MY KITCHEN TASIA AND GRACIA SEGER Winners of My Kitchen Rules 2016 RULES SISTERS ADD SOME SPICE TO BOTANICAL

Well before the first slab is laid, the first playground built and even before the first sod is turned, an enormous amount of planning goes into a Satterley project. For a development to become a thriving community, it needs more than great houses, roads and amenities; it needs an idea behind it. In the case of Satterley’s newest community in Mickleham, that idea was to create a community around nature and fresh produce - where beautiful outdoor places encourage friends, families and new neighbours to gather. As for the fresh produce – well, that’s where our community ambassadors would come in. We decided to begin a search for one or more people who might represent what Botanical stood for: they needed to be passionate Melburnians, big into family and love bringing people together with fresh food and wonderful cooking. We want them to bring the community together through food, and inspire others to do so.

Tasia and Gracia Seger were the perfect choice.

satterley.com.au/botanical Of course, many people who move into a new community aren’t near friends or family. This is a familiar story for the sisters, who moved from Indonesia to India as young children and then from India to Australia not long after. Food was both a constant and a way of connecting with new friends. “I think with food, it doesn’t really matter where you come from. It’s what ties people together,” says Gracia. “It’s something you can share no matter what your background is. I think a lot of cultures have food as their basic unit of sharing.” It’s this idea of food being something that people naturally love to share, and a gathering point for family and community, that got them interested in becoming Ambassadors for Botanical.

Artist’s impression of planned cafe in Botanical. Subject to design approval.

The sisters from Templestowe in Melbourne’s north east are the winners of the 2016 season of My Kitchen Rules. Both born in Indonesia, they moved to Australia as children with their family, a family that loves to cook, and which brought the flavours of south east Asia to their new home. “Even before the show, we always discussed opening a restaurant together. We wanted to make [food] a career, but our parents “IT’S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US wanted us to pursue something else and we were like ‘Oh yeah – TO SHOW HOW IMPORTANT FOOD we’ll have a full-time job, but we’ll have a restaurant as well.’ That CAN BE FOR BRINGING PEOPLE AND was sort of our dream. A COMMUNITY TOGETHER, AND WE Since winning the show in April 2016, the sisters have released CAN’T WAIT TO SHARE OUR FAVOURITE their own satay sauce, cooked for private charity events, attended DISHES AND SAUCES WITH THE FUTURE international food festivals and plan to launch a modern Indonesian restaurant in Melbourne’s CBD before the end of 2017. RESIDENTS OF BOTANICAL,” They’re incredibly busy, but they always find time for sharing meals TASIA SEGER with family. As brand ambassadors the ‘spice sisters’ will work with Botanical on “Food for our family is the centre of everything,” says Gracia. a range of activities including cooking demonstrations, VIP nights, “It ties our family together. My mum comes from a Muslim recipe cards and tips on what to cook and grow in your garden. background, so we celebrate Muslim holidays, but we also celebrate Christmas. I think it’s just Mum’s excuse to have a feast or To stay updated on land releases and to learn more from Tasia and a dinner party and everybody pitches in. I make the sauce. Dad’s in Gracia Seger, make sure you like Botanical’s Facebook page and charge of the grilling outside on the barbecue.” also register on the Botanical website.

satterley.com.au/botanical