Born in Melbourne, Tobie began his cooking career in the kitchen of renowned Melbourne eatery, Caffe e Cucina. From there, he headed for Europe, where he earned his stripes in the kitchens of northern Italy, before gaining experience at London's River Cafe. He was head chef at Jamie Oliver's Fifteen London, a social restaurant business that employs and trains disadvantaged young people, and has returned to Australia to introduce the Fifteen phenomenon to the diners of Melbourne.