Meet the Team!
Alex Waters
Head Chef/Business Owner
We are very lucky to have the extremely talented Alex Waters lead our kitchen team.
Alex was born in Hobart.
He began his cookery journey in 1986, when he undertook a pre vocational cookery course – the second one in history to be at Drysdale House, Hobart.
Alex grew up surrounded by good food, his mother was a cookery teacher in London at Le Cordon Bleu when he was younger.
He began his Cookery Apprenticeship at The Nose Bag in Lower Sandy Bay, working under Dave Guiney.
He then went on to work under Stuart Prosser at The Fish Café in North Hobart.
Alex then continued on with his Apprenticeship at Moorilla Wine Estate, now known as MONA. He was the first ever Apprentice Chef at Moorilla.
Then Alex, as most young Tasmanian’s do, went on to Sydney to experience the big city lights.
He worked in various kitchens, including The Sydney University, The Ritz Carlton, and Vaucluse House Tea Rooms, where his savoury scones were written up in Sydney Eats as “deliciously different”.
Alex then opened a Bistro in Petersham, Sydney, at The White Cockatoo Hotel, which was very successful.
In 1997 though, Alex was drawn back to Hobart.
He began working at Prosser’s on the Beach, once again under Stuart Prosser. Prosser’s was at the time, one of the best Restaurants in Hobart, winning many awards for its cuisine.
It was here, at Prosser’s that Alex met Megan. Megan had also been working at Prosser’s for a number of years.
Together, they moved back to Sydney.
In Sydney, Alex met up with an old Head Chef, and great friend, David Callaghan. Together they set up three Restaurants in The Ivanhoe Hotel, on Manly Corso. Dave as Head Chef, Alex as Sous.
Alex then went on to become Head Chef at The Barking Frog, on Manly’s waterfront. Here he was nominated as Best Young Chef in Sydney by the Sydney Good Food Guide.
Alex also worked at Manly Bay Seafood Restaurant, which went on to win the Best Seafood Restaurant in Sydney.
The birth of Alex and Megan’s first son, Max, brought them back to Hobart in 2003.
Back in Hobart, Alex helped set up and run Elizabeths in North Hobart.
The itch to do something of his own again though was becoming too strong.
He began making gourmet pies, wholesaling them to shops and Café’s around town.
Meeting with his brother one day, he asked him to help him think of a name for the Business venture.
His brother went for a walk, came back and said “how about Mouth Waters?”
What a great name! Mouth Waters it became.
During this time Alex also helped to set up the Smith Street Store in North Hobart.
Delivering his gourmet pies to Technopark one day, Alex met with the then owner, Nina, who offered him a job. Alex took that job.
A couple of years working with Nina, led to Alex and Megan purchasing the business and the rest is history!
Next year, in 2026, the Mouth Waters name will be 20 years old! 😊
Meet the Team!
Megan Waters
Megan was born in Sydney.
She always had a love for food. Always beside her Nan in the kitchen, helping and learning with a keen interest, love and passion.
Megan moved to Hobart when she was 19 years old and was thrown into the Hospitality Industry, helping to run an English style Restaurant in Battery Point, The Hobart Town Beefeater.
Megan and her then partner, ran The Beefeater for 2 years.
From here Megan went on to further her skills, completing an Associate Diploma of Business (Hospitality) at The Drysdale Institute.
Whilst studying, Megan began working as a waiter at Prosser’s on the Beach, one of the best Restaurants in Hobart at the time. She stayed a Prosser’s for 3 ½ years, becoming one of the Front of House Supervisors.
Megan loved working at Prosser’s. It was a fun, fast paced environment which she thrives in. Stuart Prosser once said that Megan was “one of the best drinks waiters he had ever seen”.
In 1997, Alex Waters came on the scene, as one of the new Chef’s at Prosser’s.
Alex and Megan had an immediate connection.
Together they left for Sydney.
In Sydney Megan began working at Neil Perry’s Rockpool, The Rocks. Rockpool is an amazing experience for any hospitality person. She worked here for just over a year.
She then went on to work with Alex and Head Chef David Callaghan at The Ivanhoe Hotel on Manly Corso. Megan was given the role of Events Co-ordinator, setting up this newly renovated and exciting Hotel in the heart of Manly.
The next role that Megan took was once again as a section waiter in another top Sydney Restaurant, Merrony’s, Circular Quay, under Head Chef/Owner Paul Merrony. Merrony’s was located right in Circular Quay, and was a famously known French Restaurant, catering especially to people attending events at the Sydney Opera House. Sittings were through lunch, dinner, and post opera supper. As well as working the front of house, Megan would sometimes work on prep in the kitchen for Paul.
Megan was still living in Manly at this time, and would travel across Sydney Harbour by ferry to work.
When Merrony’s shut for renovations, she worked at the Manly Wharf Bar, a complete change as she had never worked in a Bar before. Here Clay Hogan, Paul Hogan’s son worked. Clay taught Megan how to pour a beer. 😊 Megan thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working in a bar, it was fun.
When Merrony’s re-opened, Megan started back up again.
At this time, Alex was having a break from cooking, working for his friend, Albie, in his local Sydney tree lopping business.
Megan thought she might like to also have a career change so she began working for Panasonic, programming Restaurant Till Systems.
She only lasted 3 months!
Hospitality was where she wanted to be.
She began working at Le Kiosk, Shelly Beach Manly, as a section waiter, and soon worked her way up to be one of the Front of House Supervisors. Le Kiosk was another top Sydney Restaurant, situated right on the beach.
Megan worked here for approximately 3 years, until the birth of their first son Max.
Alex and Megan moved back to Hobart when Max was 1 year old.
Megan did a couple of short stints waitressing at Mezethes Greek Taverna in Salamanca and also The Boat House, Cornelian Bay, in between starting a family.
But, Alex and Megan wanted to have their own business. They had worked together most of their careers, and felt that they could make it work.
Alex began making gourmet pies, Megan marketed and distributed them around shops and Café’s throughout Hobart, including Hill Street South Hobart, Smith Street Store in North Hobart, and the Café at The Tasmanian Technopark.
This is where the name “Mouth Waters’ began.
The Tasmanian Technopark Café and Catering was then owned by Edible Art Tasmania. Nina, the then owner, offered Alex a job. Alex took that job. A couple of years on, Alex and Megan bought the business from Nina.
At this time, Megan was a stay at home mum, of now 3 young children.
The Conference Facilities at Technopark back then were managed by the Dept. of State Growth, with Mouth Waters operating the Café and Catering only.
Megan began working from home, organising the Catering and running the business side of things.
She did as well however, have stints on site, working in the kitchen, serving customers and making coffee.
When their youngest child Charlie was about 2 years old, Megan began working more permanently on site at Mouth Waters.
Charlie and Grace, two of their children, were also on site, as many regular customers will recall. In fact, all four of the Mouth Waters children have pretty much grown up spending much of their time at Mouth Waters 😊 Regular customers will re call the port a cot in the corner of the kitchen!
The Dept. of State Growth handed over the running of the Conference Facilities to Mouth Waters when that department within State Growth shut down, and thus Megan also now took on the role of Events Co-Ordinator.
And as they say, the rest is history!
Next year, 2026, Mouth Waters will turn 20!
