About BFS
Bushfood Sensations brings together a diverse range of Aboriginal Restaurants, Cafes and Chefs from all across NSW.
For thousands of years a huge variety of herbs, spices, seeds and animals have been used in the food and medicine of the Aboriginal people of Australia and the knowledge of these foods is still known by many Aboriginal people today. The Bush Food Sensations members apply this knowledge in fusion with recipes from around the world.
Members businesses range from fine dining restaurants, cafes and catering, the common thread being quality Australian produce with traditional bush flavours located from Bonalbo in Northern NSW to Sydney.
This project was an initiative of NSW Department of State and Regional Development and was co-funded by the Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) and Indigenous Business Australia (IBA), what a mouthful of department names for sure!
All busiensses look for their own unique selling point, something no one else can do easily. What better unique seling point is usine knowledge handed down over 40,000 years.
To maximise market penetration and business success the Bush Food Sensations Program focused on providing longer term support in business and cuisine development.
The mentoring focussed on
- Business Development skills
- Financial & Book keeping support, ordering, quotations, credit control
- Marketing & Promotional support
- Menu development, food pricing and costing
- Cooking skills, recipe development, customer relations
The mentors
Business Mentoring
The business mentor and Project Manager is Peter van Herk who has been self employed in his own manufacturing – and now consultancy business – since 1986. Peter has not only been dealing with the standard accounting and business systems for the Bush Food Sensations Members, but also grant applications, building works, taxation issues, dispute resolution, marketing, communications and negotiations with landlords and banks. “Never a dull moment and what a privilege to be working with such wonderful people” Peter says.
Kitchen and Cuisine Mentor
The kitchen Management and Cuisine mentoring is undertaken by Mr Laurent Gonfond, a Frenchman who ran his own restaurant in Taree (NSW) for 15 years after a lifetime of grazing the landscape for native foods and tastes. It was only natural for Laurent to form links with the local Aboriginal community and learn about native Australian foods and spices and combine with his international menu repertoire. It does seem a bit strange to have a Frenchman mentoring Aboriginal people in ways to bring thier knowledge in to mainstream cuisine but his international outlook has been important in developing new tastes and outlooks- from a Crocodile Burger to Emu, Blue Cheese and poached pear crostinis – to kitchen staff management, presentation, costing and pricing and at times working long hours on opening nights to help in the kitchen and train the staff.