Celebrity chef takes on Summerland Farm menu

CELEBRITY chef Paul West joined Summerland Farm’s Maurice Munoz Labart for a long-table lunch in Alstonville, showcasing Northern Rivers produce during the Harvest Festival.

The event, held at Summerland Farm, featured local dorper lamb and chicken with macadamia stuffing, and drew a crowd of about 40 people.

The lunch was one of the flagship events of the Harvest Festival, which runs over four weekends across the region.

Elke Robinson, Summerland Farm’s product development and customer experience manager, said the event was a highlight.

“We used and sourced as many local suppliers and ingredients as we could to showcase the region,” she said.

“We’re becoming a real food bowl here on the Northern Rivers and we’re grateful that the Harvest team included us in what they wanted to do.

“Paul was a big hit — he aligns with what we wanted to achieve with our lunch and the team certainly delivered.

“The glowing feedback from the event has been the cherry on top.”

 

Summerland Farm provides employment for more than 120 people with disabilities across farm operations, fruit packing, retail, hospitality, animal care and administration.

“Our head chef is operating in a unique environment where he is able to train and nurture our supported employees,” Robinson said.

“They’ve gained further skills and have been able to be part of something here that they might not have had the chance to do anywhere else.

“Our chef is a rare find and we’re lucky to have him on board with a great team around him.”

The Harvest Festival continues this weekend with the Harvest Hub at Lismore Regional Gallery and the Quad on Saturday, May 10, from 11am to 4pm.

There will be kids’ activities, and local products available to buy and sample.

A long-table dinner will be held at Husk Distillery in North Tumbulgum on Saturday, May 17.

For more information and tickets, visit harvestfestival.org.au.