At Home with Attica Owner and Chef Ben Shewry

The owner of internationally renowned Melbourne restaurant Attica, New Zealand-born chef Ben Shewry, 39, who commutes for more than three hours a day from his coastal home, says the long drive to work is worth it.

“I love being close to nature, going surfing and raising our three children in a less busy environment,” Shewry says.

“I love hearing the sound of the ocean at night. We lived in Melbourne for six years before we bought our home but I feel more comfortable in a smaller place.”

“If I’m painting the fence people stop and chat and everyone says hello when they pass you in the street. That makes a place feel like home.”

The kitchen is the hub of the four-bedroom house. The sleep-out is a play-room and there’s a lounge filled with natural light. The outdoor dining area has a touch of home for Shewry – a silver fern motif is painted on the fence.

“I’ve done the work myself. I’m the son of a builder,” he says.

“I prefer to have things in my home that will last a lifetime. I’d love to collect mid-century Danish furniture next. The design is simple, beautiful and practical and 70 years later it still looks amazing. I’d love to create food that would be relevant in 70 years’ time.”

In 2015, Attica was named Restaurant of the Year by Gourmet Traveller.

Original article by Sarah Marinos, The Weekly Review, August 8, 2016.

Photo by Reg Ryan.