Claire Van Vuuren

Claire Van Vuuren is the head chef and co-owner of Bloodwood in Newtown, Sydney and the recently opened Popla in Bellingen in Northern NSW. Her food is bold, heartfelt, packed with flavour and reflects her heritage and love of travel. Prior to opening Bloodwood, Claire earned her stripes cooking in numerous kitchens in Sydney, most notably Claude’s, where she worked under Chui Le Luk. Claire loves being part of events, festivals and collaborating with other chefs.  

Alongside her hours in the kitchen and running two venues, Claire has consistently focused on being part of her local community, the arts and giving back to the industry that she loves so dearly. She is a founding board member of Women in Hospitality, which supports and mentors hospitality professionals. Claire is also a 2018 ‘Porkstar’ for Pork Australia, and was a guest judge for Chef of the Year 2018.