About
Miguel Maestre
The Crazy Bull
Miguel Maestre
Having worked for many years in various kitchens around the world, Miguel Maestre is one talented Spaniard who has made Sydney his home. Born in Murcia in the south of Spain, his love for food was pre-determined from a young age. Miguel’s passion for food and life is infectious, and he has developed a talent for incorporating Spanish ingredients and cooking styles into his Australian menus.
Miguel worked alongside some of the best chefs in Australia including Serge Dansereau of Bather’s Pavilion, and the Godfather of Australian Cuisine Tony Bilson being head chef of his restaurant “Number One”.
After being inspired with Ferran Adria in the kitchen of the number one restaurant in the world “El Bulli”, he opened his first Spanish Restaurant in Australia “El Toro Loco”. The biggest Spanish restaurant in the country in an outstanding waterfront location at Manly Beach.
Some of his cooking credits include being the head chef at one of the most prestigious events in Australia ‘Emirates Melbourne Cup’ and ‘Australian Grandprix’ and Moto GP, building a strong reputation in the cooking scene.
Miguel has been awarded by His Majesty The King of Spain the highest award a citizen can receive “The Order of Civil Merits” for his extraordinary service to the nation for the benefit of Spain in the Australian media.
It is Miguel’s co-hosting role on TEN’s four time Logie winning show “The Living Room”, that has catapulted him into the world of TV working alongside Amanda Keller, Dr Chris Brown and Barry DuBois. Other TV credits include “Boys Weekend” (airing in more than 100 countries worldwide), “Miguel’s Tropical Kitchens” where he charms his way through the tropics of North Queensland, cooking with exotic ingredients in breathtaking locations, “Miguels Feasts” airing on Network 10 and internationally and competing in “Dancing With The Stars”.
2020 saw Miguel win over the hearts of all Australians being crowned the “King of the Jungle” on “I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here!”. KING OF THE JUNGLE.
2024 saw Miguel host his own show, the reboot of one of the most loved and iconic food shows ever to air, “Ready Steady Cook Australia”.
Miguel’s love of fresh, local and seasonal produce also sees him as a regular in the country’s top food festivals year in and year out.
He is the owner and founder of Maestre Enterprises, the most gourmet Spanish brand in the country showcasing over 50 products in the range including smallgoods, bakery, cheeses, paella kits, patatas fritas and cookware.
Miguel is the author of three best selling books “Miguel’s Tapas”, “Spanish Cooking” and “Life Force”, that he was co-author alongside his best friend Barry Du Bois.
In the Australian Talent Index Miguel Maestre is the 2nd most trustworthy talent on Australian Broadcast and the Fifth most Popular making him a household name in Australian Media.
Miguel is a proud ambassador for Diabetes Australia and its Diabetes YOUnited initiative, a free national membership program that is designed to improve support for people living with diabetes, no matter their postcode or financial situation. Miguel is thrilled to show Australians how tasty, easy, and affordable creating nutritious food can be.
Miguel also works very closely with the following charities OzHarvest, R U OK? and CARE Australia.
Made With Love
MY FAMILY BUSINESS
Once upon a time I was in love with the rush of service at the restaurant, the fire, the seafood, the dockets piling up, the tension of that slim and short timeframe from the moment the customer orders there paella till to the minute we need to have them on the customers table…. The search of the perfect crust on the rice, the perfect seasoning of the stock, the perfect al dente rice, the right caramelisation of the chicken and the moist seafood without overcooking. That was my mojo, that was my love for cooking Spanish food.
The older I get the more mature my cooking personality has become, it isn’t so much about where I was heading it was more about where everything began. It wasn’t being busy at the restaurant cooking 500 paellas a day it was more about the one paella my mama Flora cooked for us when we were little.
My need for sharing was unstoppable … I wanted everyone to have the same feeling ….I wanted people to have that memory of family cooking …the restaurant wasn’t the right place to create this memory it was THE HOME. I was wrong all this time ….I asked myself how am I going to tell the world making 500 paellas a day in the restaurant. I needed my message to be louder reaching more people –
the answer was the shelves of the supermarkets where every Australian shops every day and that’s where Maestre Enterprises was born.
My Paella a la Maestre was the answer to create this memory.
It has been all my life a dream to make Spanish culture and gastronomy my life… and the only way to do it is to teach it to everyone.
I surrounded myself with the people I loved the most to achieve this project. My family and friends are the ones that know me the best so they play a very important role in my company as they keep me focused with reality at all times and they give me ongoing support as they are were very proud of me and that makes me stronger.
We started with very humble beginnings putting everything in for something that we were passionate about and that we loved and believed in and today the fruits of our efforts are so beautiful. Every potato I peeled, every prawn I cleaned, every long 18hr day in the kitchen all this sacrifice has been worth it for where we are today. Living the dream of bringing Spain Maestre style to Australian homes.
One slice of Jamon at a time, one piece of Triple Cream at a time, one sip of El Toro Loco Pale Ale at a time …..
I am a happy man, the reward is immense and I can’t wait for you to try all our delicious products. The one secret is “Love is the best ingredient in life” and Maestre Enterprises is bringing it into the Australian homes.
Miguel
Proudly Supports
