When Matt Moran first opened Aria in 1999, he
never imagined it would still be open for business
20 years later. That’s just not how you think when
you’re young, he says.
But while Aria celebrated its 20th birthday this year,
Moran marked a more personal milestone: he turned- And in the process, he came to a few key realisations.
The first was that he is no longer the young chef
in town, he says, laughing. “I was always the young
one,” he says. “I was always the baby who looked
up to Neil [Perry] and all those guys.”
What that means, he explains, is that he feels a
responsibility to help lead the industry and champion
new talent. When it came time to celebrate Aria’s
anniversary in October, he hosted an intimate
dinner in the harbourside dining room, inviting
some of the industry’s youngest rising stars.
“I did that for a reason,” he says. “We are a small
industry that sometimes cops a lot of flak and we have
to be strong and united. It’s up to people like Neil and
Pete Gilmore and myself, the guys who’ve been around
for a long time, to embody that. It’s really important.”
But 2019 hasn’t all been Champagne and
celebrations. In May, Moran and his co-owner Bruce
Solomon announced they were closing Aria Brisbane,
after 10 years of acclaimed service.
“The lease was up. The place is a development
site. They were offering tenure, but not enough
to renovate it.”
Moran admits the closure was a sad chapter of
2019 but is adamant it was the right decision.
“I renovated [Aria Sydney] three years ago and
gutted it. I took every tile, every tap out of the place
and redid it all. Even though the food in Brisbane was
up to standard, it just felt as though the space needed
work and money, and I just wasn’t prepared to spend
that on other people’s buildings. It was time to go.”
Closing the Brisbane site helped Moran to clarify
his vision for Aria in Sydney, deciding to make the
fine-diner a solo star.
“We’re here for a long time. We’re very lucky
to be able to do that. Aria’s the flagship and always
will be. I’ll probably never open another Aria.”
Like most people, Moran found that turning
50 came with its fair share of introspection.
“I had an ambition five years ago to open 100
restaurants. I think that’s changed. I’ve got kids.
Not that I’m taking it easy because I’ll never take
it easy, but my son’s finishing his HSC this year.
He’s going to Melbourne. The thought of my son
leaving home... Fuck! You know?”
He also decided it was time to give more time and
energy to supporting others, intensifying his efforts
to support struggling farmers. As a fourth-generation
farmer, Moran has long been a passionate advocate
for farmers and producers, highlighting their stories
in the TV series Paddock to Plate.
But as drought continues to ravage the country,
Moran has teamed up with the global social enterprise
Thankful to launch the Thankful4Farmers campaign,
which raises funds and support for farmers in need.
“Being a farmer and knowing how hard it is,
and the disconnect between city and country...
They’re doing it really tough,” he says. “There’s
40 per cent more chance of killing yourself if you’re
a farmer. It’s unbelievable.”
Moran launched the initiative in October,
calling on other chefs to help support the cause.
“We’ve spent about a year on it now and it’s all
coming together,” he says. “It’s just been beautiful.
It’s not about me, it’s all about the farmers. I don’t
care who comes on board as long as they help.” “We are a small industry that
cops a lot of flak and we have
to be strong and united.”MATT MORAN
GOURMET TRAVELLER 89WORDS LARISSA DUBECKI
ASTRID M CORMACK & JOANNA HUNKIN
MATT MORAN . PHOTOGRAPHY WILL HORNER
MATT MORAN & KARA ROSENLUND
ASTRID M CORMACK .