It was a quiet day in the restaurant industry on Monday, but the staff from two of the best venues in the country, Bennelong and Quay, were doing field research at Cooranbong at the two farms run by greens supplier Newcastle Greens.
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Dylan Abdoo and Elle Brown played host to chef Rob Cockerill and his team of more than 30, plus Peter Gilmore, doyen of Quay restaurant.
"It was a fantastic day, they loved it," Abdoo says. "They are about informing and giving information to their crew."
Newcastle Greens has been supplying micro greens and specialty vegetables and flowers to both restaurants for more than four years. The support has been mutual, with the restaurants funding the Greens supply and growth of specialty lines grown nowhere else in Australia.
"We took them to both of our farms," Abdoo says.
"They loved the cyberfrills kale, and the bare necessities kale. We've been growing them for three years. We've got a couple of thousand plants, and they are going well. We got them in early. Peter [Gilmore] wants the young leaves. They look like frilly mustard, there's lots of texture to them."
The farm's puntarelle variety of chicory has been another winner, among many.
The busload of staff from the top restaurants also stopped at Red Shed Studio Jam, which makes top shelf ceramic tableware used at the best restaurants in the world, including those two.
Jim Kellar
Jim Kellar writes about culture, art, food, drinks and music. He's been a journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1997. jkellar@newcastleherald.com.au
Jim Kellar writes about culture, art, food, drinks and music. He's been a journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1997. jkellar@newcastleherald.com.au
