Australian Gourmet Traveller - (06)June 2019 (1)

I

t’stwoweeksuntilopeningand

BenDevlinandYenTrinhare

gettingclose,butnotcloseenough.

Behindthescenesoftheirfirstsolo

venue– onethey’refittingoutthemselves

fromscratch– it’sa whirlwindoflists,

schedulingandgraft.

Thelastoftheirfinancehasbeen

approved.They’venaileda leasethey

canafford.Butwitha budget,theneed

toplananopeningmenuanda new

baby– Penny,theirfirstchild,wasborn

inJanuary– stresslevelsareclimbing.

Atthecouple’shome,there’sseaweed

dryingontheclotheslineandunder

thestairsblackmacadamianutoilis

fermenting.Trinhis firingupback-of-

housesystemsfortheir40-seater,while

caring for their daughter, whose nursery

Openingarestaurantistough.Buildingityourself?That’sanotherworld

ofpain.Justdaysbeforelaunch,FIONADONNELLYdropsintotheworksite

at Pipit, the new NSW North Coast venue by chef and handyman Ben Devlin.

nowdoublesasa storeroom.There’sa

dehydratoranda Vitamixinonecorner,

andherwardrobeis rapidlyfillingwith

otherassortedkitchenessentials.

Devlinis tacklingallthepainting,

renderingandtilingat Pipithimself,and

quietlyfretting.Themulletarerunning

andthewindowformakingbottargais

closing,andthekitchenstillisn’tready.

Onsite,Devlin’sdad,a carpenter,is

buildingoutdoorseatingaroundcourtyard

gardenbeds.Pipitis alreadya bonafide

familyaffair,withfriendspitchingin,too.

AtBoonLuckFarmat Tyagarah,in

nearbyByronBaywhereDevlingrewup,

a cornerofPalisaAnderson’scoolroom

is crammedwithDevlin’sfermentsand

preservesthatwillfeature on Pipit’s

opening menus.➤

Pipit’startare-

styleeggplant

withpeanuts,

chicoryand

shiitake

mushrooms.

Opposite:

Ben Devlin.

GOURMET TRAVELLER 65