The_CEO_Magazine_ANZ_-_December_2016

A

s I walk along the garden path that meanders past fruit trees,

colourful garden beds brimming with vegies, and large pots heaving

with fragrant herbs on my way into the restaurant, it suddenly

dawns on me: I’m walking the path from paddock to plate.

The restaurant, recently awarded one chef hat in the 2016 Sydney

Morning Herald Good Food Guide awards, is The Zin House. It’s a charming old

farmhouse that sits high on a hill looking out over the Zinfandel vines and the

surrounding 1,000 acres that are the restaurant’s main providore. As well as the

certified organic fruit, herbs and vegetables, there are Dorper lambs, Angus beef,

fresh eggs and honey.

For owner and Chef Kim Currie, this wonderland is her brainchild, and when

you look at her resume it makes perfect sense that she would end up with a

restaurant on a farm in a regional town. Kim has long been the champion of

local farm-fresh produce, establishing vital and vibrant farmers’ markets in

Cowra, Orange, Bathurst and Mudgee while employed as Central NSW ’s Food

and Wine Development Officer. She also did brilliant work promoting the

G O U R M ET GETAWAY

Left, top Mudgee’s

scenery is a pretty

patchwork of

vineyards, farms and

rolling green hills.

Left, bottom The

Zin House restaurant

sits on the 1,000-

acre organic and

biodynamic farm that

is its main providore.

Mudgee

(^) magic
When it comes to food, if ‘fresh is best’ then the New
South Wales Central West town of Mudgee must surely be
one of the healthiest places to dine on Earth.
WORDS SIMONE HENDERSON-SMART