenous heritage in all its glory.”

His enthusiasm for cooking started at a young age. “Grandma used to work at a poultry factory out the back of Penrith in Orchard Hills. Learning how to break down and roast a chicken sparked an interest in learning more … my mum and dad aren’t really cooking enthusiasts, but we [siblings] all loved doing that kind of thing.

“Then NICI [the National Indigenous Culinary Institute] gave us a pathway into one of the best restaurants in Sydney with Rockpool. I was very lucky with that opportunity.”

Using fresh (rather than dried) native ingredients is a vital part of Bourke’s cooking today, and the chef strives to source bush foods only from Indigenous suppliers.

“It’s a whole different world of flavour,” he says.

“If you think of a Davidson’s plum, for instance, a lot of people take it off the branch and freeze-dry it, so it’s very sour. But Indigenous people wait until the plums drop from the tree. They see the bird’s eating them on the ground, and then they know it’s ready to go – the fruit will be super-sweet. Nature tells them it’s ready.

“Indigenous food in its true form is the level I want people to think is the norm – not just buying a bag of powdered stuff.”

Judges were also impressed by Bourke’s extracurricular activities, including a tour of Ireland with his brother to spotlight native ingredients, and a stint at Barangaroo’s Noma Australia pop-up in 2016.

Costelloe recalls that it was Bourke’s dedication that stuck with him, the chef coming into the CBD from Penrith every morning by train, and arriving an hour early ready to work. That dedication, says Costelloe, translated to exceptional focus and coolness under pressure, traits he passed on to other chefs at the start of their own careers.

Bourke joins an esteemed list of former young chef of the year winners, including Daniel Puskas (Sixpenny, Stanmore), Phil Wood (Ursula’s, Paddington) and Lauren Eldridge (head of pastry at Newtown’s Continental Deli, andsoon-to-open Flora, Mister Grotto and Osteria Mucca).

With Bianca Hrovat

The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025, featuring more than 450 reviews, is on sale for $14.95 from newsagents, supermarkets and at thestore.com.au.

The new Good Food app is now available to download featuring Good Food Guide reviews, recipes and food news. It’s available as a standalone subscription and as part of Nine’s Premium Digital packages for subscribers of The Sydney Morning Herald. Premium Digital subscribers can download the Good Food app from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store now.