REX - Regional Express

OUTThere Magazine l July 2013

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kitchenconfidential Berowra HAVEN Brian Geraghty, chef extraordinaire at the Berowra Waters Inn, talks to Riley Palmer about the past, present and future of his illustrious culinary career. On the banks of the tranquil Hawkesbury River sits Berowra Waters Inn, a sandstone sanctuary renowned for its waterfront location, architecture and delectable cuisine. Head chef and owner Brian Geraghty attributes much of this culinary success to the ethos he instills in his kitchen. "Fresh, quality produce is unbelievably important to me," he says. "At the restaurant, I pick every single piece of fruit, veg, meat and fish." And while Brian, formerly of London's acclaimed Pied à Terre and Sydney's Quay and Bilson's, strives to make the most of produce grown in the Berowra region, he concedes that the volume of food the Inn's guests requires far exceeds the availability of locally farmed goods. "I'm contemplating taking things into my own hands," he asserts. "I've talked to one of the local pig farmers up here and he's offered to give me a plot of land where I can mulch waste from the restaurant and then ... start planting my own vegetables for the restaurant." The intimate relationship between quality produce and quality cuisine is hardly surprising. Yet few chefs can claim to have their fingers in as many proverbial pies as Brian when it comes to ensuring quality. From farming to cooking to business ownership, Brian's passion for cooking permeates the Inn's whole production line. Given Brian's career's ho-hum roots, this seems somewhat surprising. "Um – there was no inspiration, really," he admits when asked what motivated his decision to become a chef. "I wasn't the best student at school so my mum told me I had to get an apprenticeship. My brother-in-law was a chef, and that's how it all came about," he laughs, evidently still rather amused. "It was just one of those things that I kind of fell into. But from day one, I just fell in love with it instantly – the adrenaline, the pressure, the perfection." Anyone who's dined at Berowra Waters Inn recently will agree that Brian, despite his hesitant beginnings, has more than satisfied our palates with his artfully reworked seasonal classics. And while his career may not have been inspired from the outset, the dishes he's plating up make his goals for the next 12 months seem more than feasible. "I just want to be here, really," he says. "Having taken on a small business, I want to be producing the food that I want, with the amazing team I have." Brian pauses then, contemplating the year ahead. "I just want the public to be enjoying what I'm doing," he concludes. That's the most important thing to me." www.berowrawatersinn.com "Having taken on a small business, I want to be producing the food that I want." 24

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