Barragunda Dining has proven itself to be a real trailblazer in Australia’s food scene just one year after its opening. But its impact goes beyond the table.
A year on from its official opening, it’s fair to say that Barragunda Dining has caught the attention of the Australian food scene.
Two months after opening its doors, the farm to table restaurant on the Mornington Peninsula was awarded a prestigious two Chef Hats by Good Food Guide. A few months later, they followed it up by taking out Good Food Guide’s Trailblazer Award at the industry’s night of nights.
But accolades aside, the restaurant’s impact is much bigger than just award-winning, innovative, modern Australian dining. The vision was always about the bigger picture.
And that’s where Morris Family Foundation comes into the story.
Long before the restaurant’s foundations were laid on the Morris Family’s 400-hectare Cape Schank property, Hayley Morris had a dream to create a dining experience that showcased the benefits of regenerative farming at its finest.
Now, with a steady stream of delighted diners, Barragunda’s greater impact is becoming even more tangible, with all of the restaurant’s profits going to grassroots projects through Morris Family Foundation.
The foundation provides funding support for a range of community organisations and projects that are working to address critical social, environmental, and economic issues in Australia and abroad.
Barragunda Dining’s profits are directed particularly toward projects that help push forward Australia’s shift to more sustainable practices in food and farming systems, known as regenerative farming.
The farm at Barragunda itself runs on these same principles. It’s all about using the land and its resources in a way that finds a balance between give and take. The mindset is about understanding and respecting nature’s cycles and working to grow, restore, and enhance the land.
That’s done in a variety of ways at Barragunda which you can discover for yourself.
But even more work is happening out in the community, propelled by the organisations and projects being supported through the foundation to drive change in regenerative farming.
Here’s a snapshot of who they are and what their important work is all about:
Farming for the Future
Farming for the Future is a research project working with Australian farmers to see how adopting more sustainable practices on their farms can have financial benefits as well as environmental ones.
Soils for Life
Soils for Life works directly with Australian farmers providing information and training to help them improve soil health on their farms and move towards more regenerative practices.
Sustainable Table
Sustainable Table works to build networks in the agricultural industry. Part of their goal is to connect farmers to changemakers who have funding available to support their shift towards regenerative farming practices.