When chef Tom Chiumento was growing up on the South Coast one of the inspirations that led him to a culinary career was a local dairy farm.
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Mr Chiumento now works at hatted restaurant Caveau in Wollongong with Simon Evans but his journey comes full circle this Sunday when they team up with Wollongong Central at the City Kitchen this Sunday to highlight the beauty of fresh Illawarra dairy produce in a live cooking demonstration near David Jones Food Hall.
This Sunday in the pop up kitchen on the lower ground floor of the Gateway building Mr Chiumento will be drawing on many memories when he and Mr Evans get creative with local dairy products including cheese.
Fresh local produce food is a cornerstone of the Caveau philosophy and both chefs have their favourites.
But this Sunday will really take Mr Chiumento back to his roots.
“This shows off how diverse the region is and how awesome we think it is. It reflects what we do in the restaurant to show off how good the region is,” he said.
“The dairy is from South Coast Dairy down in Berry. I grew up next door to one of the older farmers. He is 92 now and still farming. I love that level of passion that they have.”
“The industry standard is you have to test one in every 20 batches of milk. They test every single batch for quality and it really shows.”
I love that level of passion that they have. The industry standard is you have to test one in every 20 batches of milk. They test every single batch for quality and it really shows.
- Caveau chef Tom Chiumento
Mr Chiumento said this Sunday they were using eggs from Pheasants Nest from friends who have a whole range of different birds.
And the cheeses they are using come from a whole range of places including one dairy near Robertson and the School House at Gerringong.
Mr Evans and Mr Chiumento are renowned for their emphasis on organic, sustainable and bio-dynamic practices as well as nose to tail dining.
In presenting Caveau – Taste of the Illawarra during November the GPT owned shopping centre is showing how easy it is to eat well with world class restaurants in Wollongong.
“The whole series is about the local ingredients we use,” Mr Evans said.
The month started with a focus on seafood including South Coast oysters and fish caught in Wollongong waters and then a Sunday focused on meats.
“One week did chicken from Gerringong and lamb from the Southern Highlands,” Mr Evans said.
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
