aunched last week at the newly refurbished Botanical, The Sustainable Table is a book put together by some locals called Yaubula who are reducing the impact on the environment by altering their food choices. Stemming from a Fijian word that means ‘natural resource’, Yaubula is a small not-for profit group supports sustainable development projects globally.

Through this collection of recipes and stories from notable chefs, farmers, producers, winemakers, gardeners and everyday people, they people eat seasonally, shop locally, buy organic, reduce food waste, purchase ethically and make backyards and public spaces productive. Basically it’s the way we all should be, and probably want to be. So it’s luck that this book has come just at the right time, Christmas.

Contributors from the book include Dan Hunter (head chef at the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld), Annie Smithers (head chef at Annie Smithers’ Bistrot in Kyneton), Aaron Turner (head chef at Loam in Drysdale), Adam D’Sylva (head chef at Coda), Tom Milligan (executive sous chef at the Botanical) and Costa Georgiadis (Costa’s Garden Odyssey, SBS).

The book is developed around the themes of local and organic, mainly vegetarian recipes and ethically and sustainable farmed meat and seafood. At local level, The Sustainable Table shows us how easy is it is to make small changes to the way we eat, and what impact that will have.

sustainabletable.org.au