Love Our Growers

AN AUSTRALIAN JOURNEY ON SOURCING, MAKING AND FORAGING

DRAFTED BY DATE Thomas Spinks 13th October 2020

@ L O V E O U R G R O W E R S Breakdown

I. Executive Summary

II. Introduction

III. Concept

IV. Inspiration and Mood Board

P A G E 2 / 9 I. Executive Summary

In every part of our life technology allows us to know where things are at, with everyone. We value it. We feel if brings us power. But we have lost connection with the source of our literal fuel. Where our food comes from, what to do with it, how to connect with it – this is our goal.

There has been a small awakening from the pandemic, the realisation that time is precious, that food matters and that money and possessions aren't the source of what makes us happy. We want to take you on a local journey (Australia) as a family and show you where you food comes from, what do with unique ingredients - native, heritage and foraged - and how getting to the source of your food benefits you, the farmer and the local economies that exist.

Inordinate amounts of money spent each day, week and year on diet fads, food deliveries, either fast food or the fresh food boxes we have embraced. We are in shock when a celebrity shows us how pigs or chickens are treated, for a moment we want to buy differently, more consciously. But then we lose it. Time moves on. Gluten free, sugar free, dairy free, animal product free, toxin free, chemical free, free range – the list goes on. Why don’t we stick with it? We don’t connect? It's hard. We’re busy.

There is an amazing array of produce in Australia. If we focused just on Melbourne there is a plethora of weekend markets, where we can all talk to farmers and pretend we know what we’re doing with the produce. The fact is everyone who goes to a farmers market loves it, the kids, the home cooks, the dads who got the best meat pie ever, the fitness gurus – it’s all there, and it all brings joy.

We want to feature the amazing country we live in, as a family, in our caravan. along the way we'll meet farmers, we'll forage for ingredients, we'll meet local chefs and talk about farmers markets. We want to feature the ease and joy that cooking is. We want to show where food comes from with no other agenda other than awareness and connection. With local travel our only option for the next little while, we want to build awareness of how amazing Australia is, and I see options for investment for national and local tourism as well as hospitality and agriculture.

P A G E 3 / 9 II. Introduction

Tom Spinks. I’ve been cooking since I was 9, mum Wendy Hargreaves - Wendy is a journalist and taught to make basics, and I loved it from day one. I broadcaster with decades of media experience in grew up traveling Australia as Mum and Dad ran a print, radio and screen. Her career started as a camping safari business. I get massive amounts of newspaper reporter, rising up the ranks to joy from talking to producers and using what they newsroom management at Australia's biggest- provide to create tasty outcomes. I listen to what selling newspaper. Now she hosts Bread + Butter the product reminds them of, what it does for them, on Ticker TV, a new TV show looking behind the and how they like to eat it. scenes of Australia's food and drink industry, and I do it because I love people and I love to be has a weekly segment about food on 3AW, generous and share. Melbourne's top rating radio station. Wendy is also an award-winning short filmmaker, tapping My family will be on the journey - my wife Belinda, into her journalism experience to tell stories on who is the forage and fermenting enthusiast and my the big screen.Wendy founded the Sunday Herald guide in all things foraged and found. Along with our Sun's first food section and Melbourne food/fun two children - Maxwell (9) and Arietta (5). magazine fiveofthebest.com. She also has also shared her down-to-earth food expertise on Radio National, The Project, A Current Affair and Today Tonight. She's also a confident event MC, and an ambassador for Australia's biggest charity kitchen FareShare

P A G E 4 / 9 III. Concept

Each episode should start with a region. We do a really quick recap of the show purpose and goal. We also summarise what is going to be made and some of farms or producer we will meet.

We will be travelling in a caravan, so some shots of the local area and stand-out features and places to stay will be needed, though brief.

We’ll talk about the local produce, and how to combine and use it in methods and recipes we are used to. Mostly we’ll use things that won’t be too foreign, else we’ll lose the attention. We can however feature varieties, for example carrots or beets, in place of the ‘standard’ we’ll find candy swirls, yellow, purple etc. In place of Roma tomatoes we’ll use heirloom varieties, etc. This way if viewer don’t have easy access they can still make things, they won’t be totally disconnected.

We will forage for some local native or known wild ingredients.

Just as with some of the shows that have inspired this concept, we want to make a meal at the end with all the dishes and produce we’ve found, either cooked by us or by a local chef. So while there will be small dishes along the way, I want to end with a full spread.

In total I would think we can make 5-7 dishes in a 30-35 minute episode, any longer then then we would lose people, and any less dishes then this and we would lose the purpose.

The purpose is to draw attention to two things - 1. Locally sourced farm grown and foraged ingredients 2. Local (Australian) travel.

P A G E 5 / 9 P A G E 9 / 9 IV. Inspiration and Mood Board

P A G E 6 / 9 IV. Inspiration and Mood Board

P A G E 7 / 9 IV. Inspiration and Mood Board

Chuck and Danny’s. I love Chuck and Danny’s. While it is a little ‘Americanized’ for our local palette, the show is brilliant. They tour around to regions, learn what special produce comes from or is grown there and then make little things on the way. The crescendo with the group meal at the end is a great idea. I like the personality of the show as well as the mission statement.

Parts Unknown. We could not have a food show without it in some way being influenced by the late Anthony Bourdain. There are so many if his shows that I love, but the exploration of this is great. His raw style, the epic realities of where the food comes from and how is made – amazing.

Ainsley Harriot’s Street Food. Ainsley’s energy is addictive, and the way street food is done is great. He goes to an area and meets up with locals to learn the skills and food they love. I love the idea of having someone show you how to make the traditional and then putting a little spin on it.

Food Safari. Without a doubt this is the best cooking show Australia has produced. If I can hot this level I’d walk away knowing we’d left a legacy. The way ingredients, cultures and regions are defined, explained, used and showcased is brilliant. I want to take the same kind on concept with a little more region and direct to producer, but still focusing on how we can use the ingredients.

Mind of a chef. Ok, I’m not a chef, so I’m not going to talk up like that, however knowing what makes people tick helps understand why we make things or use things in that manner. This show is filmed beautifully and explains why and how things go together. That works, I love it.

P A G E 8 / 9 Platforms to be across

TV/Webstreaming (Netflix/prime/Stan). The purpose is engagement, so bringing this to the living room is key

YouTube. it is important to have either full episodes under subscription or part teasers to reach a broad market section

Instagram. This is the platform socially I feel we are most comfortable on.

Facebook. A necessary medium.

Categories of appeal captured

Growers and Farmers Foraging Travel in Australia Family Travel Seasonal Food Markets Cooking Show Everyday Food Bush/Native Food

P A G E 9 / 9