Home Beautiful and Harvey Norman have partnered on a new content series which will transform a quintessential Aussie shed into a field-to-fork restaurant whilst showcasing culinary local heroes.
In 2012, Martin Boetz (pictured above, right) – the chef behind the cult following of Longrain during his 13-year stint – escaped the bustle of the big smoke to take on a new adventure and snapped up a rundown property in the Hawkesbury Valley in NSW.
For the last six years, he has built up a unique providore business supplying the city’s chefs with culinary delights, such as sustainable seafood, free-range pork, goat’s curd and sourdough, straight from the Hawkesbury valley.
In 2018, Home Beautiful and Harvey Norman are now joining Boetz’s journey with a three-month content series including twice-weekly webisodes, print features in Home Beautiful and Better Homes and Gardens showcasing behind-the-scenes portfolios and Martin’s step-by-step recipes, a dedicated website vertical, and social and digital amplification across the broader Pac Mags group.
Harvey Norman founder Gerry Harvey (pictured above, left) will star alongside Wendy Moore (general manager of homes and food at Pac Mags), Boetz, guest celebrity chefs (including Christine Manfield, Alex Herbert, Giovanni Pilu, and Alessandro Pivoni), winemaker Lisa McGuigan, and a range of amazing local producers for the series.
The new restaurant is planned to be open in 2019 and will include regular guest-chef menu collaborations, special foodie and private events.
Moore said: “Over the next 12 weeks, the Cooks Co-op content series will cater to our audience’s love of renovation projects and passion for food whilst transforming a humble shed into an impressive farm-to-table restaurant.
“It’s a privilege to work with Gerry Harvey and renowned chef Martin Boetz on this once-in-a-lifetime project and we look forward to showcasing the incredible farmers, food producers and local hospitality on offer, only a short drive from Sydney’s CBD on the Hawkesbury River.”
Harvey said: “This is the story about an urban chef, Martin Boetz, that came to the country and got involved in cooking, the community, the environment, fresh food, local produce and his whole life has a different meaning,” he said.
Boetz said: “The Cooks Co-op is quite simply like no other project I know of.
“What began as a hypothetical idea with Wendy Moore over dinner and a glass of wine last September has become a dream come true.
“We’ll shine a light on some of the country’s best food producers, meet the locals who make this region so special, share delicious recipes and transform an old, humble tin shed into an impressive space, all against the backdrop of Sydney’s beautiful Hawkesbury that I have come to love.”
This year’s project follows Home Beautiful’s content series last year, ‘House to Home Beautiful’, where a Melbourne home was knocked-down and completely rebuilt over a 12-week period.
