Born and raised in Benalla, Luke has established family ties in the High Country Victoria spanning generations, and his parents and brother still live there. After 20 years of study and work in Melbourne, he and his family relocated to Mansfield and opening a studio to represent this new chapter seemed a natural next step.

Essentials recently spoke with Luke about his return to his Victorian High Country roots.

We’re pleased to learn of your return to High Country. Can you explain what you’ll add to the region regarding functional living and design?

As we understand it, we are the only Architecture and Interior Design practice in the High Country. The population growth we have seen since the pandemic has made these beautiful regional Victorian areas even more desirable for a lot of people, and we plan to be able to provide the same high level of design and service in these areas as we have been in others for a long time. With offices in Melbourne and Mansfield, we can provide our clients with a unique offering.

What have been some of your finest achievements – designs that have come full circle and changed people’s lives and why?

Every completed project is an achievement, and our projects do change the lives of those who experience them. It’s hard to describe that sometimes, but it’s much more than people realise. Our projects aren’t just pretty pictures in a magazine; they will change the way you live, impact your happiness and the way you connect with your family and your impact on the environment. Beyond that, in 2020, I was named one of Australia’s top five emerging designers, which was very humbling.

What factors do design considerations require vs. designing for Melbourne and seaside locations?

Beyond the project’s aesthetics, site context and weather conditions are probably the most significant factors in a coastal setting with prevailing winds and salt air. Projects in Melbourne require more consideration of heritage, streetscape and town planning requirements. Of course, no matter the location, there are always consistent considerations across the board for things like functionality, environmental impact and budget.

What high country projects are you currently working on, and what does the future hold?

We currently have five projects in the High Country – one on Mt Buller, one in Merrijig and three in Mansfield. These are all residential projects, and the future holds much more of these high-end homes, but we also want to expand into more multi-residential, hospitality and commercial projects too, which is in line with what we have been working towards in Melbourne for some time. We intend to focus on country projects from the Yarra Valley all the way to Albury, including Falls Creek and Hotham.

What are some current and/or future trends in home design, and what should people consider in a new design to make it eco-friendly and cost-saving (energy-wise).

People should prioritise quality over quantity by understanding their needs vs. wants and focusing on this, resulting in a higher-performing house (energy-wise). This also means less compromise when it comes to selecting all of the things you see and use every day, light fittings, tapware etc.

What’s your current favourite winery, restaurant and cafe in High Country – what are your tips?

Delatite Winery has quickly become a favourite with its beautiful new cellar door. The Fields is a fun restaurant with a delicious menu, and Mansfield Coffee Merchant has the best coffee I’ve had in a long time (and that’s coming from a Melbourne coffee snob, ha!)

For more information visit: lukefry.com.au

In series 3 of Plat du Tour, launching tonight, Friday, July 1, Guillaume Brahimi welcomes you on a tasting journey around the mountainous regions of France as he brings you some of his favourite French dishes to enjoy at higher altitudes.

Every region of France has its own unique flavours to experience, but there’s something special about the rolling hills and mountains of this beautiful country. The cuisine is just as spectacular as the scenery and Guillaume will bring you some of his favourites.

In the Alps, it’s all about rich and comforting dishes after a day of hiking and skiing. In the farmlands of the midi Pyrenees, there is a bounty of fresh produce at your fingertips, and in the lush pastures across the French mountains, there is plenty of dairy farmers, which means an abundance of cheese and dessert.

On the journey, he will meet and learn the secrets to making authentic regional cuisine from creative farmers, producers and artisans. So, lace up your hiking boots and get ready for the best French food you can find in the mountains.

Guillaume Brahimi – Australia’s most acclaimed French-born chef

French-born Guillaume Brahimi is one of Australia’s most popular and acclaimed chefs. He trained under Michelin-starred chef Joel Robuchon in Paris before moving to Sydney in the 1990s.

In late 2001, Guillaume won the prestigious contract to take over the flagship restaurant at the Sydney Opera House, Bennelong, and, after a refurbishment, opened this spectacular venue in November 2001 as Guillaume at Bennelong. The restaurant went on to win almost every major accolade in Australian food, as well as international recognition. By 2003, it held Two Chef Hats in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food Guide; ten years later, in 2013, Guillaume and his team achieved a Three Chefs Hat status, published in the 2014 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. That same year, Guillaume was awarded Vittoria Legend Award for his outstanding long-term contribution to the restaurant industry.

Guillaume has since gone on to become a best-selling cookbook author and popular TV chef/host. In late 2014 he received the Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Merite (Knight of the National Order), a prestigious honour endowed by the French government for outstanding services rendered to France in Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Tour du France on SBS TV
Tour de France Stage 1: COPENHAGUE > COPENHAGUE airs on SBS TV tonight, Friday, July 1, 2022.

You got your start at a young age, where did you begin and what inspired you to enter hospitality?

I was lucky enough to start my career at Park Hyatt Sydney. However, I grew up in and out of Aman resorts as my godparents were co-General Managers of many of them. It was here I grew my appreciation and at the Park Hyatt I learnt my skill. It is still my bucket list to this day, to stay in every Aman property.

You’re currently the General Manager of Raes on Watego’s Byron Bay, how does the hotel differ to larger city-based properties?

Raes is an intimate 7-roomed property, with a Spa, restaurant (Raes Dining Room) and bar (Raes Cellar Bar). Whilst the scale is small, we find this is what the guests enjoy most. Our guests aren’t known by room numbers, they’re known by name, the coffee they like in the morning, the occasion or reason their visiting. The size allows us to create an experience that is utterly tailored and special. It also allows us the ability to do things (amongst many others) like have a pot of sleep tea brewed for each guest on turndown. Our pace is also slower, 98 percent are leisure visits rather than business so there is a big shift there with a city hotel whose corporate market is traditionally huge.

Are you a water baby? Do you love Byron?

To be raised in Sydney is something special, to live in Byron Bay is something incredible! I very fortunately find myself in Sydney still very often, so whenever I need my fix the not even 1.5hr flight from Ballina makes it very possible so I don’t have a chance to miss the big smoke! I’m incredibly fortunate to be able to split myself across two of Australia’s most amazing cities – and couldn’t live without access to salt water.

What are the best aspects about staying at Raes, and what are you most proud of delivering to guests?

I can very confidently say there is no property like Raes anywhere in the world. I can also confidently say that no two guests visits are the same as each experience is tailored to that guests needs. My biggest achievement are my staff, and to watch them all deliver something that is truly genuine and authentic, is what I am most proud of and what our guests take home with them.

Are you a boss tucked away in the office, or do you greet the guests?

Whilst I try to get office time, I like to be across everything that’s happening on site, and I also truly enjoy being amongst it all. Engaging with guests is the reason I was inspired to enter this industry and role, and it’s the one reason that will keep me here.

If you’re travelling from regional North East Victoria to Byron Bay, Essentials Magazine recommends the friendly services of NE Transfers.
Tel 0455 059 998
netransfers.com.au

Raes on Wategos
6/8 Marine Parade, Byron Bay, NSW
Tel 02 6685 5366
raes.com.au

Adapted by Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher Hampton from J.G. Farrell’s classic novel, The Singapore Grip is an ambitious and exotic family saga set in Singapore during World War Two.

Visit: Georgia Blizzard Part One: Sealing the Deal

Georgia Blizzard Part Two: World at Her Feet

Georgia’s performance throughout the series The Singapore Grip is powerful in its subtleties. In many instances her expressions and body language take charge, underlining her well- honed skills in the craft of acting. She’s perfect for the role of Joan.

You’ve certainly got a bright future ahead of you, you’re without a doubt following in the footsteps of  Nicole Kidman.

‘Thank you Jamie – I’ve thus far only seen the first two episodes (completed), and it’s funny how you sort of roll your eyes. *laughs* I think when you’re in it [performing], you’re not necessarily conscious of what you’re doing, you’re just trying to sort of live in the moment, but yeah, Joan has some attitude! There’s some looks she throws!’

Did you have much time to read the scripts, or did you read ‘as you go’ during production?

‘We shot it totally out of sequence, which happens normally, but especially because we were going from being in the colonial houses to filming the last month in Penang, which is where we did anything that happens outdoors. So my first day of filming and then the last day of filming was the same episode. It was like a scene that led into each other, so they completely bookended each other.’

‘We were definitely continuing to read the scripts all of the time and I had this sort of mental map on my kitchen wall that probably looked like I was trying to solve a mystery – mapping out all of the scenes in different colours.’ So (for instance ) I could (be waking) up at four in the morning and say to myself: “okay, we’ve done that scene, cross that one off”… (I was) so trying to keep track of it all.’

Is that a normal working process for an actor?

‘I think again, it comes back to being privileged working with such seasoned actors, you’re observing them the whole time.’ ‘I was working with … all of these incredible greats who’ve been doing it for so long. You feel like you have to rise to it, because they’re definitely going to be at the top of their game.’

There must have been a nice energy working with such a great cast?

‘Yeah – it really was. And I think the fact that everyone was so far away from home, it wasn’t like I was coming to the UK to work on this production and they were all going back to their families. It was a very unique experience together that we all shared, which was living together for four months and exploring a new culture together on our days off. And I guess in a way everyone’s flying by the seat of their pants because they’re in a foreign land and exploring new sets and scenery.’

Speaking of sets, the construction and lighting and creative input is clearly a large part to the success and visual beauty of the series. Some of the sets such as the entertainment precinct appear intriguingly wildly extravagant in nature. What was it like working in that environment?

‘The sets were unbelievable. John Lee (Victoria, Bodyguard) was our DOP; he’s so talented as you’ve seen, and he was so generous. I quietly told him how I’d like to know more about what was going into his lighting and lens choices, and so he’d give me a different lesson every week and would be quizzing me on which equipment we should be using within a scene. There was one situation where they let me operate the camera, which was loads of fun.’

‘In terms of the sets, we shot three months in Kuala Lumpur, which includes all the scenes shot in the colonial houses, including the garden parties; and then the last month was filming in Penang. Penang still has all of the old colonial architecture which doubles really well for 1942 Singapore, and then our incredible sets team simply built around these city buildings.’

Were there any people or performances from any other actors that you’d thought about in order to deliver your performance of Joan?

‘I’m not sure that I did have anyone in mind. I really felt that when I read her on the page, she was like nothing else that I had read before. I felt that she was incredibly bold, even looking through a 2020 lens, let alone the 1940s. And after the first two episodes she just gets bolder and bolder. With some of the things she was doing I was almost scandalised, I suppose!’

‘I was so enthralled with her because I felt that I never knew what she was going to do next. She has this real bamboozling quality. So the challenge I set myself was to try and take that feeling that I had on the page and lift it onto the screen.’

‘Obviously she’s very far away from me as well, as a person, hopefully! *laughs* So there was a lot to dive into. Obviously there was the accent to work with and I had these extravagant costumes. That actually gave it a big sense of play, that was really fun for me. I’ve always really loved accent work and this was the first time I’ve been able to do it on screen.’

What are your thoughts on the time of the release of the series, considering the black lives matter protests worldwide. The 1940s English colonial snobbery displayed in the series could be considered a great time capsule of the era. How do you think viewers will respond to seeing that level of colonial pomposity?

‘It’s interesting. You are looking it as a sort of time capsule, but at the same time there are certainly characters in there that I see mirrored around us in the world today, still. I think the idea of people in power putting business, greed and financial gain above humanity is not that obscure a concept to the world we’re living in now. Hopefully it will spur a lot of interesting conversions in that respect.’

‘It’s also been interesting making a series here (in the Pacific region), obviously it hasn’t come out in the UK yet but in Australia, the fall of Singapore, that period is very significant in our history. It’s something I was taught in high school, I think a lot of Australians are; but it’s not well known in the UK, it’s a period of history that’s completely buried.’

‘I think we are having a lot of important conversations right now, and I think an important part of those conversations is acknowledging our past. The Singapore Grip showcases a very large part of British colonial history. Obviously the colonial period has caused a lot of damage and I think pretending it didn’t exist is quite senseless. It’s important to understand what happened in the past and to see how we can learn and grow from that.’

Back to 2020, how are you holding up in COVID-19 London?

‘Someone I know recently used the phrase: “we’re all in different boats, but weathering the same storm.” It’s quite a deflating time for the arts. And if I look around at my friends or my family – whether they’re teachers or nurses, or work in retail or hospitality, across all different sectors, everyone is feeling the impact of this in some way.’

‘And while it is a really uncertain time for the industry I’m in, I’m also feeling quite comforted, I suppose. It’s nice to look around and see how everyone is taking solace in the arts at this time.’

‘I think people are leaning on film and television, books and music – everything is on pause right now, but it will come back and I think there’s going to be a real hunger for stories and art, maybe in a way that I’ve not really experienced in my lifetime. Everything’s kind of stopped for now, but I think it will be really embraced when it comes back.’

Visit: Georgia Blizzard Part One: Sealing the Deal

The Singapore Grip
The Singapore Grip is available is streaming now on Foxtel Now Australia and on BBC First.
foxtel.com.au 

You’ve achieve a lot since appearing on the debut series of MasterChef Australia – best selling books, hundreds of hours of TV production and a growing string of media and PR engagements. How do you feel about your rise to fame?

I could never have imagined that MasterChef was going to be this incredible platform for me to create a new career. Next year will be my 10th year of filming Everyday Gourmet and I’ve just started to write my fourth book.

I still pinch myself at how lucky I have been, to be able to do what I truly love. Yes, being in the right place at the right when the MasterChef phenomenon occurred did obviously play a roll in my success, but there is no such thing as free lunch and I’ve always been a big believer in hard work, getting your hands dirty along the way and always being honest, grateful and committed to every opportunity that has fallen in my lap.

Of course it has been difficult to juggle my obligations, stay relevant and produce many, many recipes (easily over 1000) but when you’re passionate about the task at hand then the hard work, never feels so hard. I love what I do and I am fortunate.

Are you proud of your achievements?

I am so incredibly proud. Looking back 12 years ago when I sitting at a desk attempting to sell security camera (didn’t sell many), daydreaming of the next dish I was going to cook when I got home … never would I have imagined that it would have become a reality and my new career. In all fairness though, I think mum and dad are more proud!

Your new book The Weeknight Cookbook features a fantastic collection of flavoursome healthy options. Can the average cook make these recipes?

My recipes are designed for busy people that want inspiration for fast and easy recipes during the week. They really showcase how to get the most out of your fridge, freezer and pantry to ensure you feel empowered in the kitchen, to be able to cook a great meal for yourself, family or partner any day of the week.

Where do you feel we’re heading as a nation, in terms of food habits?

I definitely feel that there will be a bigger push for eating a more plant-based diet. More vegetables, grains, seeds and cereals and less meat and fish. I am a huge believer in a balanced diet (personally I could never be 100 percent vegetarian) but allowing the vegetable to shine more on our plate is the trend and I’m interested in exploring it more and developing more recipes around the humble veg to reduce our weekly meat intake.

What are some of your favourite childhood memories of food and cooking?

From a young age I was drawn to the kitchen. I was always so curious in the way a few simple ingredients can be transformed into such a scrumptious dish. My mum is a fabulous cook and cooked for us all the time. Even though mum and dad both worked very busy full time jobs, they would still cooked dinner 95 percent of the time for my two brothers and me.

The only time I ever really experienced ‘delivery food’ was when I stayed with friends. It was also very important in our family to eat at the table, together and share one meal (if you didn’t like, you learnt to like it! haha). I think we are all so close in my family because eating around a table every night gave us the opportunity to catch up properly, share a meal and just talk.

Food also always evokes memory and keeps heritage alive. Mum is from France so the dishes she makes remind me of my grandmother (Meme) and I hope one day if I have children I can pass these recipes down and keep them alive. I feel the only way they will stay relevant is to cook them regularly, and that’s exactly what I do.

What’s the perfect Australian Christmas lunch and why? And should we be roasting a turkey? 

We haven’t roasted a turkey in our family for ages. I feel it’s sometimes not suited to the hot summer and to be honest it can sometimes be a bit underwhelming.

I prefer to change it up every year, but there is always lots of fresh seafood and wonderful summer produce, like tomatoes and mangoes. One thing that is always a staple at every Christmas lunch is foie gras (goose or duck liver), a French specialty (usually served at aperitif with drinks). For mum and I it’s non negotiable!

Tell us about your most memorable summer holiday experience?

Most memorable would have to be down on the South Coast of NSW where my Uncle Bill lives. We would stay in Huskisson and Green Patch and play by the sea all day, eat beautiful local prawns and head to the local pub at night for fire engines (pink lemonade) and counter dinners. So Aussie, I just loved it.

What OS food ingredient or cooking method has inspired you recently? 

I’ve just recently bought a hibachi grill, a small authentic Japanese charcoal BBQ. I’m really interested in learning about coal cooking and becoming better at controlling fire when cooking over.

When travelling what can you not leave home without and why?

There’s nothing worse than getting a small cold or feeling unwell when travelling so I ensure I always take in the lead up to my trip, and pack premium vitamins in my suitcase. This is just to ensure I have the best chance to have a healthy and strong immune on my holiday.

Got any cooking hacks we should know about?

Two of my favourite: The easiest way to peel ginger is with a small spoon not with a knife. Simply scrape off. There will be less wastage and it’ll be easier to get the skin in the curvaceous sides. Also, the best way to boil and peel an egg: Poke a small hole at the wider end of the egg with a metal skewer or sharp small knife. Cook in boiling water for 6 minutes. It makes peeling much easier and you’ll achieve perfectly cooked whites and a gooey egg yolk.

What’s the most important tool in the kitchen and why?

One or two very good quality knives, you don’t need 8 knives to be a great cook. And invest in a really good set of pots and pans.

Are you a wine lover?

I do love my wine indeed. I’m a big lover of Provence rosé at the moment because of its crisp, dry notes. It’s also very versatile, so it’s goes with many different occasions, cuisines and meal courses. It’s the perfect summer drink!

How will you celebrate Christmas 2019?
With my family and friends and lots of food and wine of course!

The Weeknight Cookbook by Justine Schofield
Published by Plum, RRP $34.99, Photography by Jeremy Simons.

Cheesemaker Andre Kogut is a patient man. He spends a lot of time waiting. He waits hours for his milk to turn to curds. He waits weeks as the curds set in their hoops. He then waits years for his cheddar to slowly mature. ‘Good things can’t be rushed,’ says Andre with a warm smile. Born in The Ukraine countryside he learned to ferment milk into kefir (traditionally fermented, non-homogenised probiotic yoghurt product) and soft cheeses at his grandmother’s side. Fifteen years ago he started producing dairy products under the Blue Bay label making products familiar to him such as kefir. ‘Fermented products are now so popular but our family have been making them since before we can remember,’ he says. ‘We’ve always known the health benefits of live probiotic cultures. Not that my grandmother would use those words,’ he says with a laugh.

Andre is also a perfectionist in the best sense. He sources his milk from a single herd of dairy cows grazing in the green rolling hills of Gippsland. The farmer uses organic practices such as eschewing chemical fertilisers and pesticides, instead employing natural weed and insect control and spreading compost and manure, alternatives to super phosphate and ammonia nitrate on the pasture. The farmers are also well known for their humane animal husbandry such as not separating the calves from their mothers and not sending poddy calves to the abattoir. Andre appreciates the quality of the milk and pays the farmers properly.

When the milk arrives at his small factory, hidden in the back blocks of the small industrial park in the seaside town of Mornington on the Mornington Peninsula, he is there waiting. Like all cheesemakers he takes a sample of the milk testing it for fat, protein and other technical parameters. Andre also does something different. He takes a glass of the milk and smells and tastes it like a sommelier would wine. ‘Every season, every day the milk can be different,’ says Andre. ‘Some milk is better for cheese than for kefir.’

Andre agreed to take the excess seasonal milk from the farm. With this he makes great semi hard cooked-curd gouda style cheese and a rich creamy cheddar. The gouda has all the hallmarks of Dutch gouda with its firm pliable texture and lovely nutty caramel flavours. Aged for 6 months this is a cheese perfect for melting or adorning a cheese platter. Andre also makes a cheddar that is rich and creamy. Using vegetarian rennet and traditional Cheddar cultures he sets the milk and cuts the curds. The curds are milled and salted then hooped into a 6kg wheel. They are partially drained and then left to set for several weeks with constant turning before being sent to the cellar, where maturing for 2-3 years, they develop those rich floral and ‘cheesy’ aromas one expects in a cheddar. The texture is smooth and velvety, a more refined version of the Mersey Valley Cheddar style of cheese.

Andre was selling extensively to the big supermarkets but they were not playing fair. Instead he chooses to work with good food stores and selling direct to the public through his factory in Mornington and via farmers markets in and around Melbourne. ‘I love the contact with the general public,’ says Andre. ‘They give me so much feedback. They tell me what they like and don’t like about a product and we can make changes to adapt to what they want. It’s the same relationship with the farmer. I have constant contact with my primary producer and our end customers. It is complex. But it is so rewarding’

Breakfast Quark Recipe:

Serves 2-4

500g Blue Bay Quark
Blue Bay European-style Light Sour Cream, 2 tablespoons per plate
fresh blueberries, 5-8 per plate
Chunky loganberry and blueberry sauce (see recipe below) to garnish
Beechworth single origin honey, to drizzle

To Serve

Mix 125g of Blue Bay Quark with Blue Bay European-style Light Sour Cream and spoon onto a serving plate. Top with blueberries, Chunky loganberry and blueberry sauce and a drizzle of honey.

Chunky Loganberry and Blueberry Sauce

500g fresh or frozen mixed berries; we used last season’s frozen loganberries and blueberries
Juice of half a lemon
4 tsp sugar
½ tsp cinnamon
Pinch nutmeg
10 2cm x 2mm strips of lemon zest
1 tbsp Chambord liqueur

Method

1. Place berries in a small saucepan on low heat to thaw and cook down for approximately 5 minutes.

2. Add the lemon juice, sugar, Chambord, nutmeg, cinnamon and lemon zest. Reduce heat and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes to infuse flavours.

3. Remove from heat and allow to cool before serving.

Blue Bay Dairy
6 Latham St, Mornington, Victoria
bluebaycheese.com.au
kefirrecipes.com.au

Flying in from Lockhart River, Cape York, and arriving to the gallery decked out in a thick winter jacket, woolen gloves and beanie; the cold climate was the only shocking element that Aboriginal artist Patrick Butcher Jnr faced as he spoke with confidence and conviction about his unique painting methods and love for Country; and how he expresses it through his art.

The exhibition combines work from three celebrated Aboriginal artists – Jack Macale, Adrian King and Patrick Butcher Jnr – and includes scenes and stories from two Aboriginal communities in far northern Australia: Fitzroy Crossing (The Kimberly, WA) and Lockhart River (Cape York, QLD).  Patrick is an original founding member of the Lockart River Art Gang, formed in 1995 – a group of modernist painters who’s work has been exhibited and collected both nationally and internationally, currently represented in Texas, USA as well as Brussels, Germany and France. This week it was announced that Aboriginal Exhibitions Gallery, headed up by Victorian art collector Hans Sip is to be representing the entire 27 artist Lockart River Art Gang throughout Victoria, and by special appointment in the Hunter Valley Wine region of NSW.

Before posing for a few photographs, we spoke to Patrick in detail about his grand scale, colour field semi-abstract works; each painted with the palm of his hands.

‘I began my interest in art by being introduced to linocut work, which I enjoyed and made detailed creations, however the tools used, like paint brushes when I first attempted to paint felt like a barrier – I felt disconnected from the medium, it was unnatural. I decided to use the palm of my hands to paint, which just felt right,’ says Patrick. ‘Now I take precautions with the paint, as it can be toxic; I ware tight fitting gloves that allow me to work fluidly.’

Taking great care to produce his scenes, Patrick says that he likes to consider his work ‘10% activity and 90% thought’; explaining that while his works can be viewed by some as fast-paced creations, he layers each painting, one colour at a time, slowly building the scene after hours of detailed thought and contemplation.

Partick’s paintings depict landscapes, seascapes and sky scenes, each in a format that showcases colour and movement as a predominate feature. ‘I love to come home after work, sit and watch the sunset and the sky and clouds changing – like a storm rolling in. This is the important thing for me to express – how nature is always changing, how the colours blend and alter’, says Patrick.

With a large collection of works sold on the night, plus more sold prior to the exhibition launching, Northern Exposure – Stories from Lockhart River and Fitzroy Crossing has been one of the gallery’s most successful exhibitions to date. And from an impact point of  view, we feel it’s most certainly on of the strongest.

Northern Exposure – Stories from Lockhart River and Fitzroy Crossing is on show until August 30. Entry is free.

Aboriginal Exhibitions Gallery at De Bortoli Wines, Rutherglen Estate
13-35 Drummond St
Rutherglen
Tel 02 6032 9033
aboriginalexhibitions.com.au

Ollie returns to Brisbane and Stokehouse Q, having been awarded the Brisbane Times Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year Award in 2016, and following on from his current role with the Group as Head Chef at Stokehouse St Kilda, overseeing the relaunch of the iconic Melbourne restaurant.

Ollie is recognised for his work in Leicestershire, England where in 2011 he helped run the Two AA Rosette award-winning Woodhouse Restaurant; he headed to Australia in 2013 and quickly landed a position commenced his career in Down Under at Stokehouse Q in 2013, prior to taking up an opportunity at Gauge Brisbane as Head Chef. Ollie returned to the Van Haandel Group in late 2015, before being appointed to his current position at Stokehouse St Kilda (Melbourne) in 2016.

‘There is no one who knows Stokehouse better than Ollie and he was our obvious choice to take over the helm at Stokehouse Q,’ says Frank van Haandel. ‘Following on from our renovations at Stokehouse Q late last year, we are excited to have Ollie bring his talent, energy and passion to Brisbane.’

‘It has been an incredible 48 hours for me; to be offered this opportunity to take another step up with the Group which has shown so much faith in me since I came to Australia, is really humbling,’ says Hansford. ‘I know the Stokehouse Q team well and am looking forward to working with them all again, particularly Marcel (Head Chef). It is an honour to be named Executive Chef of another iconic Australian restaurant. I have learnt so much in my time at Stokehouse St Kilda, I can’t wait to bring this knowledge to Stokehouse Q and to continue learning from the industry there.’

Ollie’s passion for food started from a young age and his background is rich in food experience with an impressive European pedigree. He studied at London’s finest catering college; Westminster Kingsway and has worked at London’s Soho House, before moving on to learn his trade under Michelin star chefs Simon Hague at Mallory Court and Galton Blackiston at Morston Hall in Norfolk.

Stokehouse Q
Sidon St, South Brisbane, Queensland
stokehouseq.com.au

As arguments rage about the correct ingredients for a Niçoise, mine always includes tomatoes, eggs, olives, anchovies, red onion, potatoes, green beans, red peppers and basil, with either tuna or salmon (depending on the occasion), those being the dish’s main source of non-vegetarian protein.

In some circles the use of salmon is very much frowned upon, as is using anything other than tinned tuna, but as my chef’s creative mind has the ingredients in front of me I like to use them in all sorts of different ways, but with love, and hope that the purists would more or less agree with me, even though I know I’m taking liberties with their ideal.

With such a wonderful array of great produce in Australia I love using lots of different types of tomatoes, local olives always brined and pitted, anchovies – whilst one of my favourite ingredients, I love using Ortiz from Spain; a small amount of red onion and the same amount of sliced red pepper. I vary my use of the eggs and potatoes too, as just recently instead of serving them whole I have been thinly slicing the potatoes and serving them almost crisp-like and scattering the cooked eggs over the salad, which when mixed with the local extra virgin olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice, forms the dressing.

With the fish – and it has always been fish, I like to use salmon or tuna that I can flake through the rest of the ingredients and combine them all into one large composite salad so that when everything is mixed together you get a little of everything on your fork with all the flavours melding nicely.

For added flavours I like to rub the plate or bowl I am using with a garlic clove and I always season with flaked salt and ground white pepper at the last minute along with the extra virgin olive oil and of course, adding basil if available which can be green or purple but always as fresh as possible.

The Niçoise salad never goes out of style as it’s a salad that celebrates all the great produce we have in Australia, and rather than it being a recipe in a cook book, to me it’s more of a market list of really great produce and a celebration of sunshine.

French Saloon
First Floor, 46 Hardware Lane,
Melbourne, Victoria
Tel 03 9600 2142
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Developed over a course of a year, the project features both ‘pretty’ and sombre images of female faces painted by Melbourne artist Tyrone ‘Rone’ Wright. These softly meld into the dilapidated state of the property – discoloured, crumbling, rotting, faded and dank. The images colour the spaces which carry a strong sense of nostalgic, melancholic edge. Framing the images throughout the property is the extensive and simply brilliant interior Art-Deco styling of Carly Spooner – a genius in her own right, whose skills have made the rooms sing with reverence; but for what or for whom we might never know – but that’s not important. Across 12 previously empty spaces within the estate, Empire becomes a dreamscape that does a darn fine job of connecting with our souls.

The property’s grand-scale (former) glamour is everywhere to be seen: twisting wrought iron balustrades, Deco archways, custom chandeliers, crown mouldings and ornate ceilings – all evident of the home’s illustrious past. There’s a level of historic wonder here that’s filmset fanatically fun – a bit like exploring an un-sunk Titanic; and cleverly, Spooner’s layered styling touches bring depth and further historic relevance to the installation. Dried grasses and wildflowers sprout from sofas and floorboards; autumn leaves from ages past lie waiting. Books, old radios, sheet music and a broken-down bakelite telephone rest strewn and forgotten – almost as though the night’s wildlife: possums and other creatures have played their part over a list of chaotic evenings. The grand dining room has a feel as cold and lonesome as the wide open spaces of the winter lodge in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining; and although it’s simply not appropriate to touch, I’m desperately wanting to lift a silver-service meat platter lid to reveal a possible food rot beneath, or wipe the dust from a platter, leaving a clean coarsely polished finger line.

Burnham Beeches was built as a private residence, completed in 1933 – it’s the work of Australian architect Harry Norris, designer of the Melbourne CBD icons the Nicholas Building and Curtin House. Over the years the property has had a range of purposes: a post World War II children’s hospital, a country club, a medical research facility, and in the 80s it was a luxury hotel. In 2010 Shannon Bennett’s Vue Group and developer Adam Garrison purchased the property with future plans of redeveloping the mansion, but for now we gain perhaps a more constructively different insight – the gift of nostalgia. ‘It’s delicate, but potent.’

Rone says that fragments of inspiration for Empire came from the heart-wrenching melancholia of Johnny Cash’s acclaimed Mark Romanek-directed film clip Hurt – (where Cash covered Nine Inch Nails) he was careful not to dictate the narrative.

‘I want people to walk in and feel like they can explore the possibilities of what might or might not have happened here,’ Rone explains. ‘I love exploring the concept of how – and why – something so magnificent can be left to decline into ruin. Empire is about offering audiences the chance to create their own story; to temporarily transport their minds to another place, another time.’

Rone Empire – at Burnham Beeches
Rone’s Empire will be open to the public from March 6 and run until April 22, 2019 at Burnham Beeches, Sherbrooke.
Book now at: www.r-o-n-e.com