Peter Howard
After 44 years of cooking and hospitality industry involvement, Peter Howard has retired from being one of Australia’s most recognised food and wine commentators and consultant on food, wine and tourism issues. He is still passionate about all areas to do with food, wine and tourism—his grounding came from being born into a great family who lived mostly in Beaudesert although he started life in Brisbane General Hospital and spent some years in St George.
For 16 years, his national television segments, entertained and educated millions of people around Australia on the Channel 9 network, mostly on the Today Show. He retired from full time television in December 2002 and now does rare appearances on television shows wherever it suits. Regular radio interviews and articles in magazines and newspapers used to keep Australian audiences informed of the latest trends in food and wine for three decades – he started on Radio 2GB on January 4, 1980 and now does radio segments wherever needed.
The foundation of his success is his professional background in his multiple experiences in the hospitality industry, having owned/operated four restaurants and a large catering company.
Peter has penned 19 books, 2 of them text books with co-author Jeffery Puckeridge; the other books are cookery books which he has sometimes co authored but the last 8 (with New Holland Publishers) have been under his own pen.
The two books he has written on diabetic cooking (he is a type 2 diabetic) have been very successful; so much so, it has been combined into one and called Healthy Living + Entertaining. Peter works as much as he can to bring the awareness of diabetes to the everyday people.
Peter was a councillor on the RAS of New South Wales for nine years and was chair of the Dairy Produce Committee which conducts the annual Cheese and Dairy Produce Show—he still judges occasionally.
His cooking demonstrations were legendary around Australia—he cooked, on stage at the Royal Easter Show for 22 years and at the EKKA for 11 years with Alison Alexander.
He was involved in the G’day LA & USA program for five years and has been an Australia Day Ambassador since 1996.
Retirement has not dulled his love for his country which he maintains has given him the best life ever.