Josh Niland (born October 1988) is an Australian chef and restaurateur. He is known worldwide for his nose-to-tail approach to cooking fish.
Who is Josh Niland?
Josh Niland is an Australian chef who built his name on whole fish cookery. His approach uses nearly every part of a fish, including the liver, eyes, and scales.
He owns Saint Peter, a seafood restaurant in Paddington, Sydney. The restaurant debuted on the extended list of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024.
Niland also runs Fish Butchery, a retail fishmonger in the same Sydney suburb. In 2023, he expanded overseas with Fysh, a restaurant inside the Edition hotel in Singapore.
He has written three cookbooks on fish preparation and butchery. His writing and recipes have reached chefs and home cooks across multiple countries.
Early Life of Josh Niland
Josh Niland grew up in East Maitland, New South Wales, a town a few hours north of Sydney. His father, Stephen Niland, ran an accountancy business, while his mother, Marea, helped with administrative work.
He has an older sister named Liz. As a child, Niland played sport alongside future chef and television host Andy Allen.
He also fished the Hunter River for flathead during his childhood. At age eight, Niland was diagnosed with Wilms’ tumor, a rare kidney cancer.
The illness required surgery and months of chemotherapy. During his recovery, his mother cooked meals for him at home, which sparked his early interest in food.
Niland began cooking around age eight, inspired partly by daytime television cooking shows. By his teenage years, he was working in local cafes.
At sixteen, he had his first fine dining experience at an award-winning Sydney restaurant. That meal solidified his decision to pursue cooking as a career.
Josh Niland Age
Josh Niland is approximately 37 years old as of 2026. His exact birth date is not publicly confirmed, though multiple sources report he was born in October 1988.
His zodiac sign is not publicly confirmed due to the uncertain birth date. He continues to run Saint Peter and Fish Butchery in Sydney as of 2026.
Josh Niland Ethnicity and Nationality
Josh Niland is Australian. He was born and raised in New South Wales, Australia.
His family background is Australian on his mother’s side. Niland’s culinary identity is closely tied to Australian seafood and the Hunter River region where he grew up fishing.
Josh Niland Education
Niland did not attend a traditional culinary school. Instead, he trained directly in professional kitchens after his teenage cafe jobs.
He apprenticed at a local restaurant near Maitland before moving into Sydney’s restaurant scene. Once qualified, he worked in the kitchens of some of Sydney’s most acclaimed restaurants.
His early training included a stint at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck development kitchen in the United Kingdom. He also worked at Fish Face, a now-closed Sydney restaurant, under chef Stephen Hodges.
At seventeen, Niland worked at Luke Mangan’s Glass Brasserie in Sydney. He later worked at Est, another well-known Sydney restaurant, before striking out on his own.
Josh Niland Career
Josh Niland’s career began in Sydney kitchens, where his frustration with fish wastage shaped his entire approach to seafood. That frustration eventually became the foundation of his business.
Early Career
While working the fish section in various Sydney kitchens, Niland grew frustrated by how much of each fish went unused. He began experimenting with alternative ways to use the whole animal.
His mentors encouraged him to pursue this curiosity further. The result was an unconventional style of fish cookery that did not fit any existing restaurant menu at the time.
Founding Saint Peter
In 2016, at twenty-seven years old, Niland and his wife Julie opened Saint Peter, a small fish restaurant in Paddington, Sydney. The venture was a financial risk, built on a small budget.
Within its first year, Saint Peter drew significant international attention. The restaurant introduced diners to whole fish cookery, including dry-aged fish and unconventional cuts.
In 2019, Niland published his first book, The Whole Fish Cookbook. The book won the James Beard Book of the Year award in 2020 and has been translated into ten languages.
Current Ventures
Niland published Take One Fish in 2021, which won a James Beard Award for Best Visuals. His third book, Fish Butchery: Mastering the Catch, Cut and Craft, won Best Restaurant and Professional Cookbook at the James Beard Awards in June 2024.
He was named Chef of the Year at the 2024 Good Food Guide Awards. In April 2024, Food & Wine ranked his St Leonards restaurant Petermen as the second-best place to eat in the world.
In 2023, Niland opened Fysh at the Edition hotel in Singapore, his first restaurant outside Australia. He relocated his flagship Saint Peter restaurant to The Grand National Hotel in Paddington in 2024, a move that took six years of planning.
Josh Niland Companies and Investments
Josh Niland owns and operates several seafood-focused businesses in Sydney and overseas. His main flagship is Saint Peter, located within The Grand National Hotel in Paddington.
He also owns Fish Butchery, a retail fishmonger that doubles as a prep kitchen for his restaurants. Petermen, a more casual a la carte restaurant in St Leonards, rounds out his Sydney operations.
His overseas expansion includes Fysh at the Edition hotel in Singapore. He also runs Charcoal Fish, a takeaway seafood concept.
Josh Niland Awards and Recognition
Josh Niland has won multiple James Beard Awards across his three published books. The Whole Fish Cookbook won the James Beard Book of the Year award in 2020.
Take One Fish later won a James Beard Award for Best Visuals in 2021. His third book, Fish Butchery, won Best Restaurant and Professional Cookbook at the James Beard Awards in June 2024.
He was named Chef of the Year at the 2024 Good Food Guide Awards. Saint Peter also appeared on the extended list for The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2024.
Josh Niland Wife
Josh Niland is married to Julie Niland. The couple co-owns Saint Peter and Fish Butchery together in Paddington, Sydney.
Julie has played an active role in building the couple’s restaurant business. Reports on the exact date of their wedding vary, with some sources citing 2011 and others 2016.
The couple has built their businesses together since Saint Peter’s opening. Julie continues to be closely involved in the daily operations of their restaurants.
Josh Niland Children
Josh Niland and his wife Julie have four children together. As of 2026, their oldest child was ten years old.
The couple has kept their children largely out of the public eye. Specific names and ages of all four children are not publicly confirmed.
Josh Niland Net Worth
Josh Niland’s estimated net worth is $5 million as of 2026. His income comes primarily from his restaurants, retail fishmonger business, and cookbook sales.
He has built this wealth over roughly a decade since opening Saint Peter in 2016. His expansion into Singapore with Fysh has added an international revenue stream to his business.
Specific details about his personal assets and property holdings are not publicly confirmed.
Josh Niland Social Media
Josh Niland is active on Instagram under the handle @mrniland. He shares updates on his restaurants, recipes, and fish butchery techniques there.
Saint Peter restaurant also maintains its own Instagram account, @saintpeterpaddo. Niland’s restaurant website, saintpeter.com.au, lists his current Sydney venues and bookings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What companies does Josh Niland own?
Josh Niland owns Saint Peter, Fish Butchery, Petermen, and Fysh in Singapore.
How old is Josh Niland?
Josh Niland is approximately 37 years old as of June 20, 2026, with most sources citing an October 1988 birth.
What is Josh Niland’s net worth?
Josh Niland’s estimated net worth is $5 million as of 2026.
Where did Josh Niland study?
Niland did not attend culinary school and instead trained directly in Sydney restaurant kitchens, including a stint at Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck.
Who is Josh Niland married to?
Josh Niland is married to Julie Niland, his business partner at Saint Peter and Fish Butchery.
How did Josh Niland become successful?
Niland built his reputation through his nose-to-tail approach to fish cookery at Saint Peter, which he opened in 2016 with his wife Julie.
The Bottom Line
Josh Niland’s Fish Butchery won Best Restaurant and Professional Cookbook at the James Beard Awards in June 2024. That win followed his 2020 James Beard Book of the Year award for The Whole Fish Cookbook.
Niland developed his interest in food while recovering from a childhood cancer diagnosis at age eight. His nose-to-tail approach to fish grew out of frustration with seafood waste in Sydney kitchens.
He now runs Saint Peter, Fish Butchery, Petermen, and Fysh in Singapore. Niland continues to expand his restaurant group as of 2026.
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