Cutler & Co Long Lunch for National Agriculture Day
A long lunch at Cutler & Co is an appealing invite. As one of Melbourne's iconic restaurants it has been recently renovated and The World Loves Melbourne was keen to experience the new Cutler & Co of 2017. The occasion was also appealing - the first National Agriculture Day. Not only was this a celebration of the best of Australian produce with producers present, but also for us to hear about things like "future farming."
Chorizo, octopus and aoli crostini was a delicious canape on entry.
It's always amazing to share a meal with the producers and growers who produced it. You can ask questions and get the fascinating back story.
Sydney rock oysters, shiso mignonette.
We got to hear from the young generation of Australian farmers. Futuristic farming respects traditional farming methods but diverges in many ways. "Funky farming" is attracting young people to the farms where some of them may have left. They can use their tech savvy skills on the land; in fact we were told many farms needed sophisticated IT skills. So presumably you could study IT, stay on the farm, and put your IT skills to use to create greater farming efficiencies. We heard about sophisticated apps and precision seeding equipment as examples of high tech future farming.
Part of the amazing lunch collective.
What a table arrangement!
It was fascinating to sit near 17 year old Josh Murray (sorry don't have his picture) and hear his story about his successful egg business. From the age of 10 Josh has been supplying eggs to clients and has now reached around 4,000 dozen a week! A highly successful enterprise at 17 years old!
Roasted beetroots, apple mustard, confit duck leg and bitter leaves. A delightful seasonal dish featuring perfectly cooked duck.
Toby Locke of Future Farmers Network spoke about future farming and supporting farmers mainly in the 18-35 age sector working in agriculture and agribusiness.
Also at our table was Jessica Lehmann of Cotton fame, daughter of Australian cotton industry legend Chris Lehmann. Jessica also spoke to The World Loves Melbourne about future farming practices. Jessica was winner of the 2017 Cotton Young Farming Champion and is an Ambassador for Australian Agriculture & CRDC. Jessica spoke of her current promotional role with Jeans West.
Zucchini flowers, poached mussels, lemon and mint was a seriously excellent dish; the pairing of crisp zucchini flowers with creamy mussels was stunning.
Grilled asparagus, broad beans, sunflower seeds, and persian fetta was another brilliant seasonal dish.
Jessica Lehmann had cotton on hand and a superb presntation on How to Grow a Pair of Jeans.
Little Brick Pastoral celebrates Australian Agriculture through unique photos of a Lego farmer (Lego photography). Aimee Snowden from Little Brick Pastoral is an expert in accounting, irrigation and innovation and is a great example of the new breed of farmer.
Slow Cooked Lamb shoulder, spring peas and sage was extraordinary! Melt in your mouth.
Roasted cauliflower, pickled onion and sumac was another highlight.
The wine list for the event was also top notch including 2017 Best's Riesling.
Signature Cutler & Co dish is Strawberry vacherin, lemon leaf cream and sisho. Is there any better way to enjoy strawberries of the season?
These amazing growers/producers attended the event -
- Steve Lanyon - Canola
- Jessica Lehmann - Cotton
- Tamsyn Murray - Josh's Rainbow Eggs
- Josh Murray - Josh's Rainbow Eggs
- Indianna Roehrich - Dakota Flowers
- Aimee Snowden - Irrigator
- Belinda Turner - Previous Future Farmers Network Treasurer and DIrector Swanbrook Angus
- Evren Velisha - E & F Velisha Pty Ltd
- Nadine Verboon - Wattlebank Park Farm
Also present were movers and shakers in the farming community -
- Toby Locke - Executive Officer, Future Farmers Network
- Charlie Thomas - General Manager, Digital and Industry Partnerships
- Owen Brinson - President, Flowers Victoria
- Anastasia Volpe - Flowers Victoria
- Keryn McLean - Marketing Lead, Monsanto
- Jess Douglas - Corporate Engagement Manager, Monsanto
An extraordinary event that had us excited about the future of farming and agriculture in this nation. The first National Agriculture Day was a huge success with many events across Australia.