The Western Australian’s quest for food critics: do you have what it takes to join our food and drink A-Team?

Meet your new A-Team for food and drink in WA – where the A stands for appetite.

The Western Australian's quest for food critics: do you have what it takes to join our food and drink A-Team?

In the mood for good food and drink.

A hunger for Perth’s newest hot spots.

A desire to discover delicious drinks.

A determination to find good food and good quality food for our readers – and have a great time with it.

In short, these writers have a zest for life, as Iggy Pop once sang.

Our six-member A-Team is like a Swiss army knife for dining out, finding a nice drink, or maybe a waiter friend—more of customer friendly.

Camera IconThe team is looking for a sixth reviewer. Could it be you? Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

Curious about the hippest new restaurant? Hotspot fighter Jade Jurewicz has hit rock bottom.

Craving Perth’s best breakfast or brunch? Café queen Kate Emery knows just the place.

Are you looking for chic fine dining for that special occasion? Read the latest review from dinner diva Amanda Keenan.

Are you looking for a brilliant bottle to match a certain dish? Wine whisperer Paul Edwards is your man.

Or just after a no-fuss brewpub to take the family for a great feed? Taste buddy Simon Collins can point you in the right direction.

And you can trust these recommendations because our restaurant reviewers pay for their meals, unlike those dodgy influencers who trade free tucker for a glowing review.

The A-Team is ready for you, and we are looking for a sixth reviewer to join the team.

Are you a foodie but not a food snob?

Know your shakshouka scrambled eggs, but love the dirty bird as much as you love a pickled chook?

Camera icon Paul Edwards, Kate Emery, Amanda Keenan, Simon Collins, and Jade Jurewicz at The Beaufort in Highgate. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

Does a cheeky counter meal turn you on as much as an omakase?

Are you always the one who books dinner for you and your friends?

Do you have a strong opinion about service, atmosphere, and glassware?

Could you be our burger food critic?

Scoop up a racy video telling us why you got the chops.

To apply, upload a two-minute video telling us why you are the right person using the form at the bottom of this article.

If successful, you’ll receive industry rates for your reviews (up to four commissioned reviews per month), plus the meal cost and a plus-one.

We only accept YouTube video submissions, which close on June 17th at 11:59 pm WST.

You might drink and dine through WA’s supercharged hospitality scene with the A-Team.

Potential citizen food critics must be based in Perth; older than 18 years; have valid Australian employment rights (or be an Australian citizen); have an ABN and visit the branches you assess (no advice from third parties or external parties, please.)

View the application conditions here before you apply. The successful applicant’s employment terms will be set out in a contract with West Australian Newspapers Ltd.

MEET THE A TEAM

Simon Collins: Taste Buddy

Simon has been eating since he was a baby, starting with solid foods and moving on to foie gras. He loves a smoky rack of barbecue ribs or spicy bun bo hue as much as he loves a posh degustation, family-run, hole-in-the-wall, destination restaurant.

Simon recently fell down the craft brewing rabbit hole, following in the footsteps of WA’s burgeoning boutique beer scene. Matching food and beer is a passion, but he’ll forgo an ale for a tasty Southwest red.

Camera icon Simon Collins has a lifetime of experience eating food. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

He calls a spoon a spoon, even if he uses chopsticks, and the soundtrack in a restaurant is important. You have been warned.

Jade Jurewicz: Hotspot Hunter

Jade is the type of person friends, family, a neighbor’s sister—you name it—turn to for restaurant and bar recommendations.

She knows a spot, whether it’s a wow-factor location to impress an outsider, a new wine bar you haven’t tried before, or a casual place to enjoy a feed in your comfy clothes.

Camera IconJade Jurewicz’s PerthNow reviews are the talk of the town. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

Jade is out to try every location in Perth at least once, keeping a close eye on the taste, interior, and service to judge if she’ll add it to her ever-growing hit list.

Kate Emery: Café Queen

Kate knows that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. Also brunch.

It doesn’t get any better than syrupy pancakes topped with Chantilly cream or fried eggs with a side of hash browns the size of your head.

Camera IconKate Emery has built a reputation as the queen of breakfast – and brunch – in WA. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

With a vegetarian bent and insatiable greed, Kate wants to help you pick the best place to start your day, whether you’re in the mood for a Bloody Mary and a brisket Benny or a long mac with a matcha croissant.

Amanda Keenan: dinner diva

As a child, Amanda once demanded, “Show me this taste”. If TikTok had existed, the young foodie-to-be would have gone viral for its strangely nonsensical precursor to any exciting new dining experience.

Her curiosity – and hunger – has hardly diminished in the years since. Amanda continues in her quest for the funkiest ma po tofu, the finest meat, the most exquisite brassica, and the most glorious negroni.

Camera icon Amanda Keenan is relentless in her search for WA’s best restaurants, but snobbery isn’t her thing. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

She hates food snobbery and applauds good people who do great things in difficult times.

Paul Edwards: Wine Whisperer

To turn his drinking hobby into a profession, Paul joined the London wine trade in the late 1990s.

His major retail appearance is his most significant, but he has made seasonal forays into wine judging, hospitality (as liquor director of seven locations in Perth state buildings), and for ten years as a Wine and Spirits Education Trust Qualified Educator.

Camera icon Paul Edwards started drinking wine when he tried to turn his drinking hobby into a profession. Credit: Jackson Flindell/The West Australian

Paul insists that “wine is the most important of the unimportant things in life”, an erroneous quote from his beloved football sport.

Citizen food critic

Our citizen food critic likes to fuss about food but doesn’t like picky food.

They enjoy discovering a great family-run business in an old-fashioned part of Perth and why a particular restaurant attracts a loud buzz.

Always approached for foodie tips, the people critic loves to be in the know and can’t wait to find that next near-perfect dinner.

In short, they are the real deal on the hunt for a great meal. And they can be you.

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Lori J. Kile
I love to write and create. I love photography, design, travel and art. I am a full time freelance writer and photographer.I am very excited to be creating new content and opportunities for my readers.