Much revered restaurant The Pot only welcomed Emma McCaskill to its helm 18 months ago but she has confirmed that shortly she will move on the position.  As for why, the head chef has cited her children as key reasoning behind her departure from the Adelaide eatery, which will take place on October 16.

“My time at The Pot has been incredibly rich and rewarding, allowing me to develop my own style and operational capacity. I feel like the time is right for me to move on to my next project where I can continue to evolve, cook delicious food, and spend more time with my children,” McCaskill explains. “I am grateful to Simon for giving me this opportunity and I’ve learnt a great deal about running a restaurant from him.”

The Pot of course it not so much a fine diner but an institution. Established in 1999, the space is a keystone establishment for owner Simon Kardachi who has since opened an additional 11 venues across Adelaide CBD and Henley Beach.

Kardachi will now welcome Adam Liston as McCaskill’s replacement. Liston will act as executive chef across both The Pot and Shobosho, supported by Max Sharrad in his new role as head chef of both venues. Fare at The Pot is thus expected to take a new direction, with a renewed focus on weekend brunches where dishes such as grilled mortadella charcoal panini with green olive tapenade and snacks of anchovy and stracciatella will make an appearance.

“The Pot has always fostered an environment for talented chefs and Emma has certainly made her mark by bringing her unique style to the kitchen,” comments Kardachi. “Now is the time for us to honour the history of The Pot and its loyal local customer base, but also celebrate its quality as a melting pot of creativity for outstanding talent. It will be great to have Adam back in the kitchen after all this time.”