Adelaide’s top chefs form an alliance to promote slow food
Kane Pollard, culinary director of Ondeen and leader of the Chefs Alliance for Slow Food South Australia thinks “everybody deserves to eat good, clean, fair food”.
“Obviously, with a lot of things happening in the world, that hasn’t been possible,” Pollard said.
“So Slow Food generally uses their connections and skills and passion to source, prepare and just spread the word about how to nourish yourselves locally.”
The global Slow Food network was founded in Italy in 1989 by journalist and environmental activist Carlo Petrini as an organisation opposed to the “fast life”. Then, Maggie Beer introduced the first Slow Food group to Australia in 1995 in the Barossa, which later turned into Slow Food South Australia and 18 other groups have been formed across the country since.
“We catch up as a committee, Slow Food South Australia, every six weeks,” Pollard said.
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Now Slow Food South Australia is launching the Chefs Alliance on Tuesday at the Fern Avenue Community Garden to bring together chefs to promote the movement.
“Part of the reason behind the Chefs Alliance is to start bridging the gap between what things you can do at home to positively impact the planet and make some different choices with your food,” Pollard said.
“And then the next layer of that is, what can you do in industry and in your commercial kitchen to have an even bigger impact. Because you’re obviously processing a lot of food compared to the common household.”
Pollard said it was also an opportunity to “teach and spread the Slow Food word”.
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“And really use our skills as chefs and cooks to contribute,” he said.
“Whether that’s cooking for a cause, or whether that’s connecting with local apprentices and getting them inspired and excited about cooking in that way.”
The event will have five stalls from chefs Rosa Matto, Enrico Sgarbossa, Nick Tadija, Cheong Liew and Kane, taking inspiration from the Italian Slow Food festival Terra Madre.
“[Ticket-holders will] come in, and we’re going to spend a little bit of time talking about Slow Food in general, and the Chefs Alliance, and what we’re looking to achieve over the next year or so,” Pollard said.
Participants will be given a plate and walk between the stations dotted throughout the garden to sample the food.
“The idea is that it’s just a little taste of something that makes sense to that chef, and they’ve got a bit of a story behind it, why they’re serving it that night, and how it links to the Slow Food ethos,” Pollard said.
Tickets to the Chefs Alliance event are available here or become a Slow Food South Australia member.
