Epicure
grit shown by so many local
producers.
“Of course it’s amazing to spend
a morning on an oyster lease,” says
Mary-Louise Brandtman, who owns
a large catering firm in Sydney. “I’ve
been in the hospitality industry
for 20 years and I never really
understood where oysters came from
– I’d certainly never handled spat
[oyster larvae] before. But the thing
I really got from this tour is the
passion of the small producers
for what they do – they are so
committed.”
Although Regional Development
Australia (RDA), with the support
of individual producers, has been
hosting chefs and other industry
specialists on the Eyre Peninsula for
the past decade, the organization
has recently teamed up with
a number of specialist operators,
such as Tawnya Bahr, a Sydney chef
and food consultant – and creator
of the Straight To The Source model.
Mark Allsopp, food industry
development officer for the Eyre
Peninsula, says these new tours
build lasting relationships between
producers and food professionals
and generate tangible sales results.
Demand for new culinary tours
is running hot – previous invitees
include celebrated Sydney chefs
Pete Evans, Sean Connolly and
Martin Boetz.
“Last year I hosted four chef’s
tours and this year we’ll do 10 tours.
I can’t do all of them myself so it
makes sense to align ourselves with
people like Tawnya,” Allsopp says.
“I get plenty of positive feedback
about the extra business being
done – that’s in addition to the
direct relationships being forged
between producers, chefs and
other food professionals. That’s
a pretty good outcome.”
Tours such as Straight To The Source
naturally complement the region’s
overall marketing strategy which
promotes the Eyre Peninsula as
“Australia’s seafood frontier” based
around Port Lincoln, Coffin Bay,
Streaky Bay and Ceduna. Allsopp sees
future scope in taking such hands-on
experiences to an international
audience – and possibly for a growing
legion of dedicated home cooks and
wannabe celebrity chefs.
For her part, Bahr believes
that her food tours offer classic
win-win scenario for both parties,
since chefs and industry
professionals often have little
chance to engage with small
producers first hand.
“Unlike other vocations where
professional development
is an expectation, chefs and front
of house staff are expected to
teach themselves. Noticing this
gap we have tailored tours with
the professional in mind while
still offering a unique experience
for the food loving public,” she
says. “Spending time at the source
provides an opportunity to learn
what cannot be learnt by reading
a cookbook or eating at a
restaurant.”
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