History
After 36 incredible years in some of Australia’s top restaurants and catering companies, Chef Paul LeNoury is excited to share his passion with you.
Paul Le Noury
I would cook anything and everything I can get my hands on, the family would go to the footy in winter and I would stay at home turn on different devices to make bread, strudel, soup, biscuits, buns, sauces for the family when they got back home.
A high school education of year 11 and the beginning of year 12 to finally successfully getting a apprenticeship in cookery at St Andrews Hospital in East Melbourne. Mass production and eye opening to feed the masses. Achieving and running a breakfast shift 3 months in, and knife skills of cutting not to pumpkins but 100!
As a eager 18 year old I was hungry for more and successfully got a 2nd year apprenticeship at the Melbourne Catch seafood restaurant in the heart of Melbourne, moving up the ranks and running service with a year.
Still hungry for knowledge I applied at the famous Stephanies restaurant by Stephanie Alexander and Dure Dara in East Hawthorn , I got a fourth year apprentice role here and my knowledge exploded, I stayed for four years and could have stayed forever, it was incredible and so much changed in my life – could write a book! A western suburbs boy in the best restaurant in Melbourne and thirteenth in the world!
1996, I got a 30% ownership in a restaurant in Brighton thanks to my Mum and Dads support, called Fishplate! My dream come true, ups and downs and life of working 100 hours per week and nothing to show for financially, my supporter my father passing away before we even got to open the doors of the restaurant, may world was to learn the hard way.
Five years later closing the restaurant and going to work with Greg Brown at the Bouchon in Toorak village cooking on a French stove with braces and white shirt becoming aware of my personality and loving the public and engaging in cooking in front of diners, celebrities, the rich Toorak clientele and fast paced service, 4.30am to 2.30pm almost seven days a week, I knew I needed to get my own place again.
At this stage people wanted my services with catering in their mansions and became another side hustle which I loved and made the days even longer but I soaked up the need they gave me.
Stints at the Lyall Hotel in Sth Yarra, Scotchmans hill winery on the bellarine and cooking classes at the Queen Victoria market ( over the next 12 years, 4 times a year!) , I finally got the tender to run the Charsfield Hotel on St Kilda road Melbourne, a 42 room Hotel for 7 years with breakfast, lunch, dinner, room service and bar and a full catering service for local offices, party and events all being run from the one kitchen, things were great!
2005 – YUM CATERING was launched rebranded from Le Noury Catering. Stand alone catering was achieved and finally my own operated business, kitchens were the next issue as we grew and grew, a fire along the way and always something happening. Yum Paella, Yum Mexico, Yum Tagine, and more took over my life.
2019, I finally got my venue at 50 years of age, I finally got a venue, 200pax with a full liquor licence and rent of 3000.00 a week and outgoings of 25000.00. Things were great and busy, busy, weddings, events, catering and more then a 50 year old birthday party through Italy and France and home town Guernsey and back, Then COVID19 strikes! Got through five lockdowns and closed on the sixth lockdown. What do you do, life is a mess,
Five years of working for Elizabeth Andrews Catering and launching a cooking side hustle call YesChef and working with flavour houses to create new flavours in the food industry.
August 2025, here we are with the new cooking school YES CHEF COOKING SCHOOL and offering cooking classes and chef skills of a career from 1987 to 2025 in hospitality – 38 years to give back and teach of all ages how to cook and be inspired.
Here we go, come and get onboard…………..
Meet Chef Paul LeNoury
It all began at the age of 13!, when I discovered my love for cooking. I would turn on any device I could find and whip up bread, strudel, soup, biscuits, buns, and sauces for my family. During winter footy matches, while others cheered from the stands, I stayed home, experimenting in the kitchen — my passion ignited by curiosity and a hunger to create.
My journey through high school led me to Year 11 and the start of Year 12, culminating in a successful apprenticeship at St Andrews Hospital in East Melbourne. There, I learned the art of mass food production — feeding hundreds — and honed my knife skills, cutting not pumpkins but hundreds of them. At just 18, I was eager for more and secured a second-year apprenticeship at Melbourne Catch Seafood restaurant in the heart of Melbourne, quickly moving up the ranks and managing service within a year.
My relentless pursuit of knowledge continued when I joined Stephanie Alexander’s renowned restaurant in East Hawthorn. Over four years, my skills exploded — I soaked up every lesson, worked alongside incredible chefs, and experienced what it was like to be part of Melbourne’s culinary elite. As a Western suburbs boy in the city’s top restaurant, I knew I had found my calling.
In 1996, thanks to my supportive parents, I became a 30% owner of Fishplate in Brighton. The dream was alive — but life threw its challenges. Working 100-hour weeks and experiencing personal loss, I learned resilience. After five years and the restaurant’s closure, I moved to work with Greg Brown at Bouchon in Toorak, cooking on a French stove, engaging with a sophisticated clientele, and discovering the joy of connecting with diners.
From there, I built a diverse career — stints at the Lyall Hotel, Scotchmans Hill Winery, and running cooking classes at Queen Victoria Market. In 2005, I launched YUM CATERING, transforming my passion into a thriving business. Over the years, I expanded into multiple brands like Yum Paella and Yum Tagine, always pushing the boundaries of flavour and service.
In 2019, I finally realized my dream: owning a venue with 200 seats, a full liquor license, and a vibrant event, wedding, and catering business. Life was bustling — until COVID-19 struck, forcing us into lockdowns and challenging us all. Despite setbacks, I pivoted, working in catering, launching new flavour products, and finding new ways to inspire.
Now, in August 2025, I’m proud to introduce YES CHEF COOKING SCHOOL — a place where I can share 38 years of hospitality experience, ignite passion in aspiring chefs, and teach all ages how to cook with confidence.
My journey has been a wild, rewarding ride filled with lessons, perseverance, and a love for food. I’m here to inspire the next generation — to teach, empower, and share the joy of cooking.
Come and get onboard — let’s create, learn, and grow together!
