ROLLING IN THE DEEP

The Star Gold Coast’s celebration of seafood will help diners navigate a sustainable ocean, writes Amber Macpherson

THE ocean is an enthralling giant with delicate ecosystems at play in every corner, crevice and trench — and it’s up to humans to ensure it continues to thrive.

This month The Star Gold Coast will host Seafood Freshtival, a celebration of the ocean’s produce with a strong focus on the fruits pulled from Australian waters.

The Star Gold Coast executive chef Dustin Osuch says the six-week festival, which began on Thursday and will run until May 31, highlights the importance of sustainable seafood practices from boat to plate.

“Sustainability is key to the future of produce in Australia and indeed the world,” Dustin says. “It’s very important how we do things as chefs.

“We need to make sure we’re doing it so our children can continue to live in our environment as it is today or there isn’t going to be anything left for them.

“Freshtival is all about celebrating Australian seafood, using the country’s greatest produce, and sustainability is a key focus of ours at The Star.”

A flagship event at the Seafood Freshtival will be the eight-course Sustainable Seafood Dinner at Nineteen, an evening educating diners on more responsible consumption.

The “mystery menu” reflects the importance of this — the chefs won’t be able to confirm details until they find out what the trawlers are carrying.

“Part of sustainability is that we want seasonality,” Dustin says.

“We want to offer the freshest at the time. We want to make sure we’re providing the best available, and we’re asking our diners to trust us on the journey.”

Dustin says The Star already has a number of initiatives in place to ensure its procedures are sustainable, but it’s not an easy feat.

“It is a hard job, I’ll say that much. It’s not something we take lightly,” he says.

“We work very hard to talk to our producers and our suppliers and have a working relationship with them, letting them know we work together.

“For example, the South Australian rock lobster in Nineteen’s rock lobster bolognese comes from the southern oceans, and they’re sourced sustainably. They have to be a certain size, they can only catch a certain amount.

“The chefs use it with absolutely zero waste at the end. After the lobster is used, the stock then goes in the pasta.

“Beyond that we have good news stories in Kiyomi — the hiramasa kingfish comes out of Port Lincoln and is endorsed by The Friends of the Seas for compliance to sustainable fisheries.

“Currently on for the Freshtival we have Moreton Bay bugs, we are using

PART OF SUSTAINABILITY IS THAT WE WANT SEASONALITY

Queensland prawns, we’re using local snapper.”

Dustin says buying local and asking questions at the market, delicatessen or fishmonger can help to make a positive impact on the industry.

“It’s really about going out and understanding what is local and what is sustainable in your area,” he says.

“It also comes back to consumers asking the questions at the market — where did this come from, is it sustainable, is it local? That just helps put the pressure on everywhere to continue thinking about sustainability.”

The Star Gold Coast’s Seafood Freshtival runs until May 31 with pop-up seafood stalls, exclusive events and dining specials.

Go to star.com.au/goldcoast/whatson/freshtival