Ep. 15 Eric Morris (Bistro Clementine - Cafe Clementine)

Eric Morris once left an abduction letter saying he had been abducted by aliens and couldn't come into work for the next few days, essentially finishing up his time working front of house at one of Yotam Ottolenghi's restaurants. They found this so funny, they didn't seem to bother that he had to go a little early. When you have the eccentricity that Eric does, it's not wonder that his career is full of memorable and exciting moments. His motivation for work came early, and his passion for being a waiter and later on a Sommelier, began to fuel his personal interest within hospitality. Eric's hospitality career runs deep, starting front of house long ago at one of Yotam Ottolenghi's restaurants in London, before heading back to Sydney to continue his work at both China Doll and the then 3 hatted restaurant Est (Which has since closed down). This fueled and refined his front of house knowledge and skills so much so, that he became one of the strong FOH team that helped open Rockpool Bar & Grill. He remembers a time where 20 of them over the course of 2-3 days had to wash, polish and dry 6000 wine glasses, go up on a ladder and delicately arrange them to look like multiple chandelier's. With a needed upkeep of maintenance, he never quite thought the whole thing was really necessary. But it's something he'll never forget. His time at Rockpool helped influence his direction into wine and being surrounded with a 6000 bottle wine list to learn from, he soon began studying and became a certified Sommelier. This carried him through venues such as Porteno, The Baxter Inn (Working coincidently with the team behind Ramblin' Rascal) and Bloodwood Bar before deciding to open up his own two venues Cafe Clementine and Bistro Clementine with his partner Monica-Paula Zotti. Eric's personal journey is another example of the persistent passion for self education within the hospitality industry. It was a great opportunity to sit and chat with Eric and laugh over the connections of people we met at different points in our careers and the many hilarious stories he had to share. I would like to note that Roots Podcast is proudly supported by the Australian Good Food Guide. A hospitality guide that started in 1977 and still continues to rate and support restaurants ever since. Music by Charlie Fester. Follow @roots_hospitality on Instagram for the latest soundbite and guest news.