Chef Neil Perry announces retirement after 40 years in the kitchen

Neil Perry, one of Australia's best-known chefs, has announced his retirement after 40 years in the kitchen.

Perry, 63, is stepping away from the role of culinary director and ambassador within the Rockpool Dining Group but will remain a consultant and a major shareholder.

In a media release, Rockpool Dining Group said the chef who founded hatted restaurants such as Rockpool Bar and Grill, Spice Temple and Rosetta would focus on his charitable work, including the Hope Delivery initiative to provide free meals for the vulnerable.

In 2016, Perry sold the Rockpool Group, which then encompassed 47 venues, to the Urban Purveyor Group for $60 million. The merger formed the Quadrant Private Equity.

But in late June, the deal to divide the restaurant empire collapsed, amid COVID-19 restrictions that made it impossible to calculate the restaurants' worth.

Fellow chefs paid tribute to Perry on social media, with restaurateur Luke Mangan of Luke's Kitchen and Glass Brasserie saying on Instagram: "One of the best in our industry and a great leader."

Veteran chef Mark Best said on Twitter: "Australian cuisine wouldn't be where it is without your prodigious talent and energy."

Perry said in the media release: "As the business now needs to embark on a new chapter, it is time for a fresh start.

"It will never be easy to move on from the restaurants I founded, and I do so with a heavy heart, but as the business and the sector set their sights on new beginnings, it is the right time for the next generation to have the opportunity afforded to me over 40 years ago."

In 2018, this masthead reported that the business would repay $1.6 million after a review of its payroll and rosters uncovered underpayment of staff.

The Sydney chef opened his first restaurant, Blue Water Grill, in October 1986 and Rockpool in 1989.

Rockpool Dining Group now encompasses more than 80 restaurants, a diverse portfolio that includes Japanese restaurants Sake, Munich Brauhaus, and Burger Project.