Head Chef

Martin Anderson

Martin Anderson is an Executive chef on a mission.  With an infectious personality and passion for food, it is only apt that Martin (or Marty as he prefers to be called) would want to help improve the health of the nation through his cooking.

Born in the sunshine capital of Australia, Brisbane, Marty was one of the first apprentices to pass through the Hospitality Training Association’s formal apprenticeship programme.  This experience gave him a valuable insight into some of the region’s best known food and beverage operations, including Albertos, The Summit, The Lyrebird, North Quay, The Tivolli and The Carlton Crest.

It was however, his appointment to Junior Sous Chef at Lennon’s Hotel that saw Marty progress from the ranks of apprentice to professional chef.  He has not looked back since, sharing his natural business acumen and all-consuming passion for cooking with a string of upmarket venues, including the Radisson Hotel, where he was Executive Sous Chef for two years, Le Scoops (Head Chef), Barsoma (Consultant and Head Chef) and M&L Catering, where he was Owner and Chef for six years. 

Impressively, this was all achieved before establishing the highly successful Suburban Bistro, which he managed and operated as Owner and Chef for the next three years. Despite the many challenges and rewards that came from owning and operating a restaurant, Marty continued to feel he had more to offer.

He was right.  In 2007, following a stellar career in mainstream restaurants, Marty was invited to join the JUS family, a brand new player in the take-home frozen health food industry.  The timing was perfect.  JUS needed a chef who was not only talented in the kitchen, but also shared their vision for creating a healthier, happier Australia.   This was just the challenge Marty had been looking for and the deal was sealed over a cup of coffee with friends. 

The next six months saw Marty heavily involved in supplier procurement, kitchen set-up, menu design and market research.  A core element of the process required Marty to work closely with professional dieticians to ensure the dietary components of every meal reflected the core philosophies of JUS – health, flavour, value-for-money and convenience.  The results were nothing short of spectacular.  A convenient and wholesome take-home meal prepared with high quality ingredients and presented in a manner more akin to an a la carte restaurant than a take-home meal.

Marty admits the jump from fresh to frozen foods seems a little at odds with his background, however is adamant JUS is the best gourmet frozen food available on the market today and that it is his experience within restaurants that will help change the way Australians view frozen food.

“I have put my name behind this food and for a chef to do that you must have total confidence in the product.”

While it is difficult to imagine Marty doing anything but cooking, there is one aspect of his life that takes precedence over everything else and that is his family.  Married to long-term ‘soul mate’ Leanne and residing in leafy Mt Gravatt; Marty’s eyes sparkle at the mere mention of seven year-old son, Charleton.  “He’s fabulous. Children are fabulous. They give life meaning.”  Marty is quick to add that the responsibility that comes from being a father has given him a much clearer perspective on the need for healthy living and leading by example. 

According to Marty, despite the many warnings, Australians continue to remain complacent when it comes to poor eating habits and it is definitely time to make a change. To highlight the issue, Marty points to the many children in lower primary school today who are almost the same weight as himself. Marty concedes school restaurants have to a large extent manipulated the offerings of ‘tuckshops’; however believes the real issues of dietary imbalance can usually be found in the home.

Through JUS Marty’s focus is on helping address the increasing issues associated with poor dietary health.  He believes education at the earliest possible age and quality time spent at the family table over a healthy dinner, are the two easiest and most effective ways to make a change.

“JUS is about giving people time back in their home environment – a greater quality of life. My food is the conduit.”

As Marty puts it, food, and indeed the act of eating, should be about quality and, if you can’t afford your very own chef, JUS is the next best thing.