Embracing experimentation with bushfoods

BRIGID Corcoran invites Ballarat to have fun with food at Saltbush Kitchen, her new immersive sensory space, dedicated to making Australian bushfoods more accessible to everyone.

Open on Sundays, Saltbush Kitchen isn’t a café, but a vibrant, fragrant underground store, where people can smell, taste and play around with flavours from indigenous plants.

“It’s really designed to give people access and information to native foods in a really fun and modern way,” Ms Corcoran said.

In the interactive space, built in the 1860s, visitors can get comfortable, smell and taste Saltbush’s salt, syrup and spice ranges and the plants they champion.

Ms Corcoran’s products accommodate everyone who enjoys food, not just good cooks.

Her salt range is an easy replacement for regular salt and pepper, and her syrups are perfect for cordials and cocktails.

“I’ve got my spice range where, if you’re really into cooking in the kitchen, you can explore and indulge,” she said.

The room pops with vibrant colour, a reflection of the natural, bold flavours and foods within it, and there’s always a cup of bush tea on offer.

A ‘play station’ welcomes people to experiment with bushfood products and traditional cooking ingredients.

“I found from my experience, people just need more information. ‘How do I use it? How do I work with it in my own kitchen?’ So I designed little boxes with a collection of 15 ingredients that you probably find in most cooks’ kitchens,” she said.

“Then you’ve got eight of the native flavours, empty jars, plates and spoons and the idea of this is that you start to mix and match.”

If visitors strike gold with a new combination, they can buy their blend to take home.

Saltbush Kitchen is open every Sunday from 10am to 5pm. Entry is via Commercial Street.

Look out for signage featuring a lady in red.