Ferdinand 'Budgie' Montoya
Born in the Philippines, Chef Ferdinand ‘Budgie’ Montoya was raised in Sydney, Australia, where cooking had always been a side hobby to his career in IT.
| Fact title | Fact data |
|---|---|
| Restaurant |
It wasn’t until his late 20s, whilst on a trip to London in 2009, that he questioned whether he should swap computers for pans.
Following his move to London in 2012, Budgie finally took the plunge to pursue cooking professionally, landing positions such as commis chef at Dean Street Townhouse, and demi chef de partie at Restaurant Story.
In late 2016, he started a supper club - Sarap - as a chance to be more creative, learn more about Filipino food and reconnect with his culture. From there he did a pop up at the Sun & 13 Cantons in Soho 2019, and later moved on to opening his first pop up Sarap location in January 2020. In Summer 2023, Sarap will be opening their first permanent restaurant in Kingly Court, Soho.
Budgie describes his cooking as simple and elegant - with a Filipino soul and a London heart. His cooking is deeply influenced by Filipino cuisine and pays homage to his origins. He often adapts his dishes from traditional recipes, or uses traditional ingredients to keep that connection.
Budgie wishes to champion Filipino cuisine in his GBM dishes, inspired by Horrid Henry and Winnie the Pooh.
