Honey, a wonderfully rich golden liquid is the miraculous product of bees and a natural alternative to sugar as well as a useful antimicrobial agent and antioxidant.  Although it is available throughout the year, it is an exceptional treat in the summer and autumn when it has been harvested and often at its best.

It was as a young boy of 11 years that Rod Yates of Australian Honey first saw a bee hive… and he was hooked.  He can still recall the sound emanating from the rustic wooden boxed housed at the back of a neighbours’ property, “it vibrated and hummed like a jet engine”.  Rod believes that “all children are fascinated by nature and have an intrinsic understanding.”  Given the right exposure, they can develop an interest that lasts a lifetime.

Establishing the independent packing and distribution company, Australian Honey, was a natural progression for Rod whose journey includes forays into Accounting, Art Education, building the first mud brick house in NSW and completing a design degree at UTS.  he has also been keeping bees on and off for 49 years.

Bees are “flower constant” in that on any one foraging trip from the hive, they will only collect nectar from one type of plant and Rod’s bees have a penchant for Eucalyptus tree flowers. The different and distinctive honey varieties available in Australia are the result of migratory beekeeping.  Colonies of bees are moved by truck to locations where particular trees or plants are about to flower.  Sites are selected so that one particular species dominates the crop at that time.

As with all foods, flavour and health benefits depend on the integrity of producers, distributors and any processing.  Australian Honey packages and distributes honey from beekeepers along the east coast as far south as Tasmania to the northern tip of Queensland.

If you have ever had the privilege to enjoy a honey tasting, you will appreciate the vast array of flavours available in Australia.  None of Rod’s honey is too sweet and never bland.  Varieties include the light golden and subtle flavoured White Box, smokey Mallee, the exotically full flavoured and dark hued Leatherwood.  Yellow Box drizzled on baguette instantly conjures memories of childhood.

But why don’t we see these gourmet honeys in our supermarkets?  ”For whatever reason, major honey packers and retailers in Australia believe they need to manufacture a product with an consistent taste”, an attitude knows as the ‘McDonald’s factor’.  To achieve this, bland varieties are blended and often diluted with other substances.

Competing with inferior cheaply made products leaves beekeepers turning to international markets where honey varieties are prized and where producers can obtain a fair price for what is undoubtedly an arduous labor of love.

Rod Yates recognises the Australia has superior honey for which there is great international demand.  he would also like to see Australians enjoy locally made, sustainable, clean and delicious honey, “I would love to introduce Australians to the complexities of the various flavours of honey and show them the many ways of enjoying it” - as a marinade for meats and fish, used in place of sugar when baking, served with cheese.  One of Rod’s particular favourites is honey ice-cream although a spoon dripping in Leatherwood honey and dipped into thick double cream is a taste sensation!

Jean-Paul Bruneteau is a French-born Australian chef with a passion for Australian native foods.  He has made it his specialty to feature the unique flavours of bush foods in his cooking, often developing new methods of working with these unique ingredients.  In 1996 he published Tukka, Real Australian Food to share his passion with a wider audience.

Jean-Paul has owned and run restaurants in Sydney and Paris.  You can sample his extraordinary food at the Slow Food Botanic Bush Tucker Picnic at The Royal Botanic Gardens on Sunday October 18.

I became passionate about Australian native foods by… discovering how beautiful these flavours were.  I found it impossible to understand why modern day Australians could have passed up such ingredients in the quest to create a genuine Australian cuisine. By unlocking all the secrets these wonderful indigenous foods offered, I also gained a better understanding of Aboriginal Australia.

The food I prepare is different from that of other chefs because… back in the eighties when I started to experiment with a lot of these native foods, I soon learned that these were not ‘European vegetables’.  Their cooking and handling were startlingly different.  This is why I became so besotted with their preparation, to make them more acceptable to gastronomy.

Some of the flavours were so strong; I also understood straight away that people would mishandle a lot of these plants unless I set out to explain how to best handle these wonderful flavours.  That’s why I felt I needed to write my book, TUKKA, Real Australian Food.

I’d recommend anyone in Sydney to grow and eat… the Riberry - Syzygium luehmannii, or a Brown Pine Plum tree, also known as a Podocarpus - Podocarpus elatus, or a Lemon Myrtle - Bakhousia citrodora. These three trees are good ornamentals and will provide an abundance of fruits and flavours for a lifetime; they don’t even need to be watered, or very little.

There’s a whole lot of stuff that’s easy to grow, and that quite naturally doesn’t need much maintenance and especially no pesticide as a general rule.

Tetragon spinach is another one that is easily propagated - sometimes called Warrigal Greens, Botany Bay spinach or New Zealand Spinach, Kokihi in Maori language, its Botanical name is Tetragonia tetragonioides. The seeds are often available in seed shops.

The most satisfying thing about working with Australian native foods is… to have the ability to create whole menus around them and be able to match them with wine and other ingredients like cheese for example. The other as we were just saying is to grow them, even just in pots.  It’s worth it.

Native foods have been good to me as they have taken me around the planet a few times. Discovering, or should I say, having been introduced to their existence by the Aboriginal people, I guess I was fortunate to be able to popularize them to a wider audience.

My biggest frustration in working with Australian native foods is… the charlatans who have been getting on the band wagon for a fast buck, or the ones who have mishandled their culinary use, and as a result, put off quite a few Australians and others who, had they been properly instructed, would have fallen in love like I did.

Greed has been a factor in the emerging industry. Misunderstanding and misconception of Kangaroo and Emu is also an on-going frustration of mine.

The best meal I’ve eaten this year was… almost certainly at Bodega restaurant in Commonwealth Street, Surry Hills. I just love the Tapas Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz put out.  Lots of brilliant flavours and lots of garlic! And wonderful Spanish reds which I love so much. I really can’t think of just one dish that has blown my mind - there are several I have liked.  I’m also a regular at Thai Nesia in Darlinghurst for Billy’s ‘Holy Basil Crispy Salmon’. It’s amazing, like the rest of his dishes.

In the top end of things, this year nothing! If I see another foam, spit, frog froth or call it what you like on my plate, I am going to scream!  And no… you do not turn crayfish or other expensive items into custard and charge a hundred bucks for it and call it Modern Australian Cuisine!  Or serve a square inch of pork belly for the price of a whole pig - that’s obscene.

Australian menus are all out of whack, trying too hard to be something they’re not.  Stick to basic wholesome food and there you will have it. It doesn’t take molecular energy to create a good meal.

My most treasured food memory is… a lemon sole I had in Zeebrudge in Belgium many moons ago.  It was by far the nicest piece of fish I have ever eaten.  It really did change my life.

Another was a Coquille St Jacques (Scallops) Feuilleté where when my fork hit the six centimeter stack of the best puff pastry I have ever eaten, the whole pile fell like a house of cards.  I have never worked out how they got it onto my plate, to me, out of the oven without the thing flying off, it was absolutely amazing!  This was in The French Basque country in the town of Saint Jean De Pied-de-Port at ‘Hotel des Pyrenees’.

Slow Foodies should check out… early issues of Slow Food, a prized treasure on my bookshelves, alongside another collection called “Convivium: The Journal of Good Eating”.  ‘A Continuous Picnic’ is another good read.

The most important thing about the sustainable food movement is… to educate Gen-Y on the importance of eating healthy, unadulterated foods and on how to prepare these foods so we at least can keep a tradition which otherwise will fast slip out of our fingers.

Slow Foodies can make food in Sydney better, cleaner and fairer by… identifying organic food as ‘clean food’ and move into certifying it as ‘Slow Food’ approved. It would be nice to see a tag or a label to identify products like native food products as ‘Slow Food’ family friendly, to make it easier for people to choose well.

Jack and Miriam Neilson own and run Pasture Perfect Organic Pork, raising 100% free-range Berkshire pigs on their certified organic property in northern NSW.  Their products are carried by several Sydney retailers, listed here.

We decided to grow free-range, organic pork because… we had a bit of an epiphany while we were travelling in South America.

We had been fattening cattle in central Queensland, and had decided to stop using chemicals because we were both having bad reactions to them.  Then the property was sold, so we took some time out to travel.  While we were in South America, we realised how badly we’d been eating - suddenly there was all this great fresh food in the markets, and we were eating so well, but also losing weight.

At the time no-one knew their producers in Australia.  There were no farmers’ markets like today.  We wanted to bring that connection back with us - great food, produced ethically.  We figured beef production was already pretty good, as most cattle in Australia are still grass fed, but we thought there was an opportunity with organic, free range pigs.

Pasture Perfect Organic Pork is different from supermarket pork because… our pigs always have access to pasture; they are totally free of chemicals, including antibiotics and even vaccines; and they’re Berkshires, which means they have great flavour.

Demand in the current economic environment is… holding up ok.  We’re not seeing a downturn due to economic circumstances, but we haven’t yet got up to full production.

The most satisfying thing about raising free range, organic pork is… getting out and spending time with the animals.  It’s like watching little kids playing - they’ll run around in circles in the grass, sometimes so hard they lose their balance and fall over.  Then they’ll look around to see if anyone saw them.  I’d describe it as joyous.  They really love being out in the pasture.

The most frustrating thing is… finding business partners who share our passion for making great product every time.  Our cured products are made without preservatives, and it’s our name on them, so getting it wrong could be the end of the business for us. It’s been a long battle to find a processor who really cares.

The best meal I’ve had this year was… a producers’ lunch at Universal with Christine Manfield.  There were producers from all over Australia, as well as top chefs and wine people.  The degustation and matched wines were beautiful.  I felt really blessed to be part of it - we don’t often get to experience fine dining, given where we live.

My most treasured food memory is… really more a set of memories.  I learned to cook by bringing a new flavour back into the kitchen and trying to recreate it from smell and taste, using the herbs and spices on hand, rather than by following recipes.

Slow Foodies should check out… The Weston A Price Foundation and their book, Nourishing Traditions.  It has some great information on how modern conveniences have undermined traditional health and cooking.

The one thing Slow Foodies can do to make food in Sydney better, cleaner and fairer is… to get to know how your food is produced.  As soon as we start closing our eyes, we start running into problems.  Seek out good food, and savour it - really appreciate it!

Craig Macindoe is head chef and owner of MuMu Grill in Crows Nest.  MuMu has a strong focus on sustainable produce, and specialises in grass-fed beef.  You can keep up with Craig in MuMuLand, or by following him on Twitter.

I decided to focus on local producers… in the beginning as a way to differentiate our business from others. I wanted also to create a future based business, something that would be relevant for the near, to medium future. But it has since grown into a personal passion.

Originally, I looked into grass fed beef led by Vicki Poulter (a friend and Weston Price devotee). I thought I would try grass fed beef and see what she was talking about. After tasting the beef I was sold, this was going to be our point of difference - 100% grass fed beef. All the rest of the menu has evolved around that.

While devoting our menu to sustainability I learnt more about the “Facts”:

Fact 1. Ruminants that live of grass are healthier and they produce far healthier beef. High omega 3 fatty acids, high concentrations of CLAs, high concentration of good fats.

Fact 2. Sustainable farming produces better flavoured animals.

Fact 3. Sustainable farming keeps boutique farmers and farm families alive.

It has been an interesting road talking to the farmers and getting to know the difficulties they face as well as sharing in their passion for the food they produce.

When we first opened the restaurant we were getting the vast majority of our product from distributors but over time we have managed to deal directly with the producers. It has meant we have had to change things we do but it is worth it to get the quality and the affordability we require.

Our food is different because we don’t muck around with it too much. We focus on simple food, sourced from producers who practise sustainable farming.

Our food is different because… we don’t muck around with it too much. We buy top quality product and we treat it simply. We focus on simple food, sourced from producers who practise sustainable farming. We serve a lot of slow cooked meals, allowing the food to maintain nutritional integrity and also have magic flavour.

Also our food is by nature healthier for the customer.

Demand in the current economic climate is… soft.  I would say that we are trading well under what I would have expected for our 2^nd year. We are growing, so that is a positive, but the overall demand is soft. I am not complaining - we just have to work harder for our clients. I would say that having sustainability as our point of difference has kept our business growing in these difficult times.

The most satisfying thing about sourcing, preparing and serving local food is… the interaction with the producers. I love speaking to the people at the fruit and veg markets about their farms or hearing about what’s going on down at Arcadia salt bush lamb.

The biggest frustration about the restaurant business is… staff who sometimes don’t share your passion. But having said that, staff are also some of the best things about the restaurant business.

The best meal I’ve eaten this year was… at Meadowbank winery in Tasmania. We ate the entire menu. On the menu all the food has food miles which is a great idea. It may have had something to do with all their wine we consumed, or how friendly the staff were. It was truly a memorable experience.

My most treasured food/wine memory is… eating in “Signore” on the banks of the Largo De Garda in Italy in the town of Sirmione. This was on my honeymoon so perhaps I feel a natural love of this meal…  Jamon Iberico de Bellota every where in Spain…  A 7 course meal I ate in a great restaurant in Parma…  The first time we ate at Café de Stasio…  1969 Bollinger RD at my mate’s 21^st…  Cheese eaten from the back of the car at Portsea when we had just bought it in Millawa… Scallop pies in Tasmania… Lobster spaghetti in Mondelo…  There are so many treasured food and wine memories!

Slow Foodies should check out… www.themeatrix.com

The most important thing about the sustainable food movement is… that it generates and releases information to combat the lies that are told about the food most people eat. Most of the world’s problems would be solved if people spent time creating food from scratch, with love: Less obesity, more focus on family, less exposure to processed foods, less illness.

Most of the world’s problems would be solved if people spent time creating food from scratch, with love.

If Slow Food members could do one thing to make food and wine in Sydney better, cleaner and fairer, it would be to… support the businesses that are sending out the ideals of Slow Food.

Krinklewood vineyard is a family-owned, biodynamic vineyard, in which every member of the family contributes to the daily operations of the business. Rod and Suzanne Windrim first planted wine grapes in 1981 in the Hunter Valley. In 1997 they increased the vineyard to 48 acres in the Broke-Fordwich region, where they grow Semillon, Chardonnay, Verdelho and Shiraz, with younger plantings including Viognier, Mourvédre and Tempranillo.

I decided to grow and make biodynamic wine because… I wanted to make the best possible wine from Krinklewood. I was inspired by vineyards in Burgundy that were using biodynamic principles to grow grapes; in France they have a higher disease pressure than in the Hunter, which gave me even more confidence. In 2001 I discovered ‘Wine From the Sky’, a book by Nicholas Joly which sparked me to do a Steiner Agricultural course that same year. From that moment, I was absolutely hooked on Biodynamics, and in 2002 I began operating within the biodynamic cycle and using the biodynamic preparations.

Biodynamic practice is better for the environment, better for the people who live on and work on the property, and can give us better quality wine that truly reflects the terroir of the vineyard. It didn’t really take much convincing…

“Biodynamic practice is better for the environment, better for the people who live on and work on the property, and can give us better quality wine that truly reflects the terroir of the vineyard”

Krinklewood wine is different from the mass-produced wine you might find in a bottle shop because… no chemicals are used in the vineyard to grow the grapes. Biodynamics also allows the wines to express the uniqueness of the vineyard site, known as terroir.

Demand for Krinklewood wine in the current economic climate is… very strong. In the past few years some of our wines have been selling out before the next vintage is available for sale which we feel good and bad about - good that the wines are in demand, bad that we are unable to produce enough.

The most satisfying thing about producing wine is… working biodynamically. It is extremely motivating and addictive. It has allowed us to be almost totally self-sustaining and as a result our farm has healthy soil, plants and animals - which is without doubt reflected in the quality of our wines.  Viticulture is an ongoing learning process, as is winemaking. The more you know the more you want to know!

The biggest frustration in producing wine is… not being in control of the weather!

The best meal I’ve eaten this year was… with a bunch of like-minded winos, hell-bent on having a laugh and enjoying some great wines. We were at Lolli Redini Restaurant in Orange, and I had the roasted Dutton Park duck with Sicilian vegetable caponata, crisped truffle Parmesan polenta and glazed quince. It was fantastic !

My most treasured food/wine memory is… enjoying a roast chicken dish for a Sunday lunch in Chez Blanc in Borg-en- Bresse in France. It was a wonderful restaurant and after reading about their free range chicken for so long, it was great to finally experience it.

“Bresse chickens are treated like fine wine. They have an appellation, a particular place where they come from, and they are a particular breed. Plus, they get to eat real food and walk around the countryside, all regulated by law.”

“Bresse chickens are treated like fine wine. They have an appellation, a particular place where they come from, and they are a particular breed. Plus, they get to eat real food and walk around the countryside, all regulated by law.”

Slow Foodies should check out… Wine from the Sky by Nicholas Joly, and the following websites:

www.krinklewood.com

www.biodynamics.net.au

www.biodynamics2024.com.au

The most important thing about the sustainable food movement is… not only sustainable food that is important, but that food must also be nutritionally enriching, i.e., to be sustainable is not enough if the food is not nutritionally beneficial.

To make food and wine in Sydney better, cleaner and fairer, Slow Food members should… support certified growers at farmers’ markets and genuine certified food and wines. Restaurants could also give better support to certified organic and biodynamic food and wines.

“Support certified growers at farmers’ markets and genuine certified food and wines.”