Chef Des Harris' next move

Chef Des Harris is now consulting at Eight Point Two restaurant, whilst remaining in his position at Clooney as head chef. Picture / Babiche Martens.

If you've ever dined at Clooney, you'll know the charm of chef Des Harris (pictured). Enticingly, there are now two opportunities to enjoy his award-winning creations, with Harris joining Birkenhead restaurant Eight Point Two as chef partner.

You won't miss him at Clooney, though. He will remain executive chef.

"Clooney is my baby and I've worked so hard to get it to where it is," he says.

Harris' focus now is Clooney's private dining room. He was, however, ready for a new challenge, and more time with his family - he lives around the corner from Eight Point Two.

Rather than cooking in the kitchen, he will be overseeing the team and designing regularly changing menus. He hopes to evolve the food to become cheaper and simpler - "rich and yummy ... but not complicated".

"What I want to do is create something that is a reliable neighbourhood eatery," Harris explains. "It's another canvas and another stimulus, a casual arm to what I do."

He will be cooking at one of two winemakers' dinners at the Birkenhead restaurant next week, with his five-course menu matched to wines from Waipara's Bellbird Spring Winery.

• Winemakers' Dinners at Eight Point Two, February 23 and 24, $140pp for five courses with wine matches. To book ph (09) 419 9082.

- VIVA