Which of the country’s culinary players have seized the social-media moment and captured the Instagram zeitgeist? We have the lowdown on Instagram’s top 15 most-followed Australian chefs.
15. Jake Nicolson – @jake_nicolson
Want to see Blackbird chef Jake Nicolson (@jake_nicolson) bench-press an 85kg swordfish? Instagram has you covered. In between posting snaps of colourful dishes and displaying his love for the Essendon Bombers, Nicolson gets up close and personal with the produce in his #meatweights series. Followers: 10.4K
14. Matt Stone – @chefmattstone
For chef, traveller and tattoo collector Matt Stone (@chefmattstone), X-Pro II and Lo-Fi are the name of the game. Follow his adventures in locavorism at Oakridge Estate in the Yarra Valley with a highly saturated and vibrant display that ranges from a handful of mulberries to a sweet bowl of speckled duck eggs. Followers: 10.5K
13. Neil Perry – @chefneilperry
Posts from Sydney culinary pioneer Neil Perry (@chefneilperry) make for an intriguing itinerary, detailing his relentless travels around the world (China one day, South Africa the next), countless collaborations with Qantas (which might help with the relentless travels) and growing Burger Project. His daughter, freshly minted restaurateur @josephineperry, gets her share of shout-outs, naturally. Followers: 11.8K
12. Guillaume Brahimi – @guillaumebrahimi
Take a step into Paris-born, Sydney-based chef Guillaume Brahimi’s world (@guillaumebrahimi), where days are spent cooking with the one and only Eyal Shani, attending Crown Melbourne’s Million Dollar Lunch event and posing for magazine shoots. Followers: 12.3K
11. Karen Martini – @karen_martini
Melbourne chef Karen Martini (@karen_martini) has filled her Instagram feed with behind-the-scenes glimpses of her working on her books and shows, plus plenty of family and travels – all of which speak to home comforts (we’re looking at you, gnudi with burnt butter). Followers: 16.4K
10. Luke Mangan – @lukewmangan
A quick scroll through Sydney chef and serial restaurateur Luke Mangan’s Insta work (@lukewmangan) will have you craving a summer vacation. His posts detail adventures to sunny Hamilton Island, watermelon and mascarpone mousse, buckets of Bollinger and quick escapes to the Maldives. It’s a tough job. Followers: 19.5K
9. Shannon Bennett – @chefbennett23
Vue de Monde front man Shannon Bennett (@chefbennett23) has dedicated his Instagram work to the simple pleasures, whether it be a small cut of Blackmore wagyu on a large plate, a quick trip to Queenstown or a group shot with his culinary comrades Ross Lusted and Marco Pierre White. Followers: 21.9K
8. Bill Granger – @bill.granger
Ricotta hotcakes are just the beginning of the Sydney café czar’s (@bill.granger) posts from Bondi, Japan and beyond. Shots of mandarin jelly and lychees, chocolate and raspberry tarts, and lots of poached eggs, make this feed look more like a glossy magazine than an amateur photo journal. Followers: 29.1K
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7. Gary Mehigan – @garymehigan
This guy seriously loves to macro. Melbourne chef Gary Mehigan (@garymehigan) thrills his MasterChef fans with close-ups of his food and travel adventures, including his recent trip to the Tsukiji fish markets. He’s also quite gifted with the tilted selfie. Followers: 29.6K
6. Dan Hong – @hongsta_gram
Along with his multi-posting of dishes from the restaurants under his care, Mr Wong, Ms G’s and Papi Chulo, and his discoveries in Chinatown and the ‘burbs (#sojuicy), Lord Hong’s feed (@hongsta_gram) is a treat for anyone deeply interested in his sneakers, workout regimen and children, #Namirahong and #Omarhong. Followers: 30.5K
5. Kylie Kwong – @kylie_kwong
Kylie Kwong (@kylie_kwong) showcases the best of Australian native ingredients in snaps of Billy Kwong dishes such as tartare of Macquarie Harbour ocean trout and stir-fried spanner crab with lemon aspen. Her dumpling stall at Eveleigh markets gets its due, along with shout-outs to the restaurant’s Project Wine collaborations. Followers: 32.6K
4. Ben Shewry – @benshewry
Attica’s Ben Shewry (@benshewry) may be a less frequent user of Instagram, posting a few times a month rather than a few times an hour, Dan Hong-style, but he nonetheless has a sizeable following. His posts are a pretty even split between sharing the restaurant’s latest menu developments and the work of the charities he supports, including Helping Hoops. Followers: 52.4K
3. Matt Moran – @chefmattmoran
Matt Moran’s feed (@chefmattmoran) is a mix of surf and turf: from morning dips at Clovelly and rides on his Ducati to Moreton Bay bugs at Aria and Chiswick’s fried chicken. Followers: 55.6K
2. George Calombaris – @gcalombaris
Melbourne chef George Calombaris (@gcalombaris) comes in at a close second place, documenting his adventures beyond the MasterChef judging table as he hits the beach, attends numerous A-league games, preps his new Sydney restaurant for opening and documents the kitchen fun at The Press Club, Alba white truffles and all. Followers: 71.2K
1. Adriano Zumbo – @zumbopatisserie
The self-proclaimed “Zumbaron whisperer” (@zumbopatisserie) comes in at the top of the list, with macaron burgers, edible Christmas baubles and a 1.5m tall gold macaron croquembouche tower among his recent highlights. Clocking in at almost 100,000 followers, Zumbo’s feed is a colourful sweet feast for the eyes, even if it doesn’t have quite the personal touch it once had. Followers: 97.2K
