In this business we always enjoy meeting all the passionate people in our industry. One person we have forged a great relationship with recently is Sean Cunnington from the oven and grill company called Unox Australia.

Sean has supplied some great new equipment for our product launches this year, such as the Café Biz evening at Dose Espresso, where our celebrity MLA (Meat and Livestock Australia) chefs created masterpieces with his universal ovens.

Sean started his career with formal hospitality training in the UK, where he became a chef. Whilst working in top end London restaurants, he met a few Aussies and started room sharing with them. During many late night sessions, they talked him into coming out to Australia to work. When Sean arrived, he struggled to find a chef’s role, as the country hit a slump. So, he had a crack at front of house and swapped his chef’s jacket for a black tie. His dynamic and likable personality made him a sought after employee in Sydney, and Sean worked his way around some of the country’s best restaurants.

He was asked to help out with a new Black Stump Restaurant that was troubled with its working systems and procedures. He quickly solved the issues and was then offered the management position and within a few years, he was running the whole chain of 20 plus restaurants nationally.

Sean, like so many hard working chefs with a young family, found the restaurant lifestyle very taxing, with so many late nights and weekends. He opted to seek a different career still in hospitality. He was offered a position with Unox as a State Sales Manager, the perfect role where he could still be involved in cooking and also be around lots of different people. Now Sean’s job takes him all over NSW and Victoria, showcasing a range of ovens that suits all sorts of hospitality systems, from pubs and restaurants to café service.

I was so impressed with the Unox multifunction oven, that I actually purchased one for my home and had the pleasure of a visit from Sean to install and direct my family on the use of this technical piece of culinary excellence. Like all good hosts, I encouraged Sean to cook for friends and family over the weekend, where we bonded over good food, craft beer and local wine.

Thanks, Sean, for becoming a friend of Café Culture. I hope the industry embraces you and your excellent cooking systems.