Taste the native flavours – Eat Drink West

Saltbush Kitchen brings Australia’s best kept secrets

PROVIDING access to native Australian bush flavours and produce is the motivation behind Buninyong’s own spice and salt purveyor, Saltbush Kitchen.

Dedicated to encouraging people to use native foods in their own kitchen, owner Brigid Corcoran said the idea for the shop began almost by accident seven years ago.

“Due to my experience in exploring Australian and native flavours and learning more about Australia, our Indigenous culture and what place that has today especially with food,” she said.

“I had a great opportunity to work in partnership with MADE which is where the idea really came to life and evolved and shaped my products because I got an idea of what people were wanting.

“Then about a year ago I opened Saltbush Kitchen in Buninyong which is a bit of a cellar door.”

Offering instore, online and wholesale purchasing options, Saltbush Kitchen’s core product line revolves around Australian bush herbs and spices which Ms Corcoran said are available in three levels of intensity.

“The first level is the salt, we have three different salts, the good salt, the fancy salt and the campfire salt and it doesn’t matter how you cook or enjoy your food, the salts are a really easy way to add bushfood to your table,” she said.

“Then, there’s the rub range, which is new, and are designed around Australian landscapes, the beach … the bush … and the urban rub.

“The third level is the premium bush food spices which has around 10 or 11 types and for people who love cooking and are a bit adventurous and confident to bring new flavours into the kitchen.”

Open from Thursday to Sunday up until Christmas, Ms Corcoran said the store boasts a variety of regional produce and cooking packs catered to specific culinary skill levels.

“We have complimenting products, like some of our farmers might make a range of jam using the bushfood, we have some nice kitchen giftware like tea towels and soaps and creams and there’s also some local gems like Grounded Pleasures, Ballarat Backyard Beekeeping, Sarah Kittlety as well,” she said.

“We also have great relationships with local growers, we stock fresh bush food instore for people to plant in their own homes which are propagated and grown locally.

“This space is about enveloping people in an Australian story and encouraging them to take the step and use native foods and … especially this year, people are really gunning to buy local, buy Australian.”