Byron Bay, in New South Wales, on the eastern coast of Australia, with its soul-soothing ocean and a delightfully friendly indigenous culture, is a destination worth exploring.
By Rupali Dean
Australia is an enormous country, bursting with some of the utmost astounding places in the whole world. And out of all of the country’s spot-on travel highlights, an enchanted part on the north coast of New South Wales, Byron Bay, is a picturesque paradise.
Byron Bay, rightly, is an exclusive place. It has an old school littoral look and feel, but with many contemporary day resorts, cafes and shops. It has a huge sense of community, where even if you are visiting for the day, feels like you belong. In April, Chef Prateek Sadhu and I were in Australia together and we ate in some fabulous restaurants and cafés during our long weekend in Bryon Bay.
However, one of my absolute favorites was our plan to check out The Farm Byron Bay and have breakfast there! Sadhu is driven to keep learning and searching for fresh flavors and ingredients to create from.
Being an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America has taught Chef Sadhu a lot about many a creative process. At his restaurant Masque in Mumbai, each dish on his plate suggests starting off with an “A” grade class ingredient before he smears passion, procedure and commitment into it. Sadhu does not see himself as a businessman as such, he’s a foraging chef providing direct support to his peers. His time at Noma echoed the significance of “connecting” at the same time as stemming produce stimulus locally.
Grow, Feed, Educate
A short drive brings us to this wonderful restaurant “Three Blue Ducks,” which is part of “The Farm,” principally an 80-acre working farm and a macadamia orchard, which houses a collection of micro-businesses all sharing a common goal. The visit gave us an insight into how a farm operates, supports the environment and contributes to a healthier lifestyle.
The Farm’s motto of “Grow, Feed, and Educate” inspires all that they do, here and for the community at large. “I must add that it is first-hand experience of seeing how food is grown and produced that makes the eating of it so much more pleasurable. From this simple pleasure sprouts a curiosity and desire to learn more,” says Sadhu candidly.
Three Blue Ducks run the restaurant, cafe and produce store at The Farm Byron Bay. “The Ducks,” as they are fondly known, are five friends: Chris Sorrell, Mark LaBrooy, Sam Reid-Boquist, Jeff Bennet and Darren Robertson, who are zealous about nurturing the community with ethical, authentic, superiority food and hospitality. They attempt to source as much as possible from The Farm and then they endeavor further afield.
They hug produce that is organic and sustainably farmed to make all the meals on their menu. They get nearly everything from the indigenous area when it is in season, from southern Queensland to as far down as Port Macquarie. Their dishes are an echo of their common ethos for producing honest, seasonal dishes that are bursting with nutrients and complete of flavor.
Sadhu calls it “real food.” Breakfast features typical Byron Healthy, as well as a streaky bacon and egg roll, and slow-roasted brisket!
All in all, Byron Bay has spectacular views from tall vantage points, a soul-soothing ocean, a delightfully friendly indigenous culture that you just can’t get enough of, and so much more. Do make sure to find the time to sojourn and see what is growing in this gorgeous part of the country!
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