Meet The Makers

Introducing the "saints" behind St Siandra

You won’t find many more passionate about hospitality than long-time collaborators, business partners and mates, Mitch Davis and Gavin Gray.

Left to right: Sam McCallum, Gavin Gray, Mitch Davis

And when two talented, determined chefs-turned-restaurateurs such as these throw their 40+ years’ hospitality experience on the table to create a new dining and drinking venue - with a philosophy of living life to the fullest every day - you just know something exceptional is on its way.

Mitch and Gavin have cooked in and run dozens of kitchens and restaurants between them, both in Australia and overseas, separately and together as part of their Great Eats catering company. But Sydney’s newest waterfront restaurant and bar St Siandra holds a special place in their hearts as their first standalone venue.

The two have a bit of a history, meeting as chefs back in the day and going on to set up Great Eats, under which they have since run kitchens for top Sydney venues like Bondi Icebergs Club. During Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020, they added another string to their bow, establishing Great Meats Co. to supply the best cuts of meat for top restaurants and chefs around town like The Charles and Lou Lou, and opening a retail butchery in Leichhardt.

Along the way, they met one of Sydney's best young chefs, Sam McCallum who was, at the time, head chef of two hatted Nomad restaurant. Sam later left Nomad and decided to join the team at St Siandra.

“We are immensely fortunate that Sam is joining us on the pans at St Siandra,” said Gavin. “He’s a great talent in the kitchen and an all-round nice bloke. We couldn’t think of a better chef to help us open our first standalone restaurant.”

In bringing St Siandra to life, Mitch and Gavin partnered with Andrew Phelan, one of Gavin’s school buddies from 35 years ago and head of Sydney construction company, ProjectPlus. Andrew has had the often challenging task of building the restaurant, bar and upstairs function room, working within the existing framework of a space adjoining the Middle Harbour Yacht Club, set atop the sand on a private beach.

Crucial to the project has been Seaforth-local, renowned interior designer Sally Taylor, who has worked with Mitch, Gavin and Andrew to concoct a stunning concept for the restaurant, sourcing furniture locally and from Italy to complete the Amalfi Coast look.

The result of bringing together this group of passionate, top-of-their-game hospitality specialists and stalwarts will be a warm, welcoming and wonderful restaurant with good times and happy memories at its core. And they couldn't be more excited to share it with you when the time comes in 2023.

In short

Gavin Gray

Gavin Gray has ticked a lot of culinary boxes in his 20+ years in hospitality working both here and overseas: running the kitchen at Clovelly Hotel in its heyday, consulting for top restaurants and Michelin star chefs, manning the pans in hotel kitchens, catering for major Australian Turf Club Racing Carnivals and running operations for a wholesale meat supplier in Singapore. He now finds himself on the other side of the water to where his career began - an apprenticeship at Catalina in Rose Bay under the watchful eye of John Vanderveer - opening his first owned and operated restaurant, St Siandra, at Mosman’s The Spit, in partnership with Mitchell Davis, with whom he also runs boutique meat wholesaler Great Meats Co and catering and consulting business Great Eats (running Bondi Icebergs Club and Cascade Dining in Belrose). 

Mitch Davis

A master of putting venues on the foodie map, Mitchell Davis has been creating innovative menus and cooking in and consulting to Sydney’s best casual diners and gastropubs for more than 20+ years. During his career, he’s been responsible for transforming kitchens in iconic venues like The Dolphin, the Duck Inn Pub and the Landmark Hotel where he was awarded Good Food’s ‘Best Pub Chef of the Year’ in 2013. A BBQ champion, Mitch has also won multiple competitions both here and overseas, including 2016 Reserve Grand Champion at Australia's biggest barbecue festival, Meatstock Sydney and 2016 Grand Champion at Kansas City Barbeque Society BBQ Competition in Sydney. He also recently represented Australia at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational BBQ. Mitch is combining his passions for BBQ, casual dining and fishing into one place at new waterside St Siandra at Mosman’s The Spit, his first owned and operated restaurant, which he’s running with Gavin Gray, his partner in his other businesses boutique meat wholesaler Great Meats Co. and catering and consulting business Great Eats (running Bondi Icebergs Club and Cascade Dining in Belrose).