Suppliers are key to great seasonal dining
Louise Johnson
Chef Scott Pickett, The Point Restaurant, Albert Park Lake, Melbourne, Victoria
Australia’s best steak restaurant takes meat very seriously, but The Point Albert Park’s executive chef Scott Pickett says all produce deserves the same care and attention, especially given the unpredictable Melbourne climate.
In 2008 the iconic Melbourne restaurant took out the gong for best Victorian steak restaurant, quickly followed by the national award from the Restaurant and Caterers Association. Scott says the award belongs as much to the staff and management of The Point as to the farmers and suppliers feeding quality produce to his kitchen.
“Everyone’s driving for the same goals. The care and duty comes from throughout the whole venue, but the award is also for suppliers and the time we spend talking about product and quality,” he says.
Scott’s traditional French training brings with it a love of seasonal, regional and fresh produce to the restaurant. He began his training in South Australia and won three gold medals in the 1996 Salon Culinaire competition which brought him to the attention of judge Bruno Cerdan. With a recommendation from Cerdan Scott secured a place with mentor Phillipe Mouchel, working with him at restaurant Paul Bocuse, Langton’s Restaurant and Wine Bar and Brasserie by Phillipe Mouchel, before joining Philip Howard at the two Michelin star restaurant The Square in London.
Now at The Point for almost three years and with numerous local and international awards under his belt, Scott says the Australian climate plays a big role in developing the restaurant’s seasonally driven menu.
“The drought has affected us over the past four or five years. The drought means it’s harder to get a better product and there's less of it around, and it’s more expensive,” he says. Relationships with suppliers are increasingly important. “I speak to my suppliers, especially key ones, once a week to see what's around and what's coming in.”
This communication is vital. Chefs can no longer rely on the conventional change of seasons, but need to be in constant communication with suppliers and growers to take advantage of produce when it’s at its peak.
“The seasons are changing. They're all getting a little bit later. I don't know if that has anything to do with global warming or if temperatures are just shifting, but I'm finding that summer's starting a bit later. The warm months are now January, February, March rather than November, December, January so everything is just sliding back a little bit,” he says. The dining public is changing too. “I think that the average diner now is a lot more educated than they were even five or ten years ago and I think their expectations are a lot higher now,” he says.
The Internet, magazines and TV food shows are teaching people about food and Scot says that because they’re aware they have a higher expectation from the kitchen when they go out for dinner
“Cookbooks and celebrity chefs in the last few years have explained a lot of tips and tricks, not tricks as in funny business, but simple ways to do stuff and reproduce things that you used to only be able to get in a restaurant.”
This creates some pressure to offer something spectacular to the dining audience – hence the arrival of theatrical dining experiences like elBulli in Spain and Vue de Monde here in Melbourne.
“Food has probably developed more in the last five years than it has in 10 or 15 years really. Now we’re all into a sort of technological side to cooking, and it’s important to keep up with that side of things,” he says. These new techniques are fine for restaurants that do 30 or 40 covers in a single sitting each day, but Scott say his menu’s main focus is showcasing great beef cuts.
“We've played around with powders and foams and that sort of stuff. It is in our food in a very small amount, and aside from our steak page, which has 14 or 15 cuts, I run a full al a carte menu.
“I like food to have a bit of soul and a bit of substance. I think sometimes, especially in this country, that it [molecular techniques] gets a little bit overdone or it doesn't get done properly."
“I don't like to confuse the food or really hide things or play around with it too much I like it to be about the product and the season and the seasoning. I like something that is perfectly cooked, that's at its prime, and is perfectly seasoned with a matching garnish - whether it be vegetables or textures or flavours. That’s when you have a really wonderful plate of food,” he says.
Regions
- Melbourne Surrounds (VIC)
- Melbourne (VIC)
- Melbourne and Melbourne West (VIC)
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