We’ve watched the bromance between Matthew Evans, Ross O’Meara and Nick Haddow blossom over three seasons on Gourmet Farmer. With their gumboots stuck firmly in the fertile soils of the Apple Isle, everything so far has been smooth sailing. Now, they’re really putting their friendship to the test.
In Gourmet Farmer Afloat, Matthew, Ross and Nick swap their wellies for deck shoes and take to the high seas on a mission to circumnavigate their island home. They trace the path followed by the first Europeans to chart Tasmanian shores, beginning with Abel Tasman in 1642.
Along the way, they’ll reveal the forgotten maritime history of the Apple Isle, and discover how the first Tasmanians lived on this little island at the bottom of the world. Using sea kayaks to explore inaccessible lagoons and scuba gear to dive beneath the waves, they’ll show a side of the island few of us ever see.
To satisfy their inner gourmands, Matthew, Nick and Ross will explore the rich culinary experiences that lie along Tasmania’s shore and in its picturesque inlets and estuaries. To keep things authentic, they’ll also create and consume heritage dishes eaten by the 17th and 18th century navigators and early colonists.
How will our landlubbers cope with the challenges of life at sea? Making unpasteurised cheeses and rinsing sausage casings is all very well. But we’re taking our die-hard, salt-of-the-earth farmers and casting them adrift to see how long they manage to stay afloat.
