Straight to
the Source
Straight to the Source originally
published and with permission from
theleadsouthaustralia.com.au.
I
t is mid morning on South
Australia’s pristine Baird Bay and
a group of Australia’s top chefs
is getting their final instructions
before diving with a colony
Australian sea lions.
“You can dive and play with them,
but chasing them doesn’t work,” says
Alan Payne who has been running
these tours for 22 years. “The best
thing is to let them chase you. Don’t
pick up empty shells, don’t stand up
and, remember, please don’t put your
[sic] hand under a rock – you might
be in for a nasty shock.”
On a normal day these industry
professionals would be sweating
over menus, tracking down exotic
ingredients or furiously prepping
for lunch. Instead, here they are
frolicking with a colony of playful
sea lions on the remote shores of
the Eyre Peninsula – 720 kilometres
northwest of Adelaide, the capital
city of South Australia.
Rather than dodging their mundane
chores in kitchen these 10 chefs are
actually in the middle of an intensive
three-day Straight To The Source
tour of the peninsula which offers
these (mostly) city-bound food
professionals a chance to see where
Australia’s most desirable produce
comes from – and to meet oyster
farmers, abalone divers, wine
growers, sheep farmers and others
who live and work in this majestic
but challenging place.
By the time this group reaches Baird
Bay they have already toured some
oyster leases, enjoyed an outback
lunch at Smoky Bay and learned
about the intricacies of abalone
harvesting. The itinerary also
includes a fish filleting lesson,
a taste of local bush tucker and
a Catch & Cook Community Dinner,
where the chefs work together to
create a multi-course dinner for the
people of Ceduna – the last town
before the expanse of the Nullarbor.
Despite the packed itinerary,
changeable weather and long
distances, the visiting chefs clearly
relished their time on the Eyre
Peninsula and were inspired by the
hard work, commitment and sheer