Free diver, head chef and surfer, Guy Turland, is in full swing this Sydney summer at his Bondi-based cafe, The Depot.
The cafe, going strong more than 10 years later, offers fresh, modern and healthy cuisine, featuring, of course, fish dishes.
On the menu will include popular dishes king prawns and the yellow-tailed kingfish, sustainably fished from the Bondi Beach coast.
“We get it wild and farmed, it’s such a beautifully, well-rounded fish that goes really well with some simple herbs and butter,” says Guy.
Aside from Depot, which he opened at the age of 21, Guy runs his own media brand, Bondi Harvest. From this, he’s had several productions and seen success with the launch of these on media channels, including TasteMade.
beetroot tarte tatin
Background
Guy’s working and chef training includes fine dining restaurant, Icebergs in Sydney and 4 years with restaurant, Est.
Having then trained in kitchens worldwide, Guy had the ambition at a young age to run his own business. It was then, feeling he had enough of the right experience, that he took the plunge to open Depot.
Guy wanted sustainable seafood to feature as a central part of his business, serving locally and sustainably caught fish; educating customers about looking after the ocean and the sea life within it.
“I became interested in where our seafood comes from and how it’s caught and farmed,” he says.
“It’s important we look after the animals that provide our food. Some species are overfished and that’s when their populations are at risk of dying out.”
Guy’s other fish dishes popular with customers include sand whiting fish, which is gorgeous grilled and made into a ceviche, flavoured with citrus.
“We work with indigenous ingredients wherever possible, and the ones that work with the fish well are coastal greens and lemon myrtle.”
sweet miso braised
International branding
It was from Guy’s fascination with the sea that he developed an interest in learning about the many different sea animals eaten in different cultures.
Bondi Harvest has enabled Guy to develop his own productions around food and help educate industry professionals and consumers about all things food.
Most recently, he explored different sea creatures worldwide for a series called Food to Die For, filmed with the channel, TasteMade.
He recalls the time he went fishing for sea snakes with women in the Okinawan oceans.
“Every evening, the women sat and dipped their feet in the water. As soon as they felt a snake brush past their feet, they’d grab it and put it in a sack!” he explains.
“Here we are with all our fishing technology, and these women are catching sea creatures with their bare hands!”
Turmeric Flatbread Buckwheat-Tabouli Lamb
The snakes are used to make umami soup which, Guy tells us, is delicious.
He also went to to see how the Stone Fish – considered a delicacy in the Philippines and Japan – is caught.
Guy also co-produced and hosted the Bondi Harvest TV show “Summer Cooking”, played on channels including Foxel, Qantas Inflight and Food network.
Guy’s interest in developing these projects come from his desire to educate people about where food comes from. He believes every chef should ensure their food is traceable to where it comes from and be held accountable about how their seafood has been sourced.
Since opening Depot, Guy has opened two Bondi Harvest cafés. One in Bondi Junction, Sydney, and the other in Culver City, USA.
He plans to open more in both the UK and USA in the future.
