User:Gordon Colin O'Keeffe

Gordon Colin O'Keeffe was born in Rochford, Essex on the 4th of May 1971 to Ursula Jean O'Keeffe a Nurse and Thomas Francis O'Keeffe a Machine setter, he has two brothers, Kevin Francis O'Keeffe and Simon Patrick O'Keeffe and a sister Erin Louise O'Keeffe, His grandfather was Colin Macnaughton, a master tailor on Saville Row.At the age of 18 months his parents immigrated to Australia on the 10 pound ticket system on the Greek ship Ellinis, the ship stopped in the Canary islands, Cape town and then sailed into Fremantle, Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Thomas and Ursula and their 3 children then took a train to Brisbane in Queensland to finally settle in Shorncliffe.

Gordon went to Shorncliffe Primary school from 1977 to 1984, excelling in Running. He went to Sandgate state High School from 1984 to 1988 After finishing High school he worked with his father as a metal worker at Tube Art in the suburb of Nudgee. Leaving after several serious accidents to his legs, at the age of 17 he went to work for numerous factories as assistants to welders etc., finally going to wash dishes at the Golden Ox in Margate, then washing dishes at Raphael's restaurant in Sandgate, finally getting his calling as a possible chef. Starting his apprenticeship with the Hospitality Training Association of Queensland as a 1st year.

His first placement was at the Orient Hotel in Fortitude Valley making pub food, after 1 year was placed at the Myer center in Brisbane's CBD, a very busy eatery called Hot and Healthy, after a tumultuous 6 months working with a Greek Family he received an offer to work with Rick Stephen the Chef/proprietor at Raphael's restaurant as a 2nd year apprentice, He entered many cooking competitions(salon culinares)where he won 6 gold medals and 6 silvers and a bronze, receiving 2 trophies for best in section.He worked at Raphael's with Steven Schwarz and David Donnelly, Steven Schwarz left Raphael's as he had finished his apprenticeship and a 17 year old apprentice started, Shannon Kellam(Blocker)Gordon worked at Raphael's for 2 years, Rick Stephan sold the business to John Buchanan and his wife. Gordon decided to branch out and move to a busier establishment, going to work at ANZ stadium, The QE2 Sports club at Mt Gravatt, the club at the time had 28000 members. Working under 2 great chefs, Robert Cooper and Adrian Underhill, Head chef and sous chef respectively, he stayed there as a 4th year apprentice in charge of 8 other apprentices, after qualifying as a commis chef in 1996,he was elevated to Chef de Partie and stayed on for 1 more year, during that time he met Zoe Sandow-Quirk.

His relationship soured after a trip to London where he worked for one year. He worked in 3 different places, starting at Quaglino's, Zinc Bar and Grill and finishing at the fabulous hotel, The Covent Garden Hotel, where he worked with Head Chef Gerald Aberdeen. After moving back to Australia in 1998 and splitting with his then fiancé Zoe Sandow-Quirk he worked with Head Chef, Bill Cobb at the Belvedere Hotel,Woody Point, Redcliffe.Teaming up again with Sous chef and friend, Shannon Kellam. In the year 2000 O'Keeffe then went back to England to work as a chef in many establishments in the London region, Byron's restaurant in Hampstead, 23 Romilly street, Boisdale's of Bishopsgate, and the famous Langham Hilton Hotel where he met idols like Michel Roux. In 2003 he met a Spanish woman and moved to Malaga. He worked at El Higueron for 6 months finding it very difficult to integrate with the culture and not being able to speak Spanish. He got engaged to Maria Angeles Roman Montanez, O'Keeffe is now a Chef/Professor at Les Roches Hotel management school in Marbella, where he has been working for 6 and a half years. He has a 3 year old son named Liam Thomas O'Keeffe Roman.