A long and meandering road took Shane Wilkins all over the world – from Embassy Row in Washington D.C. to the kitchens of Adelaide – before landing in Shanghai 18 months ago. Chef Wilkins’ illustrious career has spanned stints as far-ranging as an award-winning boardroom caterer and a cruise director; he has even been inducted into the International Guild of Professional Butlers. As the new executive chef of Barbarossa, Chef Wilkins is bringing his wealth of experience both in the kitchen and at the front of the house to the Shanghai dining institution that just celebrated its fifth anniversary.

Hospitality and food have always played a major role in Wilkins’ life. “I grew up in an inn that doubled as a pub,” he explains. “From the age of six, I was hanging off a deep fryer and by 11, I was working at someone else’s pub. Hospitality is in my blood.” Wilkins spent the majority of the first 15 years of his career on cruise ships, in country club kitchens and lecturing at a culinary school before he launched into what he describes as a rewarding job as a private chef to government officials.

For almost three years, he worked in the Office of the Governor, serving up seasonal cuisine to royalty, foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Cooking for her majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, was the “pinnacle” of his time there, but he also loves to talk about the time President George Bush Sr came to town with the First Lady. “It was a great job. You see these people as people,” he says. “People who just have a job to do.”

Transitioning to a role in private service seemed like the next logical step, and Wilkins headed up households, serving as chef, butler, valet and whatever odd jobs needed to get done around the house, including managing a household of nine that had their own private golf course, ice skating rink and 50,000 gallon aquarium. He laughs as he recalls managing the Zamboni contractors and closing down FAO Schwartz for a shopping spree of epic proportions with his boss, whose name he can’t disclose.

“I remember walking into the kitchen and seeing the seven year old twins eating spoonfuls of caviar – and they were using normal size spoons! They must have consumed USD 3,000 in 20 minutes,” Wilkins says. “It was a completely different environment, but at the end of the day, they’re all kitchens and chefs need to be problem solvers.”

Wilkins’ most recent job before heading to the Orient was executive chef at the Sydney headquarters of financial giant JP Morgan. “When the financial crisis happened, the entire corporate culture changed – including the dining sector of these companies,” he says. “Lunch menus went from four course meals to sandwiches overnight.”

Wilkins started looking for jobs where his hefty experience and culinary creativity could be put to better use than grilling paninis. A well-timed vacation to visit a friend in Shanghai held the answer for him. In just six weeks, he was helming a kitchen in Xintiandi, and now he is giving Barbarossa’s menu a facelift with new Moroccan and Mediterranean dishes that focus on fresh, simple flavours and seasonal ingredients. Wilkins credits the inclusive dining culture of his homeland for his ability to cook his way through a wide range of genres. “Australia’s food style is encompassing,” he says. “I’ve been tagine-ing for eight years, couscous-ing for 15.”

Fans of Barbarossa can expect to see a few old favourites that still have their place on the menu, with the added bonus of Wilkins’ signature emphasis on freshness and sustainability. His goal is to turn Barbarossa into more of a contemporary bistro with something for everyone, including some comfort food dishes that are guaranteed to send taste buds on a trip down memory lane.

Barbarossa, 231 Nanjing Xi Lu, near Huangpi Nan Lu (inside People's Park). Tel: 6318 0220