Curtis Stone reveals Covid forced him to shut BOTH his LA restaurants – but he’s managed to keep his staff employed with the help of one famous Australian delicacy
He’s the Melbourne-born chef who is currently based in Los Angeles with his wife, Lindsay Price, and their two young sons.
And on Sunday, Curtis Stone revealed how his staff have coped after two of his restaurants, Gwen Butcher Shop and Maude, were forced to close last year amid the devastating Covid-19 pandemic.
Curtis, 45, told news.co.au on Sunday that while keeping business afloat was a challenge, he was able to keep his staff employed by selling an Australian delicacy – the humble pie – at one of his other outlets.
Fingers in all the pies: Curtis Stone, 45, has revealed how he has kept all of his employees working amid the pandemic – with a little help from a classic Australian meat pie
‘We have a pie shop in Beverly Hills [that] does Aussie meat pies, a variety of sausage rolls, different kinds of game pies and then sweet pies too,’ he said, referring to Curtis’ restaurant The Pie Room By Gwen.
Curtis added that his butcher shop in Hollywood has become ‘busier and busier’ during the pandemic, while he’s also set up a picnic pop-up shop and has an events company that provides catering for customers’ homes.
Curtis added that life could be changing for the better over the next few months, following the news that over 50 per cent of Californians have reportedly received at least one does of a Covid vaccine.
![Hap-pie days! 'We have a pie shop in Beverly Hills [that] does Aussie meat pies, a variety of sausage rolls, different kinds of game pies and then sweet pies too,' he said. Pictured: One of the pies on offer at The Pie Room By Gwen, which Curtis owns](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2021/05/16/05/43041842-9583467-Hap_pie_days_We_have_a_pie_shop_in_Beverly_Hills_that_does_Aussi-a-3_1621140998125.jpg)
Hap-pie days! ‘We have a pie shop in Beverly Hills [that] does Aussie meat pies, a variety of sausage rolls, different kinds of game pies and then sweet pies too,’ he said. Pictured: One of the pies on offer at The Pie Room By Gwen, which Curtis owns
‘The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) have just announced that you don’t need to wear a mask inside or outside if you’re fully vaccinated, which is pretty unbelievable, I can’t even imagine that’s real yet,’ he added.
‘We’re just in the throes of reopening and in about three weeks’ time. We’ll be welcoming guests back into the restaurant, which is very exciting for us.’
Curtis lives in Los Angeles’ Brentwood with Lindsay and their children; sons Hudson, nine, and Emerson, six.
Family: Curtis lives in Los Angeles’ Brentwood with Lindsay and their children; sons Hudson, nine, and Emerson, six (all pictured)
Fame: Curtis has become a household name in both Australia and the United States, cashing in as a best-selling cookbook author and television personality
He has become a household name in both Australia and the United States, cashing in as a best-selling cookbook author and television personality.
Despite his fame, Curtis – who is set to appear as a guest judge on Sunday’s MasterChef Australia – told The Australian Women’s Weekly in 2018 that his childhood in Melbourne was ‘humble’.
‘I didn’t grow up wealthy,’ he said. ‘We lived in a neighbourhood that was pretty humble, where I played a lot of football, and I feel more at home in that environment than I do anywhere.
‘But it’s true that in LA we live a fabulous life.’
Coming soon: Curtis is set to appear as a guest judge on Sunday’s MasterChef Australia