It can be a daunting task taking over from a star chef - but that is the role Toby Raley has accepted at Tasmania’s leading luxury lodge Saffire Freycinet.
Raley has been named executive chef in a rise through the ranks from his previous role as sous chef under the property’s former executive chef Paddy Prenter, who built an outstanding reputation at Saffire.
Raley has also worked as sous chef at Sydney’s Quay Restaurant working alongside executive chef Peter Gilmore. A former winner of the Brett Graham culinary scholarship, he has worked in the UK at the Fat Duck and with Brett Graham at The Ledbury.
He is excited by the diverse bounty of local ingredients available to him, including Wagyu beef from Robbins Island, Springfield Farm venison, Long Name Farm ham, fresh vegetables, organic dairy items and fresh seafood.
“I love fishing and over my time here at Saffire I’ve started to learn more about the surrounding marine
environment, and how we can best work alongside it whilst also protecting its future,” Raley said.
“Guests at Saffire can expect beautiful seafood with oysters coming from Dolphin Sands, Tasmanian rock lobster from our surrounding waters, and octopus from the north of the state at Stanley.
“We’re also working with a new supplier of sustainably sourced abalone which is hand-dived by a small, local not-for-profit organisation with proceeds going back to support First Nations Tasmanians. And in season, we work with divers in Coles Bay to source sea urchins, which are a delicious delicacy on the plate but a threat to vitally important kelp forests in the region.”
A new kitchen garden at Saffire sees Raley working closely with local nursery Billy Blue House to source native edibles, fresh greens and herbs that are well suited to the Freycinet coast.
“I love the freshness and vibrancy of the produce available to us in Tasmania, literally on the doorstep," Raley says.
"Tasmania is a relatively small island, yet there is such a large variety and diversity of fresh produce, supplied by small-scale farmers and producers who are passionate about their craft and who each play a part in this close-knit community. I couldn’t think of a better place to be.”
Saffire Freycinet is a member of the Luxury Lodges of Australia collection.
Former excecutive chef Prenter is working on a new project in Tasmania.
See www.saffire-freycinet.com.au
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