BBQ, Culture & Craft: Getting to Know Reyan Fernando

Favourite food Region

Reyan Fernando’s culinary heart belongs to Sri Lanka. Growing up with its rich, vibrant flavours and an incredible variety of sweet and savory dishes made with fresh, local ingredients, Sri Lanka offers a unique culinary adventure influenced by different cultures.

"I absolutely love Sri Lankan food, mainly because I grew up with it, and mostly because of the flavours. The variety of dishes is incredible, both from a sweet and savory point of view."

Perfect culinary day

Reyan's ideal culinary day involves a DIY grazing style BBQ lunch beside the pool, complete with refreshing drinks.

"It's more about enjoying time with family and friends and just enjoying life. Having one or two BBQs going, grilling on one, smoking on the other, and taking turns to cook up a variety of meat throughout the day—it's my most favourite way to spend the day."

Culinary journey

Although Reyan started in hospitality, he decided to shift paths due to the lifestyle impact. However, his love for creating and experimenting with food has always been a driving force. "I have always had the love to create and experiment with food," Reyan says.

Inspirational chefs

Reyan draws inspiration from a variety of chefs and pitmasters. Notable figures include Martin Goffin from Red Gum BBQ, Chef Samuel Burke from the MLA, Luke Moonshine from Phatboyz BBQ, Diego Alvarez from Brazilian Flame BBQ, and locally, KC at Wildfire Craft BBQ and David from Geelong Smoked Brisket.

"I've looked up to a bunch of different chefs and pitmasters growing up, both with a level of awe and as a source of inspiration. As I have developed my love of BBQ over the years, more recently that inspiration comes from local Aussie BBQ pitmasters and chefs."

Continuous Improvement

Each year, Reyan hones his skills by experimenting with new techniques and recipes, learning from other BBQ pitmasters and chefs, and refining his craft through practice and feedback from friends and family. "Every year, I improve by experimenting with new techniques and recipes, learning from other BBQ pitmasters and chefs, and fine-tuning my skills through practice," Reyan says.

Aspirations

Reyan aspires to master the art of live fire cooking, a skill he considers an art form. "Live fire cooking—it's such an art form, and I look forward to the day I get to learn how to master it," he says. On his days off, you can find Reyan working as an EOS Implementer, often weaving BBQ topics into his sessions. "I drop BBQ topics as much as I can during my sessions," he says.

Favorite ingredient and kitchen essentials

Reyan loves preparing meals with his kids and enjoys working with ribs—pork, beef, or lamb—taking them on a low and slow journey to create delicious, juicy, and tender meals.

"I just love throwing some flavour on ribs and taking them on a low and slow journey to make them deliciously juicy and tender," he says. The three essentials in Reyan’s kitchen are a good knife (or two), an instant-read thermometer, and foil, which he considers underrated.

Dream hangout

If given the chance, Reyan would love to hang out with Hattem Mattar, the World’s 1st Arab Pitmaster, for a weekend of cooking and learning. "I think it would be amazing to spend a weekend with him, cooking and learning," Reyan says.