Ben O'Donoghue has been cooking for as long as he can remember. After starting professionally in Australia's high-end restaurants, he travelled to the UK, where he worked alongside Jamie Oliver at Ruth Rogers' renowned River Cafe. O'Donoghue departed there after four years to work with Oliver as excutive chef at Monte's Club. From there, he moved on to a head chef role at the Atlantic Bar & Grill in Soho. Together with his wife, Dee, O'Donoghue runs Billykart Kitchen in Annersley, suburban Brisbane. Their aim was to revive the tradition of the old-time corner store, and that is exactly what they have done. The space is big on Queensland charm, and locals eat well, feel at home, and stock up on deli items. The casual sophistication suits O'Donoghue's cooking perfectly.

O'Donoghue has also built a name for himself over the past decade as a television presenter--on the ood and travel series Surfing the Menu, among others--and as an author. His previous two books accompany his television programs. His most recent book, Ben's Barbecue Bible has sold more than 12K copies in Australia, helping keep his name at the forefront of the competitive world of celebrity cooking. In his spare time, he makes the most of the Brisbane outdoor lifestyle: surfing, fly fishing and hanging out with this three young children.