July Frother – Guy Turland

By Christie Bennett on July 17, 2012 in People

When he’s not stripping off for modeling shoots, Bondi frother Guy Turland is creating meals at his North Bondi eatery…

Name: Guy Turland

Age: 26

Local Break: Bondi/Tama

Board Shaper: Al Merrick ‘Neck Beard’

Board Dimensions: 5’7” x 19 ½” x 2 5/16”. I love my ‘Neck Beard’ but my favourite board in the quiver is my Ralph Riddell 5’5” bonzer.

Your red Kombi van is a regular sight around Bondi; where’d you originally travel from?
Yeah, big red (Susie Q) does some serious laps around Bondi – boards stacked back like all good kombis should. I made the migration from Bowral to Bondi eight years ago in search of a chef’s apprenticeship and have stayed ever since. Bondi’s well and truly home now.

You’re a co-owner of funky eatery Jo & Willy’s Depot at the North Bondi bus terminus; it’s a bit of a family affair up there isn’t it?
We’ve had the Depot for three and a half years, half owned by the family and myself. The whole family’s involved. My older brother is in the kitchen, little brother is pumping out coffee, Mum is running the floor, and Dad covers maintenance while my sister’s out the front sipping lattes and ‘testing the produce’! We’re really blessed to have such a close family and to have them all involved is priceless. For me, it’s that plus the tight bunch of locals that make the Depot more than just another café.

After creating amazing meals all day long do you make fancy food at home or is it more of a two-minute noodle situation?
I do get fancy at home but it’s usually me experimenting for the Depot’s menu, or trying to impress someone! After a long day behind the pans I don’t really go to that much effort for myself. I’ll usually grab dinner from the café or call in delivery.

I recently stumbled across a secret modelling gig that you featured in; is a career change in the wind?
Ha ha. I was approached to do a shoot for an undies brand called Stonemen. I’m all about taking on new opportunities when they arise to help break up the monotony of day-to-day life. I have no career changes planned just yet though. At the moment I’m focusing on the café and dabbling in filming some cooking shows.

You looked pretty ripped in the campaign; as the son of a Commonwealth Games marathon gold medalist, do you keep fairly active?
Ha, I don’t know about ripped, but yeah, Mum being a marathon runner means I’ve been brought up in an overly active and healthy family. Family holidays consisted of trekking in Nepal and weeklong canoeing trips. I tend to stay away from the gyms but I do a bit of training with a mate. I like to surf, spearfish, rock-climb, do soft sand laps and that sort of thing.

What do you have planned for the cooler months?
As much as I’m sad to see another summer pass, I’m pumped for winter. I love Bondi winter; everything slows down, there’s more swell and there are less people. It also means I get more time away from work so I think I’ll do some roads trips to the snow or a surf trip somewhere, maybe Bali or a boat trip around Indo.