Chef Joel Bickford talks his early career in hospo and what you should order at The International
The Culinary Director of The Point* Group chats with Esquire about his childhood in the Blue Mountains, formative years in hospitality, and the menu at his new multi-storey venue
By 
IT’S THE OFFICIAL launch party of The International, a three-storey venue in the heart of Sydney’s Martin Place, and Joel Bickford is preparing to feed 500 of the city’s tastemakers and very-important-people. The country’s financial hub has been edging closer to the style set ever since Aussie label Haulier staged an alfresco runway show of its ’70s air travel-inspired wares two years ago. If that same show were to take place tonight, you’d have a prime viewing spot from one of the balconies of The International’s three venues: The Panorama Bar, The Grill, and The Wine Bar. This new monument from the restaurant group is just what the precinct needed.
As the Culinary Director of The Point* Group since 2021, Bickford has been the mastermind behind some of Sydney’s favourite establishments. Eaten a hearty pub classic at The Dolphin Hotel? Or spent happy hour at The Menzies Bar? The menu’s at both are overseen by Bickford. His shining jewel to date is Shell House, a multi-venue monument that offers a bistro, a bar set within a clocktower, and a plush dining room on the terrace. But The International, which opened in November last year, may just eclipse that.
Set between Harry Seidler’s iconic ‘Modernist Mushroom’ and the heritage-listed MLC Centre, The International is bringing a fresh energy to the business precinct, centralising where a good time should be had. Start things off at The Wine Bar for laidback fare with a specialised focus on global wine trends. Your next fine dining experience should be had at The Grill, where tender beef is served (we’re not exaggerating) on a silver platter. The space remains for occasions large and small, thanks to Bickford’s honed simplistic-slash-extravagant approach. And The Panorama Bar is where it’s at for a good tie-loosening drink; a terrace bar glamorously assembled in a garden with views of the city’s skyline.
As Bickford prepares for the year ahead with this new venture, the culinary veteran spares a moment to chat with Esquire about his earliest experiences in hospo, his first food memory growing up in the Blue Mountains, the legacy of Shell House, and what he recommends you should order at The International.
On his earliest food memory
“Growing up in the Blue Mountains in the late ’70s and ’80s was amazing. I was fortunate to be raised on acreage and enjoyed a great connection with nature and my environment. Living on a property where picking fruit from the abundant citrus trees and collecting eggs from our chickens, ducks and pheasants was part of my day-to-day gave me a great perspective, understanding and respect for my surroundings. My favourite memory was probably coming home from school in summer and gorging myself on the wild blackberries and mulberries growing beyond our back fence.”
On his early hospo career
“My first hospo experience was working in a local Chinese restaurant, washing dishes when I was 14. I loved it – the fast pace, the smell, the energy. It was here I got my first chance to cook in a commercial kitchen (even if it was just fried rice, haha ) and it ignited my passion for the business. I would later leave school at 17 to do an apprenticeship in the Blue Mountains, and that’s where my career as a chef began.
Working at Biota Dining [formerly in Bowral] was a real turning point for me. I had worked mainly in larger establishments up until then, so taking a head chef role in a small but high-profile owner-operated regional restaurant was really interesting. It brought a lot of challenges, high highs and low lows, but the sense of team and dedication and commitment to quality and craft was immense. It was a clear reset for me at that time, I almost felt like my career actually started there . . . even though I was already an established head chef.
[Working at] Astral was the first time I had really worked with international chefs. The standard was extremely high and only the strong survived, I liked that you had to perform and work very hard to keep your place in the team, there no free passes. I like a challenge and I felt that was the first time I was out of my comfort zone. As a creative, you generally do your best work there.”
On the Sydney culinary scene now and then
“[I started my career] 30 years ago so plenty has changed, I think for the better. Australians have grown up watching chefs from around the world as culinary leaders, now some of those leaders come from Australia and have helped define what “Australian” cuisine looks like. We as guests know what we want and know what good looks like. There is a definite appetite for understanding provenance, locality and sustainability that just never used to exist on the customer’s side. These are all good things and help us as industry professionals strive for excellence.”
On his role as Culinary Director at The Point* Group
“I think for sure it was front of mind for us to give to Sydney venues that could speak to everyone, were very engaging in product and purpose, and were ultimately best in class. With two multi-level venues (Shell House and The International) comprising some six or seven different outlets, there was most definitely a goal to create spaces that were very special and would give the people of Sydney a destination that felt unlike anything else in town. With a ‘no compromise’ policy on commitment to quality on service, product and design, creating individual experiences that still felt very connected as a whole was key for us. It’s about allowing our guests to understand the whole venue and work their way through it to curate their own experience; that was very important to us.”
On the legacy of Shell House
“It has been a huge few years since opening and we have achieved so much. Undertaking such an ambitious project on the back of the pandemic during what was an extremely challenging time for hospitality was massive, and to enjoy the success that we have had has been incredible.
A highlight for me I guess has been more personal, watching staff move through the ranks, getting better at their craft, growing as people and professionals. That has been really rewarding.”
On his inspiration behind the menus at The International
“We knew from the start that we wanted three different concepts across The International that could talk to a diverse clientele and would allow our guests to use the venue in many different ways, creating unique experiences that would encourage them to return time after time.
The commitment to quality in product, service and guest experience is what connects all three. Whether it’s a pizza in The Wine Bar, a bistecca in The Grill or a martini on the roof, it’s our aim to be best in class . . . period.
I think [The International] adds a little bit of everything, something special, not just fine dining at The Grill, [but] being able to offer our guests a range of different experiences across the building is our aim . . . perhaps a negroni and some snacks downstairs before heading up to The Grill for dinner and some of the best food in the city, to finishing up on the roof in The Panorama Bar for a late night drink.”
On his simplistic-slash-extravagant approach
“I think mother nature has always been my biggest influence, I feel my style is quite organic and that everything has a purpose on the plate. Keeping busy and actually still cooking every day is what drives me and keeps my mind fresh with new ideas.”
On what he recommends to order at The International
“I love the yabbies and sweetbreads dish. It is something a little different and not often seen on menus much anymore, but it has proven to be one of our most popular dishes.”
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