Gourmet Farmer

Even though life has become very busy for Matthew, he still manages to find time for a night away with his friends, Nick and Ross, in search of Tasmanian prawns. The chickens come home to roost when a food critic arrives at Fat Pig Kitchen.

Outside it’s snowing, but inside it’s warm and welcoming for the 35 guests invited to the soft launch of Matthew’s new paddock-to-plate restaurant. But the big question is – after such a large investment, will he be able to recoup his costs and make a living?

After nearly burning down one of Australia’s oldest farms, Matthew is inspired to build an enormous, outdoor, wood-fired oven for Fat Pig Kitchen. And with the restaurant opening imminent, Matthew and Sadie go in search of some bio-dynamic wines to serve to customers.

After slaughtering a cow on the farm, Matthew wants to honour this life by using as much of her carcass as possible. After the meat is butchered and the offal turned into fertiliser, he takes the cowhide to a backyard tannery.

As the building of his new house on Fat Pig Farm gets underway, Matthew sets about improving other areas of the farm in preparation for his new farm-to-table restaurant. Produce needs to be source, the vegetable garden needs a major overhaul – but at the moment, there is a lot more money going out the door than coming in.

It’s been a year since Matthew expanded his business and bought the new farm, and it’s been a steep learning curve for both him and Sadie. Their passion to have visitors at Fat Pig Farm to share and experience their lifestyle and taste products made from the farm has led them to set a date for their very first open day and feast.

Fifty acres of pasture is a lot of grass to manage, and the local NRM (National Resource Management) – the mob who consult on how to improve and maintain a healthy farm – have told Matthew he desperately needs to get animals to graze his grass… to regenerate it and add fertility to the soil.

Matthew is keen to use all parts of the pig to ensure he’s adding as much value as possible to his future porkers. He has a plan for a ‘Breaking Down’ day, where one pig is broken down into its constituent parts, ready for cooking and preserving.

Inspired by last year's trip to France, Matthew decides to add a couple of geese to his menagerie, and while picking them up off a local farmer, he is distracted by a home-built cold smoker. One of Matthew’s visions for the new farm is to experiment with various food processes, and, inspired by the cold smoker, he wants to test new cured products and smoke them.

It’s a year of experimentation and Matthew has kept chooks for eggs, but now he’d like to get heritage chickens at Puggle Farm to free range for their meat. He has also been interested in the differences between heritage chickens and free-range chickens we purchase from the supermarket… their size, colour and especially taste. He has decided to acquire some supermarket-breed chicks to free range himself and compare the taste with his heritage breed.

Matthew journeys from Italy to France to learn how the French preserve their meat products.

Matthew sets out on a challenge to see if he can create a meal from wild food that’s free for the taking.

Matthew and Ross have a stall at a new farmers' market, where you can only sell what you grow or source from providores who don't have the means to sell their own product. They see this as an opportunity to expand and try out a few new products. First is B'stilla, a Moroccan pigeon pie that they source from Phil Newton. Next, they go hunting for wallaby and rabbit - produce which is growing in plague proportions and which they can acquire at little cost. While Ross prepares wallaby pie, Matthew goes in search of a rabbit recipe from opera singer Maria Lurighi.

Matthew reckons he's earned a break from the farm and heads off on a kayaking adventure with Ross and kayaking expert, Nick. They're resolute in insisting on packing nothing but two-minute noodles, as the Picton River is sure to supply a bounty of fish. Alas, Matthew and Ross prove to be less than naturals on the water, and the fish prove to be totally absent. Resisting the temptation to head into a fast food outlet as they're kayaks approach a small town, they call up a sushi maker who has a smarter idea for catching fish, and who prepares a spectacular meal.

While on the North West coast of Tasmania, herding cattle across the ocean at low tide to Robbins Island, Matthew has a new business idea. The Wagyu beef that he samples here - at Hammond farm, is the best he's ever eaten. Sadly, only foreigners get to taste it. With Nick and Ross, Matthew brainstorms an idea for Long Table Lunches, where the three of them will create multiple course menus from produce sourced exclusively from the local area. As they head up to the North West coast to spend a week sourcing produce, the weather turns bad and the `paddock' lunch they envisaged is under threat. And after locating a barn as an alternative, they find they've bitten off more than they can chew and race against the clock to feed everyone before the guests get too drunk and consume all their profits. The food, however, is a standout, and guest leave contented, while Matthew, Nick and Ross conclude that it was a great - if not that profitable experience.

Matthew is nearing the end of his first year on the farm and it’s time to reflect on lessons learned and to celebrate his accomplishments with old mates and new friends.

Hosting a Bastille Day lunch to showcase a range of delicacies to loyal stall patrons seems like a good idea - but it's illegal.

Matthew's farm is not yet a land of milk and honey, but in this episode he does his best for the milk component.

Matthew sets up his partnership as an artisan producer at Salamanca Markets and learns some valuable lessons: long hours, hard physical work and low profit margins.

Pork is on the menu as Matthew makes prosciutto and learns what to do with offal, and buys his own little piglets.