In a burgeoning $82 million Aussie industry, some are being left behind

SBS Australia

10 hours ago

Food has always been a language for Brisbane-based chef Chris Jordan — a way to connect, share and tell stories beyond the plate. After spending two decades in commercial kitchens across Australia and the United Kingdom, it wasn't until he began working with native Australian ingredients that he truly found his calling. Discovering the richness of native foods — from earthy wattle seed to zesty lemon myrtle and nutrient-packed Kakadu plums — helped the 35-year-old Koori chef define his purpose. Now, Jordan is sharing that passion with young Indigenous apprentices. As they gather around a small outdoor grill, he stands over smoking sea mullet, the rich scent rising from gidgee charcoal.
"Make sure the grill is super-hot so the fish doesn't stick," he said.
For Brisbane-based chef Chris Jordan, food has never just been about sustenance — it's been a gateway to culture, connection, and identity. Source: SBS / Jesmine Cheong A legacy of native flavours Watching Jordan cook is a flavour-packed journey of discovery for these emerging Indigenous chefs, including 26-year-old Terelle Cobbo. As sea mullet sizzles, Jordan serves up more than just techniques — he's firing up their curiosity and seasoning each moment with cultural knowledge. "This is one way to connect with my culture and I really enjoy it," Cobbo said. Giving the next generation a real taste of connection with the country, Jordan said one the reasons he focuses on native ingredients is sustainability. "Bush foods are drought resistant, well adapted to this country, and really, really good for you — nutritionally potent," he said.
"Using native ingredients can also help to combat climate change."
Koori chef Chris Jordan teaches young trainees how to prepare traditional native foods using bush ingredients. Source: SBS / Jesmine Cheong Sharing Jordan's perspective, Dr Francis Wyld, who teaches Aboriginal studies at the University of South Australia, said bush foods offer many environmental advantages. They are also rich in nutrients and have the ability to thrive in a range of Australian climates, she said. "They require less water or pesticides, because they are well adapted to the Australian environment," she said. "These foods have sustained Aboriginal people for 60,000 years and many are full of things like vitamin C." The University of Sydney estimated Australia's bush food industry was worth $81.5 million in the 2019-2020 financial year, and is growing steadily. Yet Jordan said only a few Indigenous growers benefit from the booming sector and a growing demand for native ingredients. "Less than three per cent of Australia's bush food industry is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander owned, and I think that really needs to shift," he said. "We need to make sure that the money goes back to the community. It is one reason we collaborate with a lot of different restaurants and cafes."
Jordan buys bush food and ingredients from local growers, with the help of Food Connect Shed in Brisbane.
Food Connect Shed CEO Robert Pekin said his long-term objective is to bring First Nations food into the mainstream Australian diet. Source: SBS / Jesmine Cheong The hub's CEO, Robert Pekin, said the shed is owned by approximately 540 people and most are local residents. "One of our big long-term objectives is to get First Nations food into our diets in a mainstream way," he said. "Native grains and native foods are really beneficial for the country." It's a view shared by Aunty Dale Chapman, an award-winning chef who first mentored Jordan in cooking with native ingredients after he returned from London in 2017. "I am extremely proud of where Chris has started, and his journey is still happening, and it'll go on for a long, long time," she said. Jordan learned more by visiting country with his great-uncle and elders, and has also studied Indigenous philosophy at the University of South Australia. However, he said finding a mentor in Chapman changed his life and gave him a purpose. "I vividly remember really, really low points in my life where I was asking for guidance and I was asking for someone to help me and give me a reason to live," he said.
"And the biggest reason for me getting sober was meeting Aunty Dale. She has been in the bush food industry for 35 years and is an amazing chef, an amazing educator and someone who is passing the torch with her education."
Aunty Dale Chapman is an award-winning chef based in Queensland's Sunshine Coast. Source: SBS / Sandra Fulloon Chapman, who was born at Dirranbandi in south-west Queensland on Yuwaalaraay and Kooma tribal lands, celebrates native foods in her cooking.
She said Jordan has elevated the use of native ingredients, and his dedication to sharing his knowledge with young people is vital to preserving the Indigenous food legacy.
Mentoring through food Jordan now mentors young chefs as he teaches in schools across Queensland and also supports Indigenous youth at risk of contact with the justice system. "A huge percentage of our First Nations youth are incarcerated. So, it is really important to build a connection to culture and also create pathways to employment," he said. Data from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found First Nations youth are 27 times as likely to be in juvenile detention compared to non-Indigenous children. The AIHW said the vast over-representation of Indigenous youth in the justice system reflects a history of trauma and cultural dispossession. While Jordan is proud to mentor young people through bush foods, accepting and celebrating his own identity has been a far more complex journey. Growing up in northern NSW, he learned little about his Aboriginal heritage or his connection to Kamilaroi Country. "When my grandmother was growing up, she was told, 'If anyone asks, say that you're Italian'. So, there was a lot of shame in the family," he said.
"It is amazing in my lifetime I have seen that shift, and now my extended family are so proud of who they are."
Chris Jordan (left) as a young man with his mum and sister near Denman, NSW. Source: Supplied / Chris Jordan Jordan named his catering business in memory of his father Joseph, a refugee from former Yugoslavia who died when he was a baby. "I don't have any memories of him at all," he said. "So, it is one reason I named my [catering] business Three Little Birds.
"It was his favourite song by Bob Marley, so I guess it's a message of positivity in our family."
Chris Jordan's father, Joseph, arrived in Australia in 1950. Source: Supplied / Chris Jordan A 'powerful' journey of rediscovery and connection Jordan said learning to cook with native foods has helped him find a deeper meaning in his life and identity. "I left home at a young age and went down a path where I ended up having to get sober and really clean my life up," he said. "And learning about native ingredients and becoming proud of who I am was really, really powerful." Chapman said by shining a light for other young Indigenous chefs, Jordan is passing on knowledge from one generation to the next. "We want to give that information, because that is ultimately what our ancestors have done for thousands of years," she said. "Understanding where the plant, the fruit, the herb, the spice actually comes from is really, really important.
"And let's face it, it is our birthright and we should know how to use, how to sustain, how to thrive using First Nations foods."
Dylan Kerslake works as an apprentice chef in Brisbane. Source: SBS / Jesmine Cheong Wiradjuri man Dylan Kerslake is one of Jordan's mentees and works as an apprentice at a high-end Brisbane restaurant "Chris encouraged me to become a chef and helped me to get my first job," he said. "I started by helping him out in the kitchen, and I really enjoyed it, and from there I kept on cooking." But for Jordan, it's about more than employment — it's about sharing the wealth of Indigenous wisdom through the craft of cooking and helping young people build a future through food. "I didn't connect to culture until later in life. "So, passing on knowledge about bush food and sharing my experience and how it saved my life, I think it's a really strong message." NAIDOC Week is celebrated from 6-13 July. This year's theme is: 'The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.'