Herb was born on the 1st of January 1975 in Bunbury, Western Australia, to German dad, Hans, and late Thai mother, Ratana. He grew up in Perth with his two older sisters and late younger brother.
Herb’s mother was heavily involved with the Buddhist Society of WA and so most weekends the family would visit the temple or monastery to offer food to the monks. As is customary, once the monks had received their offerings, those who offered food would share the remainder amongst them. “There was always an amazing array of authentic Thai food on offer,” Herb recalls, “the incredible aromas and tastes of which I still fondly remember.”
Herb believes these memories formed the beginnings of his appreciation and passion for food, and of noticing how taking the time to share a meal really brings people together. Herb says, “There was, and still is, a great sense of community within the Buddhist Society that I am grateful for having grown up in, and I still visit the monastery from time to time to share the experience with my family, and take a quiet moment to reflect, and remember my mother and brother.”
Having grown up with Thai food, Herb developed a love and appreciation of the philosophy behind it. He has always been fascinated by the fresh, seasonal ingredients which provide such a delicate balance of flavours, but that also require strong technique to execute. It’s an approach that has always inspired him in his cooking.
Herb first entered the hospitality industry in 1994 at Wildwood Brasserie in Yallingup, where he lived on the premises refining his craft, and spending his spare time pursuing his other passions of skating and surfing. On returning to Perth in 1995, he joined the team at E’Cucina restaurant in Perth city, where he stayed until completing his chef’s apprenticeship in 1998. He spent the following 5 years working in a wide variety of restaurants across Australia ranging in style from modern Italian, Latin American and contemporary Australian cuisines, to cafés and brasseries, as well as in unique roles such as catering for Kerry Packer on his polo ranch in Ellerston. In 2003, he poetically returned to E’Cucina as their head chef, where he ran the kitchen for two years.
In April 2005, Herb had the opportunity to take on the very different role of head chef at Scotch College. There, he enjoyed working as part of a large team catering for some 150 boarders, plus staff members, as well as preparing restaurant quality food for numerous functions. It was a role that allowed him to continue his passion for delivering top quality, fresh and healthy food, while enjoying the more ‘social’ working hours, which enabled him to spend more quality time with his young family.
In 2010, Herb was presented with the once in a lifetime chance to appear in the Australian version of the cult television cooking show, Iron Chef. With the backing of Scotch College’s then Catering Manager, Brett Barrett, and successful chef and restaurateur, Michael Forde, he went on to be the only contestant in the series to defeat an Iron Chef. The win was an absolute highlight in Herb’s career, reigniting his passion for producing innovative food, and awakening a desire to share his creations with a wider audience. And so, in 2011, he took a leap of faith, resigning from Scotch College and launching his own business, Herb Faust Food. Herb Faust food offers an exclusive selection of stylish and unique dining concepts, which allows Herb the scope to create innovative and progressive food and present it to customers in an intimate, inclusive and informative environment.
In addition to running his successful business, Herb has most recently partnered with award winning stylist and cookbook editor, Claire Metcalf, to form Real Food, Fast! This kids’ cooking campaign is aimed at empowering our children to find alternatives to eating unhealthy, overly processed foods. Herb and Claire present an interactive hour-long cooking show to school-aged children, demonstrating just how quick and easy it is to make good, wholesome food from scratch.
Herb is in demand as a food presenter and host for various events around Perth, and has enjoyed joining forces with the likes of Kitchen Warehouse, The WA Canteen Association, Luxe Bar for the Beaufort Street Festival, ‘The Yard’ at Fremantle Markets, Aspenz Cooking School in Bunbury, and Perth City Farm to bring his passion for all things cooking to the wider community. He’ll also be bringing his unique brand of food to special events at IGA’s Taste Great Southern, as well as the York Gourmet Food and Wine Festival (now the Avon Valley Gourmet Food and Wine Festival) later this year.
Since launching Herb Faust Food, Herb has shown great pride in making a difference through supporting a range of charities, raising thousands of dollars through the donation of his services to Lifeline, TEAM Spencer, The Starlight Children’s Foundation, The Leukaemia Foundation, and HeartKids WA. He has also shown his support by providing his time and talent for the Borderless Friendship Foundation, Club Ado at Princess Margaret Hospital, and next month, the Breast Cancer Foundation’s Long Table Lunch. Herb is also an ambassador for A Taste of Harmony, an organisation dedicated to recognising and celebrating the rich cultural diversity that exists in Australian workplaces.
When Herb’s not in the kitchen, he loves spending time with his wife and their two children. He also sneaks out for a quick skate or surf if there’s ever a spare moment!
