Ben Shewry is the New Zealand-born Australian-based chef widely recognised as one of the leading figures in modern Australian native-ingredient gastronomy and the chef-proprietor of Attica restaurant in Ripponlea, Melbourne, since 2005. Born 5 January 1977 in Whanganui, New Zealand, Shewry grew up on a Taranaki sheep farm in rural North Island and developed his earliest culinary instincts through New Zealand farm-and-foraging traditions before moving to Australia in 2002. He took over as chef-proprietor at Attica in Melbourne in 2005 at age 28 and has continued for more than 20 years, anchoring Attica’s distinctive native-ingredient cuisine.
Shewry’s 2025-2026 work centres on Attica’s 20-year anniversary celebration. Attica celebrated 19 years in 2024 and is celebrating its 20th anniversary throughout 2025-2026, with retrospective menus looking back at the restaurant’s evolution. The Wednesday-night Chef’s Table five-course series ran from May to August 2025 due to high demand, offering a more spontaneous and rowdy dining experience. Following the 2024 release of his memoir Uses for Obsession, Shewry appeared at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival and continues his sustained literary and public-speaking work alongside the Attica operation.
TL;DR
- New Zealand-born Australian-based chef born 5 January 1977 in Whanganui, New Zealand
- Grew up on Taranaki sheep farm in rural North Island
- Moved to Australia 2002; chef-proprietor at Attica Melbourne since 2005 at age 28
- Native-ingredient cuisine; multiple Worlds 50 Best placings 2010s-2020s
- 2024: Memoir Uses for Obsession; 2025: Byron Writers Festival
- 2025-2026: Attica 20-year anniversary celebrations
Ben Shewry key facts
| Born | 5 January 1977, Whanganui, New Zealand |
| Nationality | New Zealand (Australian-based) |
| Background | Taranaki sheep farm in rural North Island New Zealand |
| Restaurant | Attica, Ripponlea, Melbourne (chef-proprietor since 2005) |
| Style | Native-ingredient Australian cuisine; foraging-led approach |
| Memoir | Uses for Obsession (2024) |
| 2025-2026 highlight | Attica 20-year anniversary celebrations |
Early life and training of Ben Shewry
Ben Shewry was born on 5 January 1977 in Whanganui, on the western North Island of New Zealand, and grew up on a Taranaki sheep farm in rural North Island. The childhood on the farm gave him direct exposure to ingredient cultivation, foraging and seasonal cooking, and the formative experience has anchored his subsequent native-ingredient approach across more than 20 years of Australian fine-dining operation.
Through the late 1990s and early 2000s Shewry trained at New Zealand and Australian restaurants, gaining classical Australasian fine-dining technique. He moved to Australia in 2002 and worked at multiple Melbourne restaurants before taking the chef-proprietor role at Attica in 2005 at age 28.
Attica under Shewry from 2005 onwards quickly developed a distinctive native-ingredient and foraging-led approach that distinguished the restaurant from contemporary Australian fine dining. The restaurant earned multiple top placings in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year awards across the 2010s and the Worlds 50 Best Restaurants placings, including peaks at the very top of the Australian fine-dining rankings.
Ben Shewry career timeline
- 5 January 1977: Born in Whanganui, New Zealand
- 1980s-1990s: Grows up on Taranaki sheep farm in rural North Island
- Late 1990s-early 2000s: New Zealand and Australian restaurant training
- 2002: Moves to Australia; works at multiple Melbourne restaurants
- 2005: Becomes chef-proprietor at Attica in Ripponlea Melbourne at age 28
- 2010s: Multiple Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year placings for Attica
- 2015: Attica peaks at high rank in Worlds 50 Best Restaurants
- 2018: Chef’s Table Netflix episode features Shewry and Attica
- 2020-2022: Attica continues operations through Covid-19 pandemic
- 2024: Attica celebrates 19 years; Shewry releases memoir Uses for Obsession
- 2025: Attica 20-year anniversary celebrations begin
- May-August 2025: Wednesday-night Chef’s Table five-course series
- 2025: Byron Writers Festival appearance
- 6 September 2025: Andy Cooks 48 Hours in a Fine Dining Kitchen YouTube feature (585k+ views)
- 2026: Attica 20-year anniversary celebrations continue with retrospective menus
Ben Shewry signature style: native-ingredient Australian cuisine and foraging-led approach
Shewry’s central argument, developed across more than 20 years from 2005 onwards, is that Australian native ingredients combined with foraging-led cookery and the immigrant chef’s outsider perspective can anchor a sustained world-leading Australian fine-dining restaurant. The Attica menu under Shewry is widely recognised as one of the most distinctive native-ingredient menus globally, anchored in Australian native ingredients, sustainable foraging and the unique cultural references that distinguish modern Australian gastronomy.
The second defining element is the sustained 20-year chef-proprietor role at a single restaurant. Few Australian chefs have sustained a chef-proprietor role at a single fine-dining restaurant for comparable duration, and Attica continues at the front rank of Australian fine-dining alongside peers including Peter Gilmore‘s long Sydney run.
The third pillar is the literary and public-speaking work. The 2024 memoir Uses for Obsession and the 2025 Byron Writers Festival appearance extend his sustained creative output beyond the kitchen. Within the global fine-dining cohort Shewry sits alongside peers including Brett Graham and Rene Redzepi as one of the defining native-ingredient and foraging-led chefs of his generation.
Notable Ben Shewry work
Several Shewry projects have become reference points in modern Australian fine dining. Attica in Ripponlea Melbourne (chef-proprietor since 2005) is his defining 20-year operation. The 2018 Chef’s Table Netflix episode introduced Shewry and Attica to a global audience. The 2024 memoir Uses for Obsession is his book on the chef-life and the obsession that has anchored Attica. The 2025-2026 Attica 20-year anniversary celebrations include retrospective menus looking back at the restaurant’s evolution. The 6 September 2025 Andy Cooks YouTube feature with more than 585,000 views documents the Attica kitchen at scale.
Ben Shewry awards and recognition
- 2005: Becomes chef-proprietor at Attica Melbourne at age 28
- 2010s: Multiple Gourmet Traveller Restaurant of the Year placings
- 2015: Attica peaks at high rank in Worlds 50 Best Restaurants
- 2018: Chef’s Table Netflix episode
- 2024: Releases memoir Uses for Obsession
- 2024: Attica celebrates 19 years
- 2025: Attica 20-year anniversary celebrations begin
- May-August 2025: Wednesday-night Chef’s Table series
- 2025: Byron Writers Festival appearance
- 6 September 2025: Andy Cooks 48 Hours in a Fine Dining Kitchen YouTube feature
- 2026: Attica 20-year anniversary celebrations continue
Ben Shewry impact on modern Australian native-ingredient gastronomy
Shewry’s most concrete contribution is the 20-year Attica run from 2005 onwards. Attica under Shewry became one of the most distinctive native-ingredient and foraging-led restaurants globally, and the sustained chef-proprietor role at a single restaurant for two decades is one of the defining Australian fine-dining career arcs of the period.
The second contribution is the development of the Australian native-ingredient cuisine approach. Attica has become one of the most-recognised Australian fine-dining restaurants for its sustained native-ingredient and foraging-led approach, and has informed broader Australian native-ingredient gastronomy alongside the parallel work of Australian peers across Melbourne and Sydney.
The third contribution is the sustained literary and public-speaking work. Within the global fine-dining cohort Shewry sits alongside peers including Peter Gilmore, Brett Graham and Rene Redzepi as one of the defining native-ingredient chefs of his generation.
Ben Shewry FAQ
How old is Attica?
Twenty years in 2025-2026. Attica under Shewry as chef-proprietor has operated in Ripponlea Melbourne since 2005, and the 20-year anniversary celebrations are running throughout 2025-2026 with retrospective menus looking back at the restaurant’s evolution across two decades.
What is Uses for Obsession?
Uses for Obsession is Shewry’s 2024 memoir on the chef-life and the obsession that has anchored Attica. The book draws on his New Zealand farm childhood, his Australian-immigrant chef trajectory and the sustained Attica operation, and Shewry has appeared at the 2025 Byron Writers Festival to discuss it.
What is Attica’s signature?
Native-ingredient Australian cuisine with a foraging-led approach. Attica under Shewry is widely recognised as one of the most distinctive native-ingredient menus globally, drawing on Australian native ingredients, sustainable foraging and the cultural references that distinguish modern Australian gastronomy from broader European fine dining.
Did Shewry grow up on a farm?
Yes. Shewry grew up on a Taranaki sheep farm in rural North Island New Zealand. The childhood on the farm gave him direct exposure to ingredient cultivation, foraging and seasonal cooking, and the formative experience has anchored his subsequent native-ingredient approach across more than 20 years of Australian fine-dining operation.
What is the Chef’s Table series at Attica?
The Chef’s Table series at Attica is the Wednesday-night five-course menu series that ran from May to August 2025 due to high demand. The series offered a more spontaneous and rowdy dining experience alongside the regular Attica tasting menu, and represented Shewry’s response to the demand for a more informal Attica experience during the 20-year anniversary period.
What is next for Ben Shewry
Attica continues in Ripponlea Melbourne through 2026 with 20-year anniversary celebrations and retrospective menus. Sustained literary and public-speaking work continues. His public Instagram (@benshewry) is the best source for current updates.
