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Paul West: Sustainability, Cooking and Community

Hilary Harper and Paul West at the Wheeler Centre
Paul West – ‘Australia’s Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’ – is a homegrown champion in more ways than one.
The former Vue De Monde chef, and host of River Cottage Australia, is a sustainable food advocate – and he wants to show you that you can grow and cook your own food, wherever you are, however much space you have.
For West, growing, cooking and sharing food with your loved ones is a powerful act. ‘It’s personal, local action that empowers us when global problems can leave you feeling powerless.’
The chef, who trained in hatted restaurants, now offers practical advice on everything from building a ‘no dig’ garden, bee-keeping and knife-skills, to simple and delicious recipes for common veggies that you’ve grown yourself, and even throwing a backyard harvest festival. It’s all in his new book, The Edible Garden Cookbook & Growing Guide.
In this event, West speaks with Hilary Harper about how growing and eating locally has an impact well beyond our backyard.
Who?

Paul West
Paul West is a trained chef, a passionate gardener, farmer and popular media personality. Paul hosted four seasons of River Cottage Australia (Foxtel and SBS), is the author of The River Cottage Australia Cookbook and has a regular slot on ABC radio and ABC television's Gardening Australia. After hosting River Cottage Australia in beautiful Central Tilba, Paul and his family swapped their 20-acre NSW South Coast property for a city life in Thornbury, in Melbourne's inner north turning a suburban backyard plot into a productive patch.

Hilary Harper
Hilary Harper has a degree in English Literature and Cultural Studies, a Graduate Diploma in Professional Writing and Editing, and 30 years’ experience in radio. She’s been at the ABC since 2005. She’s covered everything from news and current affairs to traffic reporting, arts, health, gardening, science, finance, education, relationships, parenting, and much discussion of food.

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