Hunters and collectors ‘ Elly Robertson got a taste of native bush tucker at Healesville Sanctuary’s Kids Master Class last week. Chef Greg Hampton and reptile keeper Mike Swan watch. 53978
By Laura Armitage
IN the spirit of Junior MasterChef, Healesville Sanctuary’s head chef of Sanctuary Harvest Greg Hampton is running a Kid’s Master-class in the school holidays.
‘Tastes of the Bush’ is an initiative by chef Hampton, and inspired by indigenous cooking with all native ingredients.
The class will explore the six indigenous seasons of Melbourne, and use native seasonal ingredients, including crocodile and indigenous fruits.
‘A lot of native fruits are small and intense in flavour,’ Mr Hampton said.
Crocodile meat is a sustainable meat from certified farms in Australia.
Mr Hampton, who is also head chef at the Healesville Hotel and teaches culinary arts at William Angliss Institute, has incorporated the seasonal and local produce into his menus.
‘It is good to teach children what grows here and what grows naturally. Melbourne has six seasons, we are not Europe and don’t just have four seasons,’ he said.
The school holiday master class is designed for children aged eight to 15.
The first class was held on Thursday 23 September and was hailed a success.
Healesville Sanctuary director John Gibbons told the Mail it was a lovely way to introduce children to the unique flavours of our country.
‘It’s something very different and children who are keen on cooking have something unusual and special,’ he said.
The next class will be held on Thursday, with limited spaces available. Call Sanctuary Harvest on 5957 2813 if interested.
