YABBIE DABBY DOO!

And so Taste Master fans, we leave the Kulin Bush Races for the 90km drive south to the town of Kukerin. My travelling buddy Chris is behind the wheel, allowing my mind to drift as I take in the rolling crop fields, the famous wildflowers of Western Australia and the serenity of an open road….. What’s tonight got in store? Are we really fine dining in a shearing shed? Why did I put all my money on that horse?

Tonight’s destination is the Nenke Family Farm where we’ll be attending the 11^th annual Cambinata Yabbies Extravaganza.

The Nenke family business was formed in 1990 by husband and wife Michael and Mary who were running a sheep and wheat farm at the time. An out of the blue telephone call trying to source yabbies for a Perth restaurant turned Michael’s long-time hobby of catching these fresh water crustaceans into a full blown family business, and they haven’t looked back since.

But just what IS a yabbie?

Basically they’re like mini lobsters. Sweet and delicate with a firm texture, versatile and unique to Australia. The Nenke’s yabbies are environmentally friendly, being sustainably farmed and not wild caught. But best of all, yabbies are a gourmet product and great for the discerning chef looking for ways to explore and create with these delicious little fellas.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, James Brown is alive and well!

In fact, he’s running Cygnet Bay Pearl Farm on the Dampier Peninsula. Who would’ve thunked it eh?!
Papa’s got a Brand New Pearl. And so’s my girlfriend but sshhhhhhh! It’s a secret.

After waking with the sunrise in a Safari Tent and watching the whales breach a few hundred metres out to sea from the balcony, it was time to finish up my bush butler breakfast and leave the beautiful surrounds of Kooljaman for Cygnet Bay.

Cygnet Bay is Australia’s oldest pearl farm, home to the Brown family for over 60 years and three generations. Originally established to collect mother-of-pearl, this family run operation has progressed to become the first Australian company cultivating cultured pearls.

Like most people I’d never been to a pearl farm before, and it was absolutely fascinating. There is such a delicate science behind the whole process and a great deal of hard work to create the pearl, and one of the by-products is the fantastic meat from the animal. It has a kind of scallop taste with a calamari texture. The Farm has evolved and expanded over the last three to four years, allowing tourists to visit, take advantage of the great accommodation and opening a top notch restaurant and café. It’s quite astonishing really. Just as with Kooljaman’s kitchen, these places are in the middle of nature, surrounded by outstanding scenery and have amazing chefs sourcing and using local fresh produce.  Continue reading →

Well, 6 weeks ago I was stood on stage at the Sydney Art Gallery, where the Best Jobs winners were announced, in front of a host of TV cameras and news crews,

with my new Taste Master apron hanging proudly around my neck, clutching my giant Western Australia salt and pepper grinders and thanking WA, Tourism Australia and pretty much everybody for making me the new Taste Master of Western Australia.

Since that surreal moment I’ve been back at home in Brighton, preparing for the trip and returning to some sort of normality, with the whole experience seeming like a weird crazy dream. That was until Australia phoned a couple of days ago… “Hi Rich, your visa’s nearly through. When do you want to fly out?!” So 6 months after sending in my application video it’s all about to actually happen. The last couple of days I’ve been frantically packing and organising for the big trip. I’ve had a brief teaser of my first months’ itinerary, and now I fully understand why it’s called The Best Jobs in the World. Talk about a good start to September, I’ll be heading to Australia’s North West for some mud crabbing, pearl harvesting, fishing and foraging in the Kimberley, and then tasting my way around the bountiful flavours of Broome.

So WA, here I come!

I’m really looking forward to meeting you all, embarking on new adventures and exploring WA, starting with Perth next Sunday… I’m hitting the ground running (literally!) and I’ve just registered for the City to Surf 12 km run.

Running shoes: Check
Blister cream: Check

Hope my jet lag’s subsided.

See you all very soon!