It was there, working in the top French restaurants in the UK, that Manu really began to understand and love the career he had chosen. In 1999 Manu flew to Australia and it was in Sydney that his career started to move at a lightning pace — opening Sydney Morning Herald Chef’s Hat winning kitchens across the city, and eventually his own restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne.

After landing in Australia in 1999, it was in 2004 that Tony Bilson approached Manu to open his new venture Bilsons at the Radisson Hotel. In its second year of opening, the restaurant won 2 Chef’s Hats, and in its third year, this accolade had increased to 3 Chef’s Hats. In 2008, Bilson’s won three chefs hats for the third year running. In March 2009, Manu opened his first restaurant L’etoile in Paddington Sydney where he was awarded a Chef’s Hat in August 2009.

Manu first appeared on Australian television with TEN’s Ready Steady Cook. Manu participated in and won the 2011 series of Dancing with the Stars. Manu’s other TV credits include co-host of Boys Weekend alongside friends Gary Mehigan, Adrian Richardson and Miguel Maestre, which now airs to over 100 countries worldwide. In 2013, he recorded the first 2 part series of a 2 episode special on Channel 7, My France with Manu, to date he has recorded 2 further series, with Series 3 airing in 2016. In 2017, Manu realised a long held dream to follow Jules Verne’s novel Around the World in 80 Days on a gastronomic world tour in Around the World with Manu. In 2018 Manu was seen discovering the culinary delights and new cultural experiences in Manu’s American Road Trip.