Rising stars of Australia’s restaurant industry are meeting SA growers and producers this week on a tour that seeks to increase understanding of the work involved in getting food from the farm to the plate.
The young waiters, chefs and restaurateurs are all national finalists in the Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards, which each year organises a produce tour in a different part of the country.
“It’s about furthering understanding not only of the produce, but also finding out about the producers themselves – producers, harvesters, farmers and growers – and the passion they have for what they do, the difficulty in getting their products to market, and the science and knowledge behind it,” says project director Phee Gardner.
“It’s not so much about the paddock to the plate, but germination to plate.”
It is five years since the produce tour was last hosted in South Australia and the itinerary covers regions from the Barossa and the Adelaide Hills to the Coorong.
Participants will visit places such as Divine Dairy Farm at Langhorne Creek, where they will watch milking and learn how soil management and different types of feed affect the end product. Other stops on the tour include Pitchford Produce at Currency Creek, Udder Delights Cheese Factory, Henschke wines, Tatiara Olive Processors, Wanderibby beef and lamb farm, and Barossa Valley Cheese.
The seven young chefs, seven waiters and four restaurateurs will also go out on boats with fishermen from Wild Seafood Coorong and foraging in the Basket Range with Bistro Dom chef Duncan Welgemoed.
Gardner says the tour will enable the SA hosts to showcase their businesses, while encouraging the participants to seek out growers and producers in their own regions and beyond.
“The beauty of what we’re doing is that we’re immersing them in the diversity of produce that is available in Australia, whether it’s from the sea, the land, vegetable, animal or vine.”
She believes many members of the public lack understanding of where produce comes from, how it gets to the table, and the way in which the weather and other variables can affect price. It is hoped the knowledge gained by the industry young guns will be passed on to their customers.
“From a waiter’s perspective, they are the storytellers and the people who communicate with consumers, so they can engage with their consumers or guests and that enhances that dining experience. They can give diners an inside story into why Australian produce is so good.
“The chefs say to me that just by talking to the producers and hearing the passion they have for their business, it reignites their wish to do the best possible with the produce overall when they’re back in the kitchen.”
Growers and producers may also benefit by gaining greater insights into what chefs want, developing food trends and potential new markets.
The Electrolux Appetite for Excellence Awards are held annually and seek to support and nurture emerging talent in the hospitality industry. The 2012 young chef winner was Adelaide’s Stewart Wesson, who is now head chef at Public.
