“Brae is funny in the sense that it's a very small farm if you're a farmer, it's an enormous farm if you're a restaurateur. We're super proud of everything that we produce and we do so in a way that's very holistic and very clean. They all have serious value to us and they turn into products which are very valuable in the sense that they're made with care, they're high quality, they're organic and so, we love those things.”
We’re in great company with Chef Dan Hunter, Founder and Owner of Brae, a restaurant, organic farm and boutique accommodation nestled in the hillside of the Otways hinterland in Australia. Here, Chef Dan, his family and friends have stewarded this landscape and refined an innovative approach to sustainable and ethical production, to offer a unique Australian cuisine built around an immense respect for nature, place and seasonality.
In this episode, Chef Dan brings us on a reminiscing journey as Brae celebrates its 10 Year Anniversary. Hear how he recalls how his Australian upbringing rooted in nature paired with his world travels experiencing cooking at the source instead of in cities, inspired him to bring that approach to hospitality back home, but with a taste that is unique to Brae and their sense of place.
Well deserving of their recently awarded 3 Star certification by The Sustainable Restaurant Association and long-held 3 Hats by Australia's Good Food Guide, among numerous other accolades and recognitions - we’ll raise our glasses to that!
Top Takeaways
[1:50] With no particular interest in food growing up, yet with an intrinsic love of nature as many Australians do, it was not until Chef Dan and his wife Jules moved to a small town in Spain where he saw the importance of regionality in his cooking, something he felt the fine dining scene in Australia was missing.
[9:45] What started as a circle drawn on a map and a checklist of criteria, brought Chef Dan to the Otways hinterland in Victoria - an area which attracts international guests for its coastal landmarks, scenic walks and waterfalls, and at once dinosaur-inhabited rainforests.
[21:00] “It’s pretty nice to be able to produce enough product for ourselves and to give some to friends, but to work on projects where you can eat the property, drink the property…” Chef Dan explains what guests can see, sip and savor on his working farm.
[26:25] Even with “farm to table” restaurants taking over cities, we’re quite removed from the source of our local agricultural practices and thus Chef Dan has many creative ways to transparently share his land with his guests.
[36:10] How the 6 suites at Brae mimic Chef Dan’s attention to detail in his cooking - from the vinyl record player and cozy sitting area to the organic skincare beside the bathtub, from the stars seen through the skylight to the self-serve martini bar.
[45:35] Can a single salad really be made with 60 different ingredients rotating every single day? Hear how no two plates, no two bites, will ever be the same.
Notable Mentions
Otway Artisan Gluten Free Bakery
Reed Wines by American winemaker Sierra Reed
Down to Earth with Zac Efron S2.E2. “Regenerative Agriculture”
