Delicious Australia - (05)May 2020

THISYEAR,ONEofAustralia’shottesttalents,LouisTikaram,
joinedQueensland’sStateJudgesforthe 2020 delicious. Produce
Awards– nowin its16thyear.Tikaramtookhisplacealongside
otherStatejudges,DarrenRobertson, Adam Wolfers, Jake
Nicolson,SpencerPatrickand
CameronMatthews,tounearth
thecountry’sbestproduce,
alongwiththeextraordinary
producerswhogrow,catch,
supplyandcookwithit.
Raisedona 110-acrefarmin
Mullumbimby,in theNorthern
RiversregionofNewSouth
Wales,Tikaramstartedhiscareerasanapprenticeat Longrain,
beforeworkinghiswaythroughthekitchensofTetsuyaWakuda
andBrentSavage.AfterfiveyearsheadingupLosAngeles
restaurant, E.P & L.P, Tikaram returned to Australia last year to

becomeexecutivechefat Stanley,a Cantonesedinerat Brisbane’s

HowardSmithWharves,whichrecentlyshutitsdoorsaspart of

theCOVID-19pandemicnationwiderestaurantclosures.

“Obviously the knock-on effectwillhurtourproducers

massively,withrestaurants

closingorslowingdown.Many

industrieshavebeenaffected

andpeoplewillbewatching

whattheyspend,soit willtake

sometimetogetbacktowhatit

was.ButStanleywillcome back

strongerthanever.”

Andthequalityofourproduce

willnodoubthelpwiththiscomeback.“It’sbeengreatworking

withAustralianproduceagain,”Tikaramsaid.“Afterfiveyearsin

theUS,I cansayeverythinghereis amazing,eventhehumble

capsicum or carrot. The flavour and texture blow my mind.”

Thedelicious. ProduceAwardsreturnstocelebratethegrowersandmakersbehindthe

country’stopingredients.StatejudgeandStanleychefLouisTikaramtellsuswhyhe

champions Australia’s best, and his hopes for the future of producers and restaurateurs.

“IT COMESDOWN TO THE

QUALITYOFTHEAIR,SOIL,

ANDWATER,ANDTHE

RESPECTTHEFARMERS GIVE

OUR PRODUCE.”

LouisTikaram.OPPOSITE:
Seafoodis a highlighton
theStanleymenu,including
theseMooloolabaprawns;
FraserIslespannercrab;
Tikaram’sfamed sweet-and-
sour pork.