i. Biography
The fire-led kitchen at Firedoor in Surry Hills, Sydney, is built on wood, ember management and restraint rather than on flame as display. In the work of Lennox Hastie, Owner and Chef of Firedoor, that approach is grounded in Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK, France and Spain, and in the Basque Country’s Asador Etxebarri, where fire is treated as a working method with its own timing, temperatures and consequences. Firedoor opened in 2015 as a Sydney expression of that discipline: flame, embers, patience and instinct used as the central tools of the kitchen.
The Route
Exact service habits are often formed before a cook has a defined language of their own. Early work as kitchen staff at 1 Michelin star country pub in near Sussex, England gave Lennox Hastie exposure to repetition, precision and the discipline of professional cooking. The later post as chef at Asador Etxebarri in Basque Country moved that discipline toward live fire, where heat is not one condition but a set of stages: flame, coal, ember, breath and ash. Live-fire cooking depends on attention before action. In Hastie’s work, fire is not a rustic effect or a backdrop; it is the cooking medium. Timing, control and restraint matter because wood changes state constantly. The cook has to judge when flame has dropped, when ember heat is ready, and when smoke supports the ingredient rather than covering it. The appearance as self at Chef's Table: BBQ (2020–2020) put that fire-based method in front of a wider audience. The screen presented the same structure already visible to diners in Sydney: ingredient, heat and restraint, with little reliance on ornament. Current restaurant work places Lennox as chef-owner of Firedoor and chef/restaurateur of Gildas.
Present Day
The Firedoor kitchen is powered entirely by wood. A variety of woods are burned daily to create embers, and those embers are used to cook in a way intended to enhance the natural characteristics of the ingredients. The work is tactile rather than technological: coals, timber, produce and the repeated judgement of distance, exposure and rest. There is no gas or electricity in the Firedoor kitchen. The equipment is direct and limited: two wood-fired ovens, three grills and a wood-burning hearth. The cooking has been described as simple and subtle, using 11 different kinds of wood to add a light smokiness to high-quality locally sourced produce. In this register, simplicity is not a shortcut; it is the result of selecting the wood, managing the ember and stopping before the fire becomes the dominant flavour. “Fire for me is everything. Cooking with fire is more than just a technique.” Experience, patience and instinct are the working values attached to the beauty of ingredients. The clearest examples are dishes noted for pure, primal minimalism: beef hung for 150 days and served naked on a plate; prawns going from tank to table within 10 minutes; fish grilled over apple wood; steak cooked over ironbark and grape vines. Hastie has cited the fish and steak as dishes that helped diners understand his flame-driven menu. The restaurant specialty is grilling steak and vegetables over fire. The skill is not smoke for its own sake; it is the matching of wood, ember and ingredient so the produce remains legible. Fire is present, but its purpose is clarification rather than cover. The Sydney work also extends to Gildas in Surry Hills, which Lennox Hastie opened in 2022. He has been sole owner of Gildas from 2025 to present.
Signature
The signature associated with Lennox Hastie is Beef hung for 150 days.
Distinctions
Lennox Hastie has received Good Food Guide — 2 Hats. Recognition for Lennox Hastie includes Two Chef’s Hats.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Lennox
What role does Lennox Hastie hold?
Lennox Hastie is Owner and Chef.
Where did Lennox Hastie work before?
Earlier in their career, Lennox Hastie worked at 1 Michelin star country pub, Asador Etxebarri, and Chef's Table: BBQ.
What recognition has Lennox Hastie received?
Two Chef’s Hats.
