Food
What's Analiese Gregory Doing Now?
At the bottom of the world in Southern Tasmania, Analiese Gregory continues to scale new heights with a new micro-restaurant and focus on wild foraging.
When the world came to a halt during the Covid-19 pandemic, many people reassessed their lives and careers, seeking new directions and inspirations. For celebrated chef Analiese Gregory, this period of introspection led to the creation of a soon-to-open micro restaurant at her home in Southern Tasmania's Huon Valley. As the pandemic unfolded, Gregory found herself spending more time at home, a stark contrast to her usual 80-hour workweeks as the head chef of two-hatted Franklin. This slower pace allowed her to appreciate the simplicity and satisfaction of being present on her property. "The goats stopped escaping, the chickens were well-fed, possums stopped trying to move into the house and everything just ran better," she recalls with a smile, as we sit in the flagstoned dining and kitchen space that will soon welcome just ten diners at a time for lunch.
This slowing-down sparked the idea of building a commercial kitchen close to home, a space that could serve both as a professional hub and a potential micro restaurant. Initially, the plan was uncertain. Would this be just a fancy home office, or could it evolve into something more?
As Gregory pondered the possibilities, she embraced the idea of opening her space to the public a few days a week. "It was never a hard and fast plan," she explains. "It's just something that evolved slowly, and I realised it would be nice to do." There's a sudden clatter from the yet-to-be-finished scullery that sounds suspiciously possum-like. Gregory says calmly, "It's going to have to leave."
Gregory's journey to Tasmania began with a tantalising offer from Franklin. Although she had worked in prestigious kitchens around the world, including Sydney, London, and Paris, the allure of Tasmania's lifestyle and produce was irresistible.
She'd been taking R&R on the island for a few years and had met various chefs and producers on her travels. "I was envious of how close they were to farms, the produce they had access to," she reminisces. Initially contemplating a move back to the French countryside, Gregory decided to give regional Australia a chance first. Her decision was influenced by the natural beauty and the rich culinary potential of Tasmania.
The island's bountiful produce, from abalone to richly flavoured vegetables, and the close-knit community of local farmers and producers were compelling draws. It was a lifestyle that resonated deeply with her, reminiscent of both her childhood spent partly on a dairy farm in New Zealand, and her globetrotting culinary adventures.
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