Josh Lewis

Biography

Josh began his career under Shannon Bennett at Vue du Monde. During the seven years he worked for Shannon the restaurant made the move from Drummond St to Normandy Chambers, he helped open Bistro Vue and worked beside many of the industry’s best and brightest. He went on to open and head up Vueby Shannon Bennett in Oman which was a defining experience.

In 2008 Josh was awarded a culinary scholarship by AOF that allowed him to stage at Mugaritz. This was followed by an extended stint at Noma in 2009 which proved a seminal moment in his career. After four years overseas Josh returned to Australia and spent two years in the kitchen at Loam in country Victoria. His time there cemented his love for regional dining.

Josh together with his partner Astrid McCormack own and operate Fleet, a tiny 14 seat restaurant, in Brunswick Heads, a small seaside village just north of Byron bay. They opened the restaurant in 2015 and have been fortunate to receive numerous accolades. The year following the opening Josh was awarded Next Gen Chef of as part of the Delicious Produce Awards. Fleet has since been awarded 2 Hats by the SMH Good Food Guide, named Best New Regional Restaurant, then later Regional Restaurant of the Year. It has been included in Gourmet Traveller’s Top 50 List, the AFR Top 100, the Australian Hot 50 and the Delicious 100. Most recently the restaurant was named in US Food and Wine Magazine World’s Best Restaurants for 2020.

Josh’s cooking is heavily influenced by his own love of fishing and hunting. The Northern Rivers is blessed with fabulous seafood. The area is also abundant with small fruit and veg producers. It is the close relationships Josh has forged with local primary producers that really shaped his style and approach to cooking. Where his roots were based in complex techniques and dishes, the food at Fleet is intentionally pared back to best celebrate the beautiful ingredients our region offers.