- For full coverage of the 2014 Margaret River Gourmet Escape, click here.
Margaret River’s Matt Stone is renowned as one of the youngest, most sustainable chefs in the world to date.
Stone started his career in Margaret River in 2002 and will be taking on this year’s Gourmet Escape.
From that point, his star was on the rise, as by the age of 22 Stone was asked to become Head Chef at the Greenhouse in Perth, making a name for himself as a progressive and innovative cook.
Stone has built a name for the Greenhouse as the forefront of Perth dining, being awarded Gourmet Traveller’s prestigious Best New Talent Award 2011, West Australia’s Good Food Guide’s Best Young Chef 2011 and 2012, with the Greenhouse being awarded Good Food Guide’s Best New Restaurant for 2011.
As a part of the Gourmet Escape this year, Matt Stone will be hosting the Farm, Forage, Graze dinner at Clairault Streicker Wines with Daniel Berlin.
The Mail had a chat with Matt ahead of the event.
What are your expectations for this year’s Gourmet escape?
That it will be a fun weekend where everyone gets to hang out with chefs from all over the world.
Who has the best produce, the east coast or west coast of Australia?
All parts of Australia are fantastic for produce, but the South West does in my opinion, as I’m from there.
What will you be bringing this year that is unique to the Gourmet Escape?
I’ll be cooking with native ingredients, lemon myrtle, marron, pine ants, etc, talking about nutrition, preventing waste in hospitality…
Pine ants? What do they taste like?
Very citrusy.
Any other plans while visiting the South West?
I’ll spend a couple of days down there, visiting friends and family, who knows what else.
What have you learnt most about yourself during your career?
Hard work is everything.
One ingredient you can’t live without?
Salt.
Tickets are still available to see Matt Stone at the Gourmet Village and on Sunday, November 23 from 10-11.30am as a panelist for Food for Thought presented Breville.