Brian Geraghty is the chef and owner of Berowra Waters Inn in Berowra Waters, awarded 2 hats in the Good Food Guide in 2026
Brian Geraghty could have continued building his career through some of Australia's and Europe's leading kitchens. Instead, he chose a different path, buying one of Australia's most iconic restaurants and making it his own.
When Brian and his wife, Sammy, purchased Berowra Waters Inn in 2012, they inherited a restaurant with an established reputation and decades of history. More than 14 years later, it remains one of New South Wales' most respected dining destinations and continues to hold two hats in the Good Food Guide.
For many chefs, building a career means moving from one opportunity to the next. Brian's story has been defined by committing to one restaurant and steadily shaping it over time.
Learning from the best
Before becoming an owner, Brian built his reputation in some of Australia's leading kitchens.
He trained under Tony Bilson at Bilson's before continuing his career at Quay and Astral Restaurant, developing the technical discipline and consistency expected at the highest level of Australian dining.
Seeking a broader perspective, he travelled overseas, working at London's Pied à Terre and Ireland's Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud. Different countries and different kitchens exposed him to new ways of thinking, but the expectations remained the same. Standards were uncompromising, details mattered and consistency was part of every service.
Those experiences gave Brian the foundation he would later draw on as both a chef and a business owner.
Taking on Berowra Waters Inn
Buying a restaurant with the history of Berowra Waters Inn brings a different kind of responsibility.
Guests arrive with expectations built over decades, while every menu is measured against the restaurant's reputation. Reinvention is rarely the answer.
Brian's approach has been measured. Rather than changing the identity of the restaurant, he has gradually made it his own, allowing the cooking to evolve while respecting the qualities that made Berowra Waters Inn one of Australia's most recognised regional restaurants.
That balance has helped the restaurant remain relevant without losing its sense of place.
Finding his own style
Accessible only by water and surrounded by the Hawkesbury landscape, Berowra Waters Inn has always been closely connected to its environment.
That connection is reflected in Brian's cooking. Australian seafood, seasonal produce and ingredients sourced from New South Wales feature throughout the menu, supported by restrained technique and careful attention to balance.
The food does not rely on unnecessary complexity. Technique sits beneath the surface, allowing the quality of the ingredients to lead each dish.
It is a style that reflects confidence built over years rather than the need to make a statement.
The long view
Fourteen years is a long time in hospitality.
Teams change, suppliers evolve and guest expectations continue to rise. Holding standards through that period requires more than technical ability. It demands leadership, consistency and the willingness to keep improving without losing sight of what made the restaurant successful in the first place.
Berowra Waters Inn has continued to earn recognition because it has remained true to that approach.
For chefs, there is an important lesson in that. Long-term success is rarely built on constant reinvention. More often, it comes from making small improvements, backing good people and maintaining standards day after day.
More than a chef
Ownership changes the role of a chef.
The responsibility extends well beyond the pass. Every decision influences the direction of the business, from building a team and mentoring young chefs to maintaining the guest experience and protecting the reputation of the restaurant.
Brian has spent more than a decade balancing those responsibilities while continuing to lead the kitchen.
That perspective has become increasingly relevant as more experienced chefs look beyond cooking alone and towards building sustainable businesses.
What two hats mean here
Two hats in the Good Food Guide 2026 recognise more than a successful menu or a strong year of service.
They recognise a chef who chose to invest in one restaurant, respected its history and spent more than a decade steadily building on its reputation.
Brian Geraghty's career began in some of Australia's and Europe's leading kitchens, but Berowra Waters Inn is where he has made his lasting contribution. The hats reflect years of consistency, thoughtful leadership and a commitment to doing the work at a high level, year after year.
