Jo Barrett has long been known for her commitment to sustainability. And it’s not just about preserving the planet. At Barrett’s previous restaurant, Little Picket in Victoria, all produce was sourced from nearby small-scale, sustainably run farms and gardens – for a reason.

“You notice the variance within a season from food grown in proper soil; you just don’t get that from monoculture farming,” she says.

“Take a tomato – from the start of the season, then as it grows, through to end of season, it’s vastly different and can have a huge array of cooking applications. For a chef, it’s really exciting, because you get these subtle variances that have a different effect on how you should cook and prepare them, which is then passed on to the diner.”

Barrett also points out that local, regeneratively grown produce can offer a true taste of a region, and allows a restaurant to have its own unique blend of flavours: “You can actually taste where the food is coming from,” she says.

“It’s the future of food and it’s the future of dining. It’s the difference between restaurants. If we lose small-scale regenerative farms, and all the restaurants and all the chefs start ordering food from one supplier, this would be horrible for dining.

“It makes a difference for the food that we put on the plate. It makes a difference for our climate. It really is so important. I’m not sure if I can stress that enough.”

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