To start, we’d love to know more about your love affair with food. Have you always had an interest in the culinary arts?
I have always loved cooking. In the family album there’s so many photos of me at a very young age in the kitchen creating dishes. I was always helping mum prepare dinner or assisting my grandma at Christmas or other big occasions.

You initially embarked on a career as a lawyer before swapping the courtroom for the kitchen – what encouraged you to make the jump?
After my first-year practicing as a lawyer, I came to the sudden realisation that I couldn’t see myself doing this for the next 30 years. A few months later, after a lot of reflection, I made the decision to do what I really love – cooking. It was a tough decision but it’s one I don’t regret as I’ve never looked back.

You studied at the acclaimed Ferrandi culinary school before going on to work in Michelin-starred restaurants across France – aside from honing the technical skills required to be a top-flight chef, what lessons did this period of your career teach you about life in hospitality?
During my time in Paris, I learnt so much about humility, hard work and discipline. The days started at 7:30 am and finished around midnight. Every day was a fresh start and I was there to give everything I had in order to grow professionally and personally. I wanted to prove to myself, and others, that I was deserving.

Was there anything in particular that influenced your decision to become a pastry chef?
Whilst I’ve always been passionate about bread, I actually didn’t plan on becoming a pastry chef! It only came to fruition when I moved to Australia in 2017. Being French, breads and pastries are a part of our daily lives, and I think we take it for granted. Since being in Australia, I started to realise how special this craft is and I feel privileged to have been able to share this with our guests at The Calile Hotel and Lobby Bar.

What would you say is your personal philosophy when it comes to cooking?
Let the produce be the star of the plate! Cooking is a form of storytelling – I create food that’s visually and conceptually appealing, with a deep emotional centre.

You and your husband Andy Gunn have been at the helm of Lobby Bar at The Calile since 2020 – what would you say are some of the key ways you’ve elevated and applied your own spin to the Lobby Bar’s offering?
The recently launched rooftop garden and our thriving colony of busy bees has truly elevated the Lobby Bar’s offering. Built and farmed in partnership with urban cultivators, Future Wild, the rooftop garden is part of The Calile’s continued commitment to sustainable practices.

Collaborating day to day with Ellia – our gardener from Future Wild – to create a rooftop-to-table concept at Lobby Bar that complements our seasonal approach to menus has been really special. Guests know ingredients have been harvested directly from the garden and placed with care on their plate and, as a chef, it’s an amazing privilege to have. In the pastry kitchen, we’ve customised all our freshly baked breads to feature produce from the garden in order to compliment the new menu and our ethos of sustainability and seasonality.

Can you tell us what a day in the life of Amélie Gunn usually looks like?
Like all bakers, my day starts quite early. I usually arrive at work at 3:00 am to start shaping the dough. This is actually my favourite part of day, when everyone is still sleeping and the city is quiet. I’m left to do my work in utter silence and peace. Then, around 6:00 am, comes the next best thing – baking pastries. The aromas of buttery pastries waft through the hotel and it takes me back to my childhood, where I’d go to the bakery with my Dad every Sunday morning. It was a special tradition of ours. Then, at 1:00 pm, I finish my shift and get some fresh air on a run, swim or workout before picking up my two beautiful little girls.

What ingredients or produce are you thrilled to be incorporating in Lobby Bar’s pastry menu right now?
A dish that resonates with our philosophy at Lobby Bar is our garlic bread. We grow the parsley and garlic in the rooftop garden and use them in our homemade garlic butter. We then laminate the bread as if we were making a croissant. That’s our take on the Italian staple that Aussies love.

What other Brisbane spots do you recommend for:

• A cheap and cheerful feed? Café O-Mai
• A celebratory feast? Restaurant Dan Arnold
• Innovative eats? Exhibition Restaurant
• A good drink? Snack Man

When cooking at home, what are some recipes that you tend to gravitate towards when cooking for just yourself, or impressing a loved one or a group of friends?
It often comes down to an old traditional family recipe, which is French of course. It’s either my mum’s veal blanquette, ratatouille, chicken Basquaise, or pomme puree.

What would you say are three essential pantry items everyone should always have on hand at home?
Fresh vanilla, praline paste, and good quality chocolate!