'Cheeky twists': why chef Rory Brown has been crowned Vic's best

The head chef of Five Flags Hotel at Campbells Creek has been crowned 2024 Chef of the Year at the Australian Hotels Association Victorian awards.

Brown lives in Kangaroo Flat and has worked for Bendigo's Brougham Arms and now-closed Barzurk restaurant.

He said his menu at the historic Five Flags pub focused on "fancy, but honest" food.

Judges said his menu "covered all the country pub classics, which he does extremely well, with a specials board that might include bubble and squeak croquettes and braised beef cheek on sourdough".

"These cheeky twists on classic flavours are hugely popular, and show how well Rory knows his customers".

While Brown may work out of a "tiny old kitchen", he said what he loves about the historic Five Flags was "it's still got a heart".

The pub opened in 1855 and survived an Australia Day fire in 1875 that destroyed most of Campbells Creek.

"It's not one of these newly renovated, lifeless, soulless pubs, it's properly old school and the clientele represent that," Brown said.

"We've got people that'll just come in for a burger and a parma, and then we've got lovely clientele that want to eat the whole menu or they want to try the specials board.

"There's literally something for everyone there."

Pub grub runs in Brown's family. His grandparents owned a pub in Kyabram and his mum was a pub cook.

In his spare time, Brown enjoys fishing and hunting, which are reflected in his meals he was fondest of.

"I like to cook with a lot of game, I like to use rabbits, whole foods, stuff that we can braise down, break down," he said.

"Maybe it is a simple duck ragu on, like, a Parmesan semolina and it's an old school dish, but it's done right, it's done well and it's honest."

A chef for 17 years, he can't see himself leaving.

"We've had a lot of support from the local community, which it's really sort of fitting of Campbell's Creek and Castlemaine, it's a great local community that supports each other, so we've been really lucky there," he said.

"I probably don't believe I'm the best, but I do try my best; it was a pretty big underdog achievement for me.

"I'm still sort of blown away by it and it was good to be recognised and I'm real thankful that I've got a great team in the kitchen."

Brown will go up against the best chef from other states at the AHA National Awards on Monday, November 25.