Paddock-to-plate food is all about ensuring every step your food takes between being in the ground or on the hoof to your dining table is carefully monitored to ensure sustainable practices and it is kept as fresh and unprocessed as possible.
This type of cooking and eating has become more and more common around the country as we are all more conscious of what we put on our forks and into our bodies.
Here are five venues where you can discover the ultimate paddock-to-plate experience:
French-inspired Paddock-to-plate
La Palette Restaurant - Mount Ashby Estate on Nowra Road in Moss Vale is a boutique vineyard and award-winning restaurant hidden in the stunning countryside of The Southern Highlands. Soak up the view at this French-inspired paddock-to-plate dining destination; wander the grounds and inhale the fresh country air before heading indoors to chill out with a glass of wine at farmhouse tables and ponder a creative lunch menu.
Start your culinary journey with pork, veal and pistachio terrine and beetroot chutney, followed by confit duck, orange sauce, sweet potato purée and green beans; perhaps marinated beef ribs hit the mark, with baby potatoes and green salad, finish decadently with dark chocolate and almond torte, raspberry coulis and vanilla bean ice cream.
Union of Land and Sea
A union of land and sea, where ocean meets pasture in elevated Australian dining, is what awaits guests at Marmor on Sir Leslie Thiess Drive in Townsville. Located on the top floor of the Ardo Hotel, expect to celebrate the country’s finest produce: prime cuts of beef from Australia’s most renowned cattle producers, abundant treasures fresh from the warm waters off the rugged coastline and the best seasonal ingredients the region has to offer.
Relax in elegant surrounds, browse the display of the finest cuts of meat, peruse the reserve wine collection in the wine cellar and watch the menu being brought to life in the kitchen by the talented team of Chefs. Start a memorable meal with grilled jumbo prawns and nduja butter, before Roaring Forties lamb cutlets, kale pesto and jus vinaigrette, or grilled crayfish, black garlic butter and lemon.
Unforgettable Culinary Adventure
Expect a unique gastronomic experience combining meticulous attention to detail with the finest local ingredients at Taste. by Bold Cuisine on Rooke Street in Devonport. An elegant and sophisticated ambience effortlessly sets the stage for an unforgettable culinary adventure from a carefully crafted menu showcasing Tasmanian produce, thoughtfully paired with a selection of wines.
Take the opportunity to indulge the senses in innovative dishes which tantalise the taste buds and leave you craving more; think starters like confit duck arancini and braised beef dumplings with soy and ginger broth, moving onto mains such as spatchcock, parsnip confit, chicken jus-lie and stuffing crumble. Sponge-crusted apple fritters with vanilla and saffron foam await those with room to spare.
Nature on the Plate
Taste nature on the plate at historic and lovingly restored Watervale Hotel on Main North Road in the Clare Valley. This beautiful old pub is the ideal venue to share a family occasion whether in the bar, lounge, private dining room, or a sunny spot in the beer garden; where a huge paved courtyard allows for soaking up the sun with an icy brew in hand.
A mix of country hospitality and contemporary fare awaits, with much of the produce from the onsite organic farm; expect dishes like slow-cooked camel neck, with Afghani spices, pomegranate and apple salad, cumin yoghurt, cinnamon and currant chickpeas, or medium-rare Porterhouse steak, with smoked garlic and herb butter, sweet potato mash and charred zucchini, enjoyed with a glass of Wendouree Malbec.
Take a Sensory Detour to this Hidden Gem
After exploring Clare Valley, take a sensory detour to Sevenhill where you will find hidden gem Bush DeVine Restaurant within Paulett Winery. Work up an appetite by strolling through the Indigenous Australian bush food garden, where DeVine takes inspiration and partly sources produce, before taking to alfresco dining to soak up serene views over delectable Modern Australian cuisine.
Settle in for a taste sensation of chicken and prawn dumplings, with lemon myrtle, peanut, finger lime and coriander, enjoyed with a glass of Sangiovese Rosé; larger plates such as roasted barramundi, sunchoke, fennel, saffron bisque and Geraldton wax never fail to impress, accompanied by a glass of 2017 Aged Release Polish Hill River Riesling.
