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The Culinary Director
Practical systems for profitable kitchens.
With first hand experience inside commercial kitchens of all sizes and decades of guiding kitchen teams, our approach is simple: less chaos, more clarity and smarter ways of working for modern hospitality teams. We’re passionate about helping chefs, operators and hospitality teams take control of food cost, kitchen systems and profitability through practical advisory and education .
Food Costing Short Course
Chefs who want to be ahead of the pack will learn how to run the perfect food operation, making great food and making money.
Food Costing Short Course
Chefs who want to be ahead of the pack will learn how to run the perfect food operation, making great food and making money.
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Cooking the Books
Cooking the Books (CTB) is a one-day food costing workshop focuses on your food operation about increasing revenue and profit margin. Facilitated by Andrew Briese, a well-known hospitality consultant and author of Cooking the Books, the workshop is ideal for food and beverages managers, chefs, restaurant managers and related staff.
Cooking the Books
Cooking the Books (CTB) is a one-day food costing workshop focuses on your food operation about increasing revenue and profit margin. Facilitated by Andrew Briese, a well-known hospitality consultant and author of Cooking the Books, the workshop is ideal for food and beverages managers, chefs, restaurant managers and related staff.
Online Courses
Can't make it to one of our in person courses? We have some new online courses, currently on the boil.
Online Courses
Can't make it to one of our in person courses? We have some new online courses, currently on the boil.
Coming Soon Courses
More practical training for hospitality professionals.
Coming Soon Courses
More practical training for hospitality professionals.
Workshops & Courses
Margins matter. Wages matter. Stock levels, plate costs and supplier pricing, they all matter. Our job isn’t just to show you the numbers; it’s to support the people who make them come alive. Each course is practical, relevant and actionable.
Join Andrew Briese, founder of Cooking the Books, The Culinary Director, Sticky Dates and Portion Pockets for a one-day food costing workshop specifically for chefs working in pubs, clubs and restaurants.
Andrew has been running one day food costing short courses for chefs, venue managers, owners and hospitality professionals over the last decade across Australia and NZ and presenting similar short form workshops at Fine Food Australia, Fine Food NZ, Australian Gaming and Hospitality Exhibition, Food and Hospitality Week and more.
This is a practical session, not theory focused.
This full day workshop covers:
• Building profitable menu pricing
• Costing individual dishes
• Managing GP targets in real kitchens
• Reducing waste without cutting quality
• Systems chefs can implement immediately
Cost: $350 including GST for the full day, including lunch and a workbook you can keep
Book now to avoid missing out.
From creative chaos.
To clarity & profit.
The Culinary Director was created from lived experience inside the hospitality industry - not from a boardroom, spreadsheet or corporate playbook. After years spent working in commercial kitchens, leading teams, building systems and helping hospitality businesses improve profitability, Andrew Briese saw the same challenges appearing again and again: talented chefs and operators working incredibly hard, but often without the tools, training or operational structure needed to run sustainable, profitable kitchens.
- Operational efficiency, through systems you’ll actually use
- Sustainable financial outcomes
How we help you achieve this;
- Kitchen audits and operations overhauls, mentorship and 1:1 advice
- Workshops for chefs, kitchens, businesses
Industry Insights
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Kitchen advisory & hospitality coaching
Good hospitality needs more than great food, and Andrew understands the stress, the craft and the unrelenting pace of the industry. That’s why he works with chefs and hospitality teams to bring structure, clarity and better systems, menu strategies and food costing innovation. Delivered through practical workshops, mentoring and advisory support built for the realities of modern hospitality.