Wests Ashfield Leagues has launched a new ‘farm-to-fork’ concept, The Garden.
The 300 seat venue sources most of its produce direct from farmers.
Executive chef, Oliver Heath, said “Our point of difference is the authenticity we bring to ‘farm-to-fork’. When you scratch the surface of The Garden there are genuine stories of Australian farmers that we’ve selected because they share our values. Produce treated with respect tastes better and we are proud to bring the cream of the crop to our guests at Wests Ashfield Leagues.”
The Garden team has spent the last six months travelling the country in search of suppliers, including Jason Ryan, a vegetable grower who founded a farmer co-op called Hill View Fine Foods and the family-owned Toolangatta homestead, located in Tambar NSW, which produces grass-fed lamb.
Lunch, dinner and weekend breakfast menus will be on offer.
Produce driven signatures from the menu include ‘The farmer’s plate’ which consists of primary and secondary cuts of pasture raised beef, pork or lamb with chips or the chef’s selection of seasonal vegetables and a house made gravy; and ‘Bone marrow on toast’ featuring oven roasted bone marrow served with onion, parsley and lemon juice relish with Sonoma sourdough toast.
The Garden is also curing its own meats, pickling vegetables, grinding coffee in-house and milling its own flour, which is used in The Garden’s pizza dough.
Simon Cook, CEO of Wests Ashfield Leagues said “We are going where no club has gone before us with the launch of The Garden because we care about the food we serve to our guests, both in flavour and origin. We’ve met with farmers across the country to taste the produce and assess their practices before welcoming them to our family. This means we can genuinely be assured that the food we bring to our community is of the highest ethical and flavour standards.”
