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CHEF Nick Howman
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CHEF! Nick Howman

MEET THE CULINARY HEAD CHEF

MASTERS OF PORT DOUGLAS TIN SHED PORT DOUGLAS

Words by JAMIE JANSEN
ick Howman’s passion for cooking is chowder. “We make our own lobster stock Cooking has also become a shared language
the kind that sparks a love for food and bisques using fresh Australian seafood. for father and son. “We recently went to Japan
Nacross generations. His 13-year-old It’s always a crowd-pleaser,” he says. together and did a ramen class in Tokyo. The

son has already caught the cooking fever, Over the past decade, Nick has rotated food there is incredible, from sashimi bars to
just as Nick did at the same age, when he rst through almost every role at the Tin Shed, Wagyu beef. I also learn from my son. He’s so

stepped into a kitchen and instantly knew he from chef to prep chef, to sous chef, and in tune with TikTok trends. I didn’t like it at

wanted to be a chef. first, but it’s fascinating to see this new wave
now head chef. “I know every station, every
His first kitchen job might not have been section. I’ve done it all,” he says. Now, his role of cooking.”

glamorous, but Nick had a clear goal and a balances cooking with managing people and Watching his son embrace the same passion

determination to keep learning. operations, a shift he finds both challenging he discovered at the age of 13 fills Nick with

and rewarding. pride. “It’s amazing seeing him love cooking,
“I started at 13, in a butcher shop, washing it makes me proud to share this world with
dishes and cutting meat,” Nick recalls. “I’ve Nick’s son is already following in his footsteps, him,” he says.
always worked, and even then I knew I wanted cooking for the family and experimenting
to be a chef, so I just wanted to keep learning with soufflés and sourdough, and helping in That same sense of pride extends to the Tin

and work my way up.” the kitchen at Tin Shed. Shed, where Nick has spent the past 10 years
shaping a kitchen and a team that thrives on
Now, 25 years later, Nick marks 10 years at “Ever since he was little, he’s just sat in the collaboration. “Seeing customers return and
the Tin Shed in Port Douglas, a milestone kitchen with me, mucked around, and got staff enjoying their work tells me we’re doing

that reflects his influence on the restaurant’s into it,” Nick laughs. “He’s careful with knives, something right.”

identity. He has built a menu centred on though he’s had a few small injuries. That’s
community and sharing, celebrating fresh, part of learning. I’ve had plenty myself, my thetinshed-portdouglas.com.au

locally sourced seafood. His dishes showcase thumbs aren’t quite flat anymore, but it’s all
the region’s bounty while bringing people part of the job.”
together, making the Tin Shed a favourite for
both locals and visitors.
But Nick’s journey to this milestone began far
from the tropics. In Melbourne, he completed
his apprenticeship across the Yarra Valley and
surrounding mountains, working in busy
kitchens and renowned wineries. He gained
experience in everything from fine dining to

international travel before a move for love
brought him north, where he quickly fell for
Port Douglas itself.
Along the way, he worked in nearly every local
restaurant, learning the town’s culinary scene

inside out before finally making the Tin Shed

his home. A key influence on Nick’s journey
in Port Douglas was Mohan, a Sri Lankan
chef who generously shared the secrets of
curries and traditional dishes. Southeast
Asian flavours remain a signature influence

in Nick’s cooking. “I still make a traditional
Sri Lankan curry I learned from Mohan. It’s
rich, balanced, and full of secret ingredients,”
he explains.

That same attention to flavour carries through

to his work at the Tin Shed, where he crafts
THE TIN SHED modern Australian cuisine centred on fresh,
Seafood Tutto Mare
Seafood medley on calamarata pasta with clams, local seafood straight from the boats. One

mussels, calamari prawns, fresh fish, & 1/2 shell scallop, dish he’s particularly proud of is the seafood
served in olive oil, white wine, garlic & chilli
PORT DOUGLAS MAGAZINE 57