Josh Niland: Biography, Age, Wife, Restaurant, Parents, Books, Masterchef
May 30, 2024Josh Niland (born October 1988) is an Australian chef. He is best known for signature fish recipes and cookeries. His first book, The Whole Fish Cookbook, established his presence globally.
The celebrated Sydney seafood chef began his signature as an economic necessity. He and his wife run Saint Peter, a restaurant celebrating the whole fish cookery. He has won the James Beard Award for his books.
| Josh Niland | |
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| Quick Facts | |
| Name: | Josh Niland |
| Born: | October 1988 (age 35 years old) |
| Place of birth: | Maitland, New South Wales |
| Nationality: | Australian |
| Parents: | Stephen (father), Marea Niland (mother) |
| Occupation: | Chef |
| Spouse: | Julie Niland (m. 2011) |
| Restaurant: | Saint Peter |
Early Life
Josh Niland was born in October 1988 in Maitland, New South Wales. His father, Stephen, had an accountancy business. His mother, Marea Niland, assisted with administrative duties. He has a sister, Liz.
The 35-year-old fell in love with cooking around the age of 13 or 14. He would follow his mother to buy ingredients at the grocery store and prepare a meal for his family at home. His family was not well interested in food or fish.
Some days after celebrating his 8th birthday, Josh was diagnosed with rare kidney cancer, Wilms tumor. His mother had helped him remove his T-shirt as they noticed a physical softball-sized mass dropped out of his rib cage.
At 15, Niland left school to apprentice at a local restaurant. He received a scholarship from a cancer foundation.
Career
In his teenage days, Niland worked in cafes. After gaining experience, he landed several chef jobs. He worked at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck development kitchen and at Fish Face, a defunct Sydney restaurant.
Josh has cooked at many five-star restaurants around the world. He cooked at a top-tier restaurant, The Fat Duck, United Kingdom. At 17, Josh worked at Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie and later joined Est.
In 2016, he and his wife opened Saint Peter in Paddington, a trendy inner Sydney suburb. It now runs four venues, including one in Singapore. The duo has an a la carte restaurant, Peterman. They have also added a takeaway Charcoal Fish to their roster of piscine businesses.
Josh and his wife, Julie Niland, are set to open a “world-class” evolution of Saint Peter within The Grand National Hotel in Paddington in July 2024. He is now known as the king of gill-to-fin cooking. He uses the whole fish and also treats it like meat.
Culinary game-changer Josh has developed recipes for almost every part of the fish, including the liver, eyes, and scales, using around 90% of each fish. He makes fish sausages, wellingtons, schnitzels, and charcuterie.
Josh has also penned recipes from many years of experience and hard work.
In 2019, he released his first book, The Whole Fish Cookbook, a piece that established his presence globally. It includes a step-by-step guide on butchery, storage, and curing while itemizing fish parts.
Niland released other books, Take One Fish and Fish Butchery, in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Personal Life
Josh Niland married Julie Niland in 2011. They celebrated their 13th wedding anniversary in May 2024. Together they own Saint Peter restaurant and Fish Butchery in Paddington, Sydney.
Niland loves fish, how difficult it is to prepare, how people have issues eating it, and how most people find it very hard to cook.
