One of the South Coast’s most recognisable food ambassadors is Rick Stein. A prolific chef, traveller and cookbook author – Rick has brought South Coast seafood to worldwide attention through his distinguished seafood focused restaurant, Rick Stein at Bannisters in Mollymook. Rick loves the South Coast and the Mollymook area, and visits several times a year with his Australian born wife. “Sarah used to come here for holidays as a child, so it’s a family spot for her, and when she brought me here I just fell in love with the town. It’s low-key – there’s nothing flashy about it. It feels like the real Australia,” he says.
During visits to the South Coast, Rick frequents the pass of his Bannisters restaurant – ensuring his expectations of high-quality food are being met by his trusted Australian team. Always a believer in sourcing fresh local seafood, Rick is enthusiastic about embracing South Coast produce, in his restaurant as well as promoting it to the broader community. “The seafood is wonderful. We source much of it from Lucky’s Seafood in Ulladulla and a lot of our oysters come from Ewan McAsh’s oyster leases on the Clyde River.”
Another aspect of Rick’s support of South Coast food is the inception of a new food co-operative in the Milton Ulladulla area. “We’re starting a food group in the southern Shoalhaven. There are four restaurants at the moment – Tallwood, St Isidore, Cupitts, and ourselves of course. But we’re hoping there will be many more. The purpose of it is to share our enthusiasm for good food, cooking and the great produce of this area – particularly the seafood. We’ll be having some foodie events like long table dinners on the foreshore in Mollymook, night markets, and lots of other things that bring food lovers together.”
Image courtesy of Annie Cochrane.