A FARM AND A TABLE

A FARM

AND A TABLE

WRITTEN BY: KYLIE MICTHELL-SMITH

‘Farm to Table’ and ‘Paddock to Plate’ are the buzz words of today - put simply it means fresh, locally sourced food delivered to your table.

Take a drive from the Tweed Coast into the Tweed Valley along the picturesque Cudgen Road and you’ll experience one of the newest and most authentic ‘farm to table’ restaurants the region has to offer. Perched high above the Cudgen Plateau, Farm & Co popped up recently and is a stunning indoor/outdoor venue set on a 52-acre working farm. Local family the Kettles began ploughing the fertile land back in 2002, previously an avocado farm. “We grow food using sustainable practises. We aim to reduce food mileage, our carbon footprint and we don’t use harmful chemicals. We believe this is the future and the best way to grow and support healthy communities” Farm & Co owner Michelle Kettle said.

Michelle grew up around a family of gardeners and, with a Bachelor of Health Science, she knows her stuff from the ground up. Currently studying biological and organic farming, her passion is real food delivered direct from the source.

Farm & Co’s mission is to educate, grow and share wholefood to the local community and visitors alike. Bringing up four children of her own in and around the family farm, Michelle knows the future of her farm is in safe hands. Experience the farm’s pop-up produce store where you can source organic fruit and vegetables, fresh eggs, farm honey, sourdough bread and locally made condiments, plus a whole lot more. Wander around the property at your leisure and meet the farm’s friendly animals along the way, it’s highly likely you’ll spot Michelle harvesting her latest crop. The towering sunflower fields dotted around the farm are a popular place to grab that perfect Instagram shot as the sun sets over the rolling pastures, with dreamy mountain views and the ocean as the backdrop. The newly opened ‘Farm & Co’ restaurant is the place to be for a long lunch, offering an authentic dining experience and a menu bursting with local produce, direct from the surrounding farms to your table. The organic setting is all about the land, looking out onto the lush paddocks and undulating landscape you get to see where your food is coming from. A team of hospitality pros have been engaged to spearhead the launch of the new ‘Farm & Co’ venture ensuring top notch service, good food and welcoming vibes. Heading up the team is Mark Wilson from local hospitality group Perfect Last Bite. (Formerly of Spice Den, Taverna, Bombay Cricketers Club, Osteria fame – now Ancora, The Acre Boomerang Farm and Lolita’s Mexican Cantina). Along with the talented Rachel Duffy (Former General Manager at Icebergs Dining Room, Bondi) and current co-owner of award-winning Italian restaurant No. 35 in Cabarita.

Add to the mix Manager Tim Coleman (formerly of 3 Chef Hatted restaurant Rockpool in Sydney), a wine enthusiast with front of house charm and a wealth of knowledge, and you’ve got yourself an experienced team where no stone or particle of soil will be left unturned. The impressive Kitchen team is headed up by Executive Chef Armando Enriquez Icaza from Mexico who also oversees Lolita’s and the weddings for the group. Working alongside talented Chef Amy Brown (formerly Rick Shores) together they have created a delicious wholefood menu with a contemporary twist of local flavours.

Farm & Co restaurant aims to educate, inspire, and nourish guests with an authentic farm and food offering. The Locale team were fortunate enough to attend the recent tasting plate preview and by all accounts it delivered on food, service, and setting – oh, and did we mention the natural wine list is the bee’s knees.

With a styled fit out the open plan dining room has a rustic chic feel, complimented by warm hues, glass sliders and country style furnishings that reflect the natural surrounds.

Devouring the menu one fluffy Pizza Fritta at a time, our food journey begun with a deli style array of local cheeses, cured meats and house made pickles. The main course comes out on rustic wooden boards and there’s plenty to go around. Generous portions of locally sourced lamb and sweet potatoes are topped off with lashings of house made spicy horseradish jus. The talented chefs are busily preparing food before your eyes and with a friendly front of house team, it’s an enjoyable experience from the moment you enter the farm gate. The tasty sides menu is literally a virtual walk around the farm and includes roasted carrots, charred broccoli and smokey potatoes. To finish we devour a dessert of our dreams, orange and almond cake with white chocolate, milk crumb and kumquats sourced from local farmer Buck, down the road. connection to the land through food; it’s all about the people, the place. Where time is not of the essence, and you can take it slowly, unwind and savour the unique flavours of the Northern Rivers.

Farm & Co is a short drive to an array of stunning beaches dotted along the Tweed Coast, a great place to walk off your long table lunch. Stay awhile and take a short drive further along from the farm, where you can visit a tropical fruit farm, brewery and gin distillery. Northern Rivers is home to an array of award-winning dining options and is in a natural food bowl that sits within the vast green caldera. Blessed with an ideal climate the region grows some of the freshest and unique produce in the country. Visit Farm & Co and spend the day getting to know your farmer, shop at the local produce store, gather your family and friends and book a long table food and farm experience to sample all the region has on offer. Farm & Co have created a unique tasting menu that is affordable and delicious at the same time.

Bravo to Michelle and her family for growing the food we love to eat and for engaging a specialised local team of hospitality pros like PLB Group to oversee the restaurant.

We’re excited to watch this latest kid on the Northern Rivers foodie block grow into a sustainable future and beyond.

Discover more at farmandco.com.au

Images by Jess Kearney

Farm & Co team