The Chefs and the Teamaker - 2008 In celebration of the 21st Anniversary of Dilmah, the company launched an innovative programme where in July 2008, eight celebrated chefs and restaurateurs from prestigious Australian establishments visited Sri Lanka and filmed a television series titled ‘The Chefs and the Tea Maker.’ Peter Kuruvita, close friend of Dilmah and eminent chef and owner of Flying Fish Restaurant in Sydney, was responsible for putting together this talented team of culinary experts and film crew. Peter’s familiarity with Sri Lanka and his association with the MJF Charitable Foundation made him an ideal team leader and mentor to a group who were in distinctly unfamiliar surroundings. Footage was recorded for several interstitials and a culinary travel documentary of the chefs participating in tea production, farming education, cookery demonstrations and in the activities of the MJF Charitable Foundation. The team also hosted cooking lessons at the school built by the MJF Charitable Foundation and Flying Fish Restaurant in a village in the South of Sri Lanka. This school was opened in 2005 by Peter and the Founder of Dilmah.
During their tour the chefs were inspired to produce four tea infused food and beverage recipes each and collaborated to produce a collection of recipes that are presented here. The chefs who contributed their gastronomic genius to the project are: Paul Brown (Mantra Resort, Lorne VIC), Paul Easson (Rockpool Bar and Grill Melbourne VIC) who sent chef Rhiannon Voros in his place for the Sri Lanka tour component of the project, Paul Foreman (Marque IV, Hobart TAS), Damien Heads (Pony, Sydney NSW), James Mussillon and Jason Rodwell (Courgette, Canberra ACT), David Pugh (Restaurant 2, Brisbane QLD), Johnny Triscari (Chloe’s, Adelaide SA) and Jodie Wallace (Flying Fish, Sydney NSW).
They were also deeply touched by the struggles of many of the Sri Lankan people whose lives they were invited into and returned to their Australian kitchens with a new found appreciation and understanding of Sri Lankan culture.
The chefs conducted numerous cookery demonstrations at all the locations and were confronted with various emotional and professional challenges along the way. This included food preparation village style, which of course is at the opposite spectrum to the plush wellequipped kitchens that the chefs were accustomed to. But they showed a great deal of adaptability and cooking over log fires for example was one of the many new experiences that the chefs enjoyed.
195
