Chefs across the city are being urged to stand up for the region’s farmers and join a worldwide movement to help make more food out of local ingredients.
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Slow Food Hunter Valley leader, and chef, Amorelle Dempster is leading the call for chefs in the Maitland area to join the Slow Food Chef’s Alliance – an international network of chefs working in restaurants, bistros, pubs, cafes and even food vans who support local producers and use their food in the kitchen.
There are 867 alliances in the world including 477 in Italy, 38 in Mexico, 32 in France and 18 in Russia. There are only a handful in Australia.
Ms Dempster said starting a chefs alliance in Maitland was the next step in the city’s fresh food revolution.
She said alliance chefs would deal directly with the people who grew the food and be able to find out how it was grown and harvested, just like shoppers at the Slow Food Earth Markets Maitland did.
They would also favour local food that had been grown with sustainable methods, pay a fair price for the ingredients and add the producers names to their menus so customers knew exactly what farms had contributed to the meal.
“It’s time for this to happen, we’ve seen the market in The Levee launched as the first Slow Food Earth Market in Australia and we’re expanding the number of growers who bring their food to the market,” Ms Dempster said.
“Chefs who join the alliance will be taking on the responsibility of using local produce and encouraging others to do the same.
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“They will be sourcing their ingredients from farmers like Matthew Dennis and Austin Breiner – local farmers who are helping to feed out city.”
Ms Dempster said the alliance gave chefs a chance to network, cook together and share recipes.
It also helped build relationships between chefs, producers and the public while starting conversations about the importance of supporting farmers, she said.
“We want to instigate the idea and set it up and then let it take on a life of its own,” Ms Dempster said.
“If chefs are keen to be involved they should contact Slow Food Hunter Valley.”
Ms Dempster uses local produce in her cafe Readers Cafe and Larder in East Maitland and said it was fresher, lasted longer and helped farmers stay on the land.
She said buying from people with a passion for growing food in the area offered chef’s the chance to cook seasonal dishes and share the producer’s story with their customers.
Any chefs interested in participating should visit www.slowfoodhuntervalley.com.au