Paddock to plate dinners are all the rage these days, but imagine a dinner where you get to dine in an intimate setting with the producers themselves, all while you dig into their fresh produce expertly cooked up by a top notch chef.
That’s what’s happening on May 16 at Boffins Restaurant’s Paddock to Plate dinner.
It’s part of the new dinner series at Boffins, which has recently completely reinvented itself. Since it first opened in the early 1970s, the restaurant has been a mainstay at ANU’s University House, but was more somewhere frequented by university staff or perhaps somewhere you’d take the grandparents after graduation.
Now they’ve been changing things up, and just like the facelift ANU has just had elsewhere on campus, Boffins has had a makeover of its own. Open for lunch Tuesday to Friday and dinner Tuesday to Saturday, the space now boasts an updated contemporary look, which still reflects the heritage of the space. There are lots of Canberra touches throughout, like locally crafted flatware on the tables, plus a brand new private dining space.
But the big change is their ethos, with a huge focus on local, seasonal and fresh products. Led by head chef Bernd Brademann (previously at A. Baker), they’re now keeping their environmental footprint front of mind, by eliminating mileage on produce, limiting food waste in the production of the menu and supporting smaller farmers and producers over large scale enterprises and mass production.
They’ve developed strong partnerships with their chosen local producers, and will be bringing them into the restaurant for the May 16 Paddock To Plate Dinner.
On the night, taste the produce and hear from Owen Pidgeon, who runs organic Loriendale Orchard just north of Canberra, Sam Johnson from Boxgum Grazing, and Tobias and Beatrice Koenig from biodynamic Ingelara Farm.
Led by the availability of the produce, Bernd will create six share-style dishes for guests throughout the evening.
A conversation hosted by Eat Canberra’s Founder and Editor, Amelia Bidgood, will allow Bernd and the suppliers to chat to guests between courses about their knowledge and passions behind growing produce, and the importance of their collaboration.
The Paddock to Plate event is $85 for dinner only – drinks can be purchased on the night from a selected menu – or $120 matched with local Canberra region wines or local beers. You can book here.
Boffins will be running monthly events highlighting local producers – here’s what else is coming up:
- Dinner with the Winemaker – Contentious Character on June 20
- Dinner with the Winemaker – Nick O’Leary on July 25
This is a sponsored post. Photos by Martin Ollman.
