Curtis Stone
Curtis Stone | |
|---|---|
| Born | Curtis Travis Stone November 4, 1975 Melbourne, Australia |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, author, television personality |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Television chef, author, ambassador for Coles Supermarkets |
Curtis Travis Stone (born 4 November 1975) is an Australian chef renowned for his work as an author and television figure. Since 2010, he has represented Coles Supermarkets in Australia as their ambassador for fresh food and recipe development.
Early life
Stone was born in Melbourne and raised in East Keilor. His culinary journey began at the age of four under the guidance of his paternal grandmother, Maude. His father worked as an accountant while his mother was a florist; they separated when he was two years old. Stone attended Penleigh and Essendon Grammar School, where he studied home economics before completing a commercial cookery apprenticeship at a vocational institution.
Career
Initially pursuing a Bachelor of Business at Victoria University, Stone decided to leave his studies to focus on a culinary profession. He gained experience in Australian restaurants prior to relocating to London at 18 to start working at the Savoy Hotel. After obtaining his chef qualifications from Box Hill TAFE, he trained under Marco Pierre White at Café Royal and Mirabelle, eventually rising to the position of head chef at White’s Quo Vadis.
Television
Stone briefly returned to Australia to co-create the travel-oriented cooking series Surfing the Menu on ABC alongside chef Ben O'Donoghue.
In the United Kingdom, Stone appeared on various cooking programs including Dinner in a Box, Good Food Live, and Saturday Kitchen. He served as host for the inaugural season of My Restaurant Rules in Australia. In May 2006, Stone began hosting Take Home Chef on TLC in the United States, which achieved international success.
On American television, Stone is a frequent guest on NBC's Today, including a stint co-hosting its fourth hour in January 2011. His appearances extend to shows such as Martha, Access Hollywood, Lopez Tonight, The Nate Berkus Show, The Talk, The Chew, and Rachael Ray. In June 2011, he demonstrated how to prepare a romantic meal with Conan O'Brien on Conan.
Stone competed in Food Network's Iron Chef America during the "Battle Skipjack Tuna" episode but was defeated by Iron Chef Bobby Flay. He also made multiple appearances on the reality series The Biggest Loser.
In 2010, Stone participated in The Celebrity Apprentice 3, finishing in fourth place. On the same day, he co-hosted Miss USA 2010. Additional appearances include guest spots on The Ellen DeGeneres Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show, notably featuring in Oprah's Ultimate Australian Adventure in 2011.
In June 2010, Stone joined the panel of judges and investors on NBC’s series America's Next Great Restaurant alongside Bobby Flay, Steve Ells, and Lorena Garcia; its first season aired in 2011. That year, he also appeared as a guest on the fourth season of The Celebrity Apprentice.
He hosted Bravo’s third season of Top Chef Masters in 2011 and co-hosted the culinary competition series Around the World in 80 Plates with Cat Cora in 2012, which showcased chefs competing across ten nations. In 2014, he presided over judging duties for the spin-off series Top Chef Duels.
In August 2012, Stone featured on an episode of MasterChef Australia All-Stars and later returned for a MasterClass with Marco Pierre White in 2015. He took on hosting responsibilities for Kitchen Inferno beginning in 2014 and mentored contestants on Food Network’s inaugural culinary competition, All Star Academy, in 2015. That same year, he appeared twice on Food Network’s series Guilty Pleasures. Additionally, Stone participated in the second season of Celebrity Family Feud during 2015.
In 2017, Stone co-hosted FOX’s reality cooking show My Kitchen Rules, having previously been featured on the original Australian version.
His PBS series titled Field Trip with Curtis Stone debuted in 2019. By 2021, he had taken on a judging role for the competition program Crime Scene Kitchen.
Restaurants
On 1 February 2014, Stone inaugurated his debut dining establishment, Maude, located in Beverly Hills. The restaurant was named in honor of his paternal grandmother. Maude was awarded a Michelin star in the 2019 edition of the Michelin Guide for California and has consistently retained this one-star distinction through 2023. In 2016, Stone introduced a second venue, Gwen, situated in Hollywood, which pays tribute to his maternal grandmother. Gwen earned a Michelin star in 2022. Expanding his reach internationally, Stone opened Woodend by Curtis Stone at the Maroma Hotel in Mexico in 2024.
Other projects
In 2007, Stone co-hosted the Great Barrier Feast Culinary Masterclass on Hamilton Island alongside several renowned Australian chefs. The following year, he launched "Kitchen Solutions by Curtis Stone," a collection of kitchen tools and glassware. Stone has written multiple cookbooks, including the 2013 bestseller What's For Dinner?, which was also published in Chinese. His most recent publication, Good Food, Good Life, was released in 2015 across the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Stone has partnered with United Airlines to develop recipes for their in-flight meals and has taken part in culinary showcases such as the 2010 Singapore Sun Festival. He acts as a goodwill ambassador for several charitable organizations focused on hunger alleviation and community aid, including Cottage by the Sea, Feeding America, and Second-Bite.
A significant element of Stone’s commercial endeavors is his enduring collaboration with Australia's Coles Supermarket as their fresh food and recipe ambassador. Since 2011, he has shaped Australian cooking habits through monthly recipe contributions featured in Coles Magazine and by promoting sustainable sourcing practices. His initial campaign emphasizing budget-friendly meals under $10 inspired comparable initiatives overseas, such as Winn-Dixie's "Cooking with Curtis for under $10" launched in 2015.
Stone also broadened his brand into entertainment by providing the voice for the character Todd in DreamWorks Animation’s 2016 film Trolls and its 2017 holiday special Trolls Holiday.
Personal life
Stone began a relationship with American actress Lindsay Price following a blind date in late 2009. They became engaged in July 2012 and were married on 8 June 2013 in Spain. The couple has two sons named Hudson and Emerson and currently live in Los Angeles.
Additionally, Stone is an admirer of the Geelong Football Club.
Publications
- Surfing the Menu, 2005
- Surfing the Menu, again
- Cooking with Curtis, 2006
- Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone, 2009
- What's For Dinner? 2013
- Good Food, Good Life, 2015