Massimo Di Luca has more than 25 years in the
hospitality and dining industry.
His previous roles include 15 years in European hotels and
restaurants, such as Suvretta House in Saint Moritz and
Hotel Dorchester in London. He also has extensive
experience in all phases of food operations, from
prestigious hotels, luxury cruise liners and five star
catering services.
Beginning his culinary career in Switzerland Massimo
gained experience in a number of five star establishments
throughout 1979 and 1983. Following this, he was appointed
Sous Chef at the esteemed Hotel Dorchester in London with
Anton Mosiman. As Executive Chef, he was also part of the
team that was awarded two Michelin stars for the Terrace
Restaurant in 1984.
In 1986, Massimo returned to Switzerland to complete his
Swiss Chef Certified Master Diploma and as Chef
Garde-Manger at the Richmond Hotel in Geneva. Leading a
team of 15 people, he was responsible for the day to day
operation of the Garde-manger including cold starters,
salads, cocktail foods, butchery and fishmonger
preparation.
In 1998, Massimo returned to the family owned business
Restaurant Canvetto Ticinese as the Executive Chef/Owner.
He successfully re-established the traditional restaurant,
including redesigning the menus and wine list and improved
the quality control and operational efficiency of the
restaurant.
After completing his Swiss Chef Master Diploma in 1990,
Massimo accepted the position of Sous-Chef Banqueting
at the Hotel Dorchester in London, working with Executive
Chef Will Elsener. A major area of focus for Massimo
during this period was the reopening of the banqueting
operation which included 6 banquet facilities with a daily
capacity of over 900 people.
Following this, Massimo was appointed
Corporate Executive Chef for Costa Cruise Lines in Genoa,
Miami USA. His role saw him manage and direct the food
operation for a fleet of 10 ships, catering for an
international clientele with a range of cruise itineraries
from South America, Northern Europe to World Tours. He
spent four years with Costa Cruise Lines before moving to
Melbourne and accepting a position with Crown..
Massimo joined Crown in 1996 as Executive Sous Chef and
managed the planning of the opening of the Food & Beverage
operation in the new Crown Entertainment Complex. This
included the setting up of the entire kitchen, the
coordination of the recruitment of all kitchen employees
for the opening (including 460 chefs), developing the food
concepts for over 20 restaurants and banqueting, the
purchasing of all operating equipment and chinaware
required and the development of a kitchen manual.
In October 2001 Massimo was promoted to Director of Food
Operations, Food & Beverage at Crown, responsible for all
food aspects of the Food & Beverage operation consisting
of 17 restaurants, 2 snack bars and the banqueting
operation which includes the prestigious Palladium at
Crown. A major area of Massimo's role was the strategic
development of the Food & Beverage department, from
restaurant concepts to food trends. He was also
responsible for the financial management of Food
Operations and the implementation of all major food
festivals held at Crown, including the Masters of
Australian Food & Wine and Bella Italia.
Within this role, Massimo was responsible for over 300
staff, including two Executive Chef, four Executive Sous
Chef, 16 Chef de Cuisines and 22 Sous Chefs reporting
directly to him.
Memberships:
- Officier Maitre Rotisseur
of the Victorian Chapter of the Chaine de Rotisseur
