Jesse McTavish grew up with a love of surfing and fishing and a deep respect for the ocean instilled in him from a young age by his father, surfboard designer Bob McTavish. 

Since starting his cooking career in the mid-1990s, Jesse has worked for some of Australia’s most renowned restaurants and cafés, from the Beach Hotel in Byron Bay to Top Paddock and The Kettle Black in Melbourne.

Jesse is passionate about sourcing quality ingredients and building relationships with suppliers. He’s also a keen forager, and has been experimenting with ingredients found in the Bondi Beach area such as sea rocket, which has a similar flavour to wasabi and grows prolifically along the Sydney coastline and in the dunes. 

Jesse says: “The ocean has been the ultimate constant in my life, so it’s a privilege to catch, cook and protect what it offers me.”

Visit North Bondi Fish for more information.