The talented Matt Stone, of Oakridge in the Yarra Valley, is working with a heavy emphasis on utilizing the surrounding regional produce. Formally at Star Anise, Greenhouse and Joost Bakker’s Brothl, Matt has been establishing a substantial garden on-site to produce seasonal produce and a spring harvest, all of which embody a farm-to-plate philosophy.
Awarded the Gourmet Traveller’s prestigious Best New Talent Award in 2011, Matt has been a vocal advocate of sustainable dining. The emphasis on utilizing regional food, extends to fish – with the menu featuring no ocean-going fish, instead using trout, caviar, eel and Murray cod grown in the valley.
The environmental angle doesn’t stop with just the food. There is now an eWater stand-alone unit, flowing in the kitchen to sterilize utensils and equipment whilst also cleaning food without tainting the taste or integrity of the produce.
Stone, who is has been an advocate of eWater since engaging with it at Greenhouse and Brothl, said of the product,
“It is absolutely amazing. I’m going to save thousands of dollars a year on chemicals. We use it to clean surfaces, to clean tables, to clean the floor…By using eWater we’re not polluting the water, we’re not polluting soil – it’s a very safe product to be using that’s cost effective and, most importantly, its efficient. I could not imagine building a restaurant without an eWater System.”