Intrepid chef Analiese Gregory has traversed a global culinary ramble to finally live out her own personal version of a ‘walk on the wild side.’
Among the stopping-off points have been cooking stints at renowned restaurants ranging from London, Morocco, France, Spain and Sydney. Then, in a dramatic twist to her career script, she opted to take a gamble and relocate to the remote rural surrounds of Tasmania.
However, far from cruising along in a potential backwater Analiese has reinvented herself as a foodie authority rejoicing in the joys of the natural produce and potential foodstuffs to be harvested on the Apple Isle.
This spawned a best-selling book, How Wild Things Are: Cooking, Fishing and Hunting at the Bottom of the World detailing her passion for ground-breaking recipes. When this established Analiese as one of Australia’s newly influential kitchen savvy voices, it was followed up by a well-received series of eight episodes on the SBS food channel titled ‘A Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking’.
Far away from the supposedly glitzy but energy-sapping environment of top-notch sizzling sculleries, Analiese has embraced the more tranquil traits of Tasmania. It has been a tale of starting a new chapter spent cooking, fishing, foraging, hunting, diving and discovering all aspects of her new terrain.
Her eclectic journey along life’s path has helped her to take the sudden change of pace totally in her stride. Analiese was born in Auckland, to a Welsh father and Chinese-Dutch mother. Both her parents were keen on cooking – indeed her father was an executive chef. With such a diverse cultural background it is no surprise that Analiese was open to letting her taste buds enjoy whatever was on a continually appetising agenda. Whereas her mother would rustle up plenty of rice-based Cantonese dishes, her father dabbled with colourful ingredients and contemporary trends. As an 18-year-old Analiese took off for London to work for her father in a gastronomic capacity in a restaurant in Covent Garden. In turn, this led to spells at The Ledbury in the capital of the United Kingdom then Paris’ five-star Le Meurice before she moved back down under to Sydney’s Quay restaurant.
Now things have turned full circle as she adapts to life nestled away in the absorbing landscape of Tasmania’s Huon Valley. So far, it’s been a heartening transformation yet far removed from the assumed quiet existence. Analiese lives life to the full, diving in the waters of Tassie, scavenging along the idyllic beaches and hunting and trekking amid the rugged and captivating inland areas.
“I’d say to consider what it is that you love about being in the outdoors and pursue that thing,” she said. “Taking on fishing, foraging, diving and hunting all at once may be a bit much but you can start to include pieces of it in your everyday life.
“Whether that’s going on a fishing trip or a once-a-year forage for pine mushrooms in the forest in autumn.”
As one of the main planks to her adventures, hunting has emerged more and more to the fore.
“So far in Tasmania I have hunted deer and wallabies,” said Annaliese. The hunting offshoot fits in ideally with some of the succulent wild game dishes that Analiese eventually serves up for the table.
“There are many misconceptions about hunting and eating game, mostly that it’s bloodthirsty I think. Hunters I have met in Tasmania are the most ethical in touch with nature people I have encountered.”
And the hunting endeavours of Analiese out in the beguiling wilds of the Island State certainly bring rich rewards when she returns to prepare more mouth-watering creations in the familiar environs of her kitchen.
The exploits of Analiese have captured the imagination of her new audience – via the readers of her book and the viewers who have tuned into her SBS outings. She is in constant demand for culinary events all around Australia. The sometimes-hectic travel schedule can take its toll but for Analiese the ports of call are all worth the effort. She is able to impart her love of cooking with game meat to appreciative audiences.
“I did a 50-person lunch with three courses all based on wild rabbit. I find game challenging but enjoyable to cook, it uses all of my powers as a chef,” she said.
The first television exposure for Analiese came in 2020, when she linked up with celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay in his National Geographic series ‘Uncharted’. In the instalment featuring Analiese, she seamlessly fits into the role as Gordon’s cookery courier throughout Tasmania, unearthing the distinctive edible components and food habits of her adopted domain. In Tassie, for this leg of the series Ramsay was guided through turbulent tidal waters to hose-dive among rocks for giant spiny lobsters, explored the bush to forage for local herbs and flown to the rugged interior by seaplane to fly-fish for trout and extract honey.
Followers of Ramsay will be aware of his no-nonsense approach and sometimes abrasive manner. To put things bluntly, he does not suffer fools gladly. And after engaging with Analiese, he was equally straight to the point. “This girl is a force to be reckoned with,” said the Scottish gourmet.
That is a compliment to be savoured from a figure perched near the top of the gastronomic who’s who and Analiese seems to be living up to the accolade as she merges her expanding experiences in the wild with her undoubted and unique cooking abilities.
Who is Analiese Gregory?
Analiese Gregory is an acclaimed chef known for her global culinary background and her current wild food lifestyle in Tasmania, where she forages, hunts and cooks using nature’s ingredients.
What is unique about Analiese Gregory’s cooking style?
Her cooking blends fine dining techniques with ingredients she sources herself through fishing, foraging, diving and hunting across Tasmania.
What shows or books feature Analiese Gregory?
She is the author of How Wild Things Are and has appeared in ‘A Girl’s Guide to Hunting, Fishing and Wild Cooking’ on SBS, and with Gordon Ramsay in ‘Uncharted’ on National Geographic.
Why did Analiese Gregory move to Tasmania?
Seeking a quieter, more connected lifestyle, Analiese left the world of high-end restaurants to immerse herself in Tasmania’s wild landscapes and live sustainably through self-sourced food.
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