Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Brian Cole left his homeland in 1997 because of the civil war. He discovered cooking alongside his grandmother, and the experience shaped a career that has embraced Australia’s diverse food scene.
He started in hospitality at 16, working his way up through Crown Resorts and COMO The Treasury, and credits his mentor, Robert Ryan, with making him a more rounded chef and a better person.
Today, Brian is Chef de Cuisine at Hearth, The Ritz-Carlton, Perth’s signature restaurant, where he took the helm before the age of 30. He champions Western Australian produce and native ingredients, cooking over the restaurant’s custom two-metre grill and smoker, fuelled by local jarrah and raspberry wattle. He describes his style as contemporary Australian fusion, combining native ingredients, Asian spices and French technique.
Brian relaunched the daily Afternoon Tea in Hearth Lounge and has introduced a series of seasonal dinner and afternoon tea menus. He also leads Chef’s Counter, an intimate six-seat degustation where guests watch the kitchen at work and hear the story behind each course directly from him. Passionate about developing his team, he was named Young Chef of the Year at the 2024 WA Good Food Guide Awards.