Dan Hunter is the Australian chef widely recognised as one of the leading figures in modern Australian regional fine dining and the chef-owner of Brae restaurant and guest retreat in Birregurra, Victoria, since 2013. Born 1976 in Australia, Hunter trained in the Australian fine-dining scene before working at Mugaritz under Andoni Luis Aduriz in the Basque Country, where he developed the foraging and natural-cuisine approach that has anchored his subsequent Australian work. He returned to Australia in 2007 and opened Brae in Birregurra in 2013, transforming a 30-acre working farm into one of the most-distinctive Australian regional fine-dining destinations of the past decade.
Hunter’s 2025-2026 work centres on Brae as a contemporary restaurant and guest retreat in Birregurra. Brae was awarded 3 Chef Hats by the Australian Good Food Guide in 2026, the maximum distinction in the Australian guide system. The 18 March 2026 Staff Canteen interview coincided with the 3 Chef Hats announcement and documents Hunter’s current Brae operation. Brae continues as a 30-acre working farm and guest retreat, with action-packed 2026 programming including expanded chef-collaboration weekends. Hunter continues at the front rank of Australian regional fine dining alongside the broader Australian-fine-dining cohort.
TL;DR
- Australian chef born 1976 in Australia
- Trained at Mugaritz under Andoni Luis Aduriz in Basque Country
- Opened Brae in Birregurra Victoria 2013 with 30-acre working farm
- 3 Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide 2026 (maximum distinction)
- Brae operates as restaurant and guest retreat
- 2026: Action-packed programming including expanded chef-collaboration weekends
Dan Hunter key facts
| Born | 1976, Australia |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Training | Australian fine dining; Mugaritz under Andoni Luis Aduriz, Basque Country |
| Restaurant | Brae, Birregurra, Victoria (chef-owner since 2013) |
| Format | 30-acre working farm and guest retreat |
| Style | Foraging-led, natural-cuisine, native-ingredient Australian cookery |
| 2026 highlight | 3 Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide 2026 |
Early life and training of Dan Hunter
Dan Hunter was born in 1976 in Australia. He trained in the Australian fine-dining scene through the late 1990s and early 2000s before pursuing international experience. The Australian apprenticeship period gave him classical Australian fine-dining technique and prepared him for the formative international stage that would anchor his subsequent career.
Hunter worked at Mugaritz in the Basque Country under Andoni Luis Aduriz across multiple years in the early-to-mid 2000s. The Mugaritz period gave him direct exposure to the foraging-led natural-cuisine approach that distinguished Mugaritz from contemporary Spanish fine dining, and informed Hunter’s subsequent Australian native-ingredient and foraging-led approach across the following two decades.
Hunter returned to Australia in 2007 and worked at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, Victoria, where he developed the regional Australian foraging-led approach that prepared him for his own restaurant. In 2013 he opened Brae in Birregurra, Victoria, transforming a 30-acre working farm into one of the most-distinctive Australian regional fine-dining destinations of the past decade.
Dan Hunter career timeline
- 1976: Born in Australia
- Late 1990s-early 2000s: Australian fine-dining training
- Early-mid 2000s: Works at Mugaritz under Andoni Luis Aduriz Basque Country
- 2007: Returns to Australia; works at Royal Mail Hotel Dunkeld Victoria
- 2013: Opens Brae in Birregurra, Victoria
- 2014: Brae receives early Australian critical recognition
- 2017: 50 Best Inside Brae documentary feature
- 2018: Brae ranks among Australia’s most-recognised regional fine-dining destinations
- 2019: Hunter publishes Brae cookbook
- 2020-2022: Brae continues operations through Covid-19 pandemic with expanded retreat focus
- 2024: Continues Australian Good Food Guide recognition
- 2025: Brae expands guest-retreat programming and chef-collaboration weekends
- 2026: Brae awarded 3 Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide 2026 (maximum distinction)
- 18 March 2026: Staff Canteen interview on 3 Chef Hats achievement
- 2026: Brae action-packed 2026 programming continues
Dan Hunter signature style: foraging-led Australian regional cuisine
Hunter’s central argument, developed across more than 12 years from 2013 onwards, is that foraging-led natural-cuisine combined with the 30-acre working farm and guest-retreat format can anchor a sustained Australian regional fine-dining destination. The Brae menu under Hunter is anchored in the Birregurra farm produce, the surrounding Victorian regional ingredient culture and the foraging-led approach Hunter developed at Mugaritz under Andoni Luis Aduriz.
The second defining element is the 30-acre working farm and guest-retreat format. Brae operates as both a fine-dining restaurant and a guest retreat with on-site accommodation, allowing Brae to operate as a destination experience anchored in the Birregurra farm produce. The format has become one of the more-distinctive Australian regional fine-dining models of the past decade.
The third pillar is the sustained Mugaritz-influenced approach to Australian native ingredients. Within the global foraging-led fine-dining cohort Hunter sits alongside peers including Ben Shewry at Attica and Peter Gilmore at Quay as one of the defining Australian native-ingredient chefs of the past two decades.
Notable Dan Hunter work
Several Hunter projects have become reference points in modern Australian regional fine dining. Brae in Birregurra Victoria (chef-owner since 2013) is his defining 12-year operation. The 30-acre working farm and guest retreat format extends the restaurant beyond a single dining-room operation. The 2019 Brae cookbook documents the kitchen’s foraging-led approach and the Birregurra farm produce. The 2026 3 Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide award represents the maximum distinction in the Australian guide system, and the 18 March 2026 Staff Canteen interview documents the milestone alongside Hunter’s current Brae operation.
Dan Hunter awards and recognition
- 2007: Returns to Australia; works at Royal Mail Hotel Dunkeld
- 2013: Opens Brae in Birregurra Victoria
- 2014-2017: Australian Good Food Guide and critical recognition
- 2017: Worlds 50 Best Inside Brae documentary
- 2019: Brae cookbook
- 2024: Continued Australian Good Food Guide recognition
- 2025: Brae expands guest-retreat programming and chef-collaboration weekends
- 2026: Brae 3 Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide 2026 (maximum distinction)
- 18 March 2026: Staff Canteen interview on 3 Chef Hats achievement
Dan Hunter impact on modern Australian regional fine dining
Hunter’s most concrete contribution is the 12-year Brae operation in Birregurra. The 2026 3 Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide award represents the maximum distinction in the Australian guide system and cement his status at the front rank of Australian regional fine dining.
The second contribution is the 30-acre working farm and guest-retreat format. Brae operates as both a fine-dining restaurant and a guest retreat with on-site accommodation, and the format has become one of the more-distinctive Australian regional fine-dining models of the past decade.
The third contribution is the bridge from Mugaritz to Australian native-ingredient cuisine. Within the global foraging-led fine-dining cohort Hunter sits alongside peers including Ben Shewry and Peter Gilmore as one of the defining Australian native-ingredient chefs of the past two decades.
Dan Hunter FAQ
Did Brae get 3 Chef Hats?
Yes. Brae was awarded 3 Chef Hats by the Australian Good Food Guide in 2026, the maximum distinction in the Australian guide system. The 18 March 2026 Staff Canteen interview documents the achievement, and Brae continues at the front rank of Australian regional fine dining.
Where is Brae?
Brae is in Birregurra, in the Otway region of Victoria, Australia. The restaurant operates on a 30-acre working farm with on-site guest retreat accommodation, making the destination a combined fine-dining-and-retreat experience anchored in the Birregurra farm produce and the surrounding Victorian regional ingredient culture.
Did Hunter train at Mugaritz?
Yes. Hunter worked at Mugaritz under Andoni Luis Aduriz in the Basque Country across multiple years in the early-to-mid 2000s. The Mugaritz period gave him direct exposure to the foraging-led natural-cuisine approach that informed his subsequent Australian native-ingredient and foraging-led work at Royal Mail Hotel and Brae.
When did Brae open?
2013. Hunter opened Brae in Birregurra, Victoria in 2013 after returning to Australia in 2007 and working at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld. The restaurant has operated for more than 12 years and was awarded 3 Chef Hats by the Australian Good Food Guide in 2026.
Is Brae also a hotel?
Yes. Brae operates as both a fine-dining restaurant and a guest retreat with on-site accommodation, making the destination a combined fine-dining-and-retreat experience. The 30-acre working farm format extends the restaurant beyond a single dining-room operation and has become one of the more-distinctive Australian regional fine-dining models of the past decade.
What is next for Dan Hunter
Brae continues in Birregurra Victoria through 2026 with action-packed programming including expanded chef-collaboration weekends. The 3 Chef Hats Australian Good Food Guide 2026 distinction continues. His public Instagram (@chefdanhunter) is the best source for current updates.
