Image: Executive Chef Connor Bishop
By Joseph Steele
Coming off the back of a historic South Australian debut with three hats and score of 17 in 2026’s Chef Hat Awards, Executive Chef Connor Bishop is leading the charge for refined regional dining in South Australia. In a landscape traditionally dominated by city heavyweights, Chef Bishop has helped shift the spotlight firmly onto wine country, proving that serious culinary ambition thrives well beyond Adelaide’s CBD.
His cooking is grounded in provenance and precision. Hyper-seasonal produce, restrained techniques and a deep respect for the producers who shape his menus. The result is a dining experience that feels both refined and resolutely regional.
More than a personal triumph, the accolade signals a broader shift. Regional dining is no longer a supporting act. It’s centre stage. In this interview with Chef Bishop, we get the opportunity to reflect on the philosophy driving his kitchen and why intent is just as important as quality ingredients.
How would you describe your food philosophy in three words — and the dish that best represents it?
Sustainable, intentional and seasonal. The Tallow and Thyme brioche - we’re using locally sourced beef fat to render into tallow. The farmer we work with for this is based in Willunga and only produces a limited amount of beef per week, so we get the benefit of top quality produce. We’re also able to use parts that would typically be thrown away. The thyme is also estate grown in the Chef’s garden. For me, cooking with intent is an all encompassing theme. From the way we conceptualise a dish, to the ingredients and how they’re used. Everything has to make sense.
How do you balance innovation with respect for culinary tradition?
You have to know the rules first before you can break them. Tradition is at the basis of everything you do in the kitchen and the modern approach to cooking utilises the traditional foundations in creative and unique ways.
Image: Tallow and Thyme Brioche
What’s one lesson you learned the hard way in the kitchen — and how did it change you?
There’s never one major lesson you learn in the kitchen. Just like any growth, it’s a culmination of all the little and large things that have helped develop me into where I am now. A great life lesson has been to lean into simplicity and do it really well.
What’s your comfort-food ritual after a tough service?
Definitely gnocchi after service is the ultimate comfort food. Who doesn’t love potato dumplings and pasta? It’s simple, easy and quick to make.
If a diner could only order one dish from your menu, what would you hope they choose — and why?
The Ox tongue. It sounds like it is confronting, but it is something that is so engrained in the region and when prepared and cooked well, is incredibly delicious. When I created this dish, I wanted to create a dish that read as simple, but was technically complex. I wanted to boost the flavours, with a yuzu and soy glaze, combined with the fatty cut of the meat, adding a gingered apple to help cut through, with a burnt apple gel to make sure we weren’t wasting anything. Grilling it over the hibachi imparts so much flavour from cooking over the charcoals and really elevates the dish.
Image: Charcoal Ox Tongue
What inspires a new menu item for you — a place, a season, a memory, or something else entirely?
All of the above! Everything comes into play. I have the luxury of working in such a produce rich region and getting to work with local producers really influences how the dishes turn out. One of the big parts of modern gastronomy is the presentation. When I’m thinking about a dish, I like to make sure that it is visually appealing. The choice of what you’re serving a dish on is equally as important as the techniques going into it. Often the dishes themselves leave a lasting impression on the guests.
What food trend do you genuinely love — and which do you think is overhyped?
Love: Asian influence in modern Australian fine dining. I think there needs to be more of it. Not only is it delicious with bold, intense flavours but there’s heat, passion and excitement. It’s also incredibly elegant when utilised properly.
Over - hyped: Viola flowers. I don’t think they add anything to the dish. I seldom use flowers, but when I do it’s because they add a flavour profile as well as visual appeal.
Finish this sentence: "The kitchen can't run without..."
Intent. From the ingredients we use, to their placement on the plate, even down to the serveware, everything has to have a place and reason for being there.
Image: Lemon Myrtle Rose
What personal values do you try to express through your cooking?
I have a lot of respect for the produce and suppliers I work with, so I want to make sure I am doing my best to uphold that. It’s just as much about me getting to utilise technique and skill as it is about heroing the ingredients.
How do you know when a dish is finished and ready to go on the menu?
You never really know. A dish is never finished, there are always extra tweaks that can happen here and there, but we spend a lot of time developing and researching recipes and creating everything from the ground up. Once it aligns with our ethos, then it’s ready to go on the menu. From there, our guests dictate what happens.
