Barry comes onboard at an exciting time for Create, as we take our catering to then next level and look at new business opportunities within the group to become a global brand. Barry joins Create from The ONE Group, where he was Director of Culinary and Creative Operations Director. The global hospitality company developed and operated upscale, high-energy restaurants and lounges and provides hospitality management services for hotels.
Barry’s career has taken him to all corners of the world. His UK ventures include Conran Restaurants, Marco Pierre White Restaurants and The Clarendon. However, Barry has also spent time working in Australia, France, Canada & South Africa. Barry appears in the cooking programme Feast, which sees him exploring the culinary delights of Morocco, Syria, India and Greece.
Barry is the author of recipe books Feast Bazaar and The Home Cook and currently working on a further two books. Barry grew up in Sheffield, in an Italian family who all share a love of food. He spent his childhood in a pub (well not literally)! His parents were landlords, so Barry’s early years were spent learning all there is to know about customer service and good local food. Through this he decided he wanted to be a chef and went to Granville Catering College in Sheffield. From there on he was classically trained and then embarked on his global culinary journey. His family all had a love of food in one way or another, his Italian grandfather was a wonderful cook and they also had an Italian ice cream factory in Sheffield many years ago, they then ran pubs and his uncle ran 5 star hotels in Canada.
Barry is passionate not just about food, but also the culture and history that surrounds it. Food is all about memories, from family history and journeys taken to a single moment when you discovered a hidden gem. Cooking is not all about Michelin Stars and awards, some of the best dishes in the world can be the simplest, allowing the ingredients to speak for themselves.
Barry loves cooking for family and friends when he can. Get him into conversations about food and he will fill you with facts, memories and some incredible stories of the people he has met on his 30-year journey and how they have inspired him along the way.
