The seed of this book was planted five years ago. Having arrived in Australia after working in Europe – a continent with an abundance of extraordinary produce – I soon discovered the remarkable produce Australia has to offer. Incredible seafood, the freshest and most diverse selection of fruit and vegetables, and an increasingly high quality of meat, offal, poultry and game. I wanted to find a way to celebrate the produce and the producers, to give them the recognition and exposure they deserve.
I began talking to local suppliers to learn more about how they selected the products they sold me: the best fresh produce available in Australia. From those early conversations came meetings with farmers, businesspeople and cultivators. I started to travel on the days Bécasse was closed, and I loved what I saw and tasted.
From garden nurseries to the most technologically advanced processing plants, what these producers have in common is a steadfast commitment to excellence. Whether it’s time spent researching their product abroad, or years of trial and error to perfect their recipe for livestock feed, in their own way each producer embodies what I want to express via my food in the restaurant: timeless depth of flavours through solid technique.
Once the basic idea for the project was in place I set about gathering a team of equally passionate people to turn the dream into a book. Together we travelled around Australia talking to producers, capturing the mood of the land, and recording it in an attempt to bring to life this unwavering commitment to truly superior food.
As a chef, it was a delight to learn more about each product, and it is with great pride that I serve each of them, season permitting, at Bécasse. Every story I heard was inspiring. Whether sharing a cup of tea with an octogenarian yabby farmer or discussing the finer points of humane, efficient slaughter of lambs, each experience in its own way strengthened my resolve to preserve these people’s unique stories.
Plenty of heart has gone into the making of this book and, of course, a good deal of cooking and eating and I am confident that you wil be inspired by a breadth of produce that begs to be explored.
Justin North
May 2006