Chef Dan Hunter is the chef owner of Brae in Australia, which is coming up on its 10 year anniversary in December later this year.
Many of you might have come across Dan and Brae in Zac Efron's Netflix show Down to Earth. If you haven't, Brae is a restaurant with guest rooms located on a 23 acre organic farm about 90 minutes from Melbourne in an area where dinosaurs once roamed as Dan put it. In those 10 years, Brae has appeared on the World's 50 Best list along with earning Three Hats, which means that it is one of the very best restaurants in Australia and the world.
In the episode we touch on Dan's journey to opening Brae including swearing off living in a country town like the very one Brae is located in when he was 18 to being inspired by the farm and restaurant relationship during his time working in Spain. What I think is most striking is Dan's genuine connection to his ingredients.
He has a real land ethic that I am sure folks like Aldo Leopold and Wendell Berry would approve of. The way he speaks of his connection to the land and appreciation of what it produces is incredibly inspiring.
We end with a a great tip on how you can cultivate this connection for yourself even if you don't live on a farm or run a restaurant.
This is a really special episode and I feel incredibly thankful to Dan for his transparency and knowledge.
Brae, A View to the Future (Short Film)
Brae Sustainability Statement and Land Acknowledgement
Dan's Book 'Brae: Recipes and Stories from the Restaurant'
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