After honing their skills at Michelin-starred restaurants across Europe, Executive Chefs, Chris and Alex Norman are now focused on rural life at five-star Beechmont Estate in Queensland.
For 15 years, Alex (left) and Chris have been cooking and living together.
“We met at the Ritz London,” says Alex. “We came here in 2011 planning on just being here for a year as backpackers, but we loved it so much we never left.”
The pair worked for chef-hatted restaurants and prestigious event catering companies in Sydney, before moving to the Whitsundays as part of the opening team for One&Only Hayman Island.
They have headed up the kitchens at Palazzo Versace on the Gold Coast and Emporium Hotel and Herve’s Restaurant & Bar in Brisbane, and last year they took on the roles as Executive Chefs at hatted restaurant, The Paddock at Beechmont Estate.
The food philosophy
“For us, it’s about doing true paddock-to-plate,” says Chris.
“The farmers come through the front door with a whole pig over their shoulder… and the guests say, ‘that’s fresh’. But that’s the relationship we have with the local farmers.”
Visitors to the property often visit farms on their way and then get to the Estate and it’s on the menu, and that’s what they love about this region, says Alex.
“A lot of restaurants talk about doing true paddock to plate, but because of our location people can actually see that we are doing it.”
The Estate is also part of the GoodFish Project, which allows them to support responsible fishers and farmers and drive demand away from unsustainable practices.
There’s also an onsite kitchen where guests can also do garden tours.
“We have a lot of micro herbs, basil, sage and pumpkins, and we’ll start harvesting honey here soon too,” says Chris.
Bucking the trends
“We don’t follow trends; we just stick to classical and that’s our foundation and what we trained in, so we like to take those classical elements and use different techniques,” says Chris.
The trend has always been to order protein and then add your sides, says Alex.
“But for us, we’ve always been more into a fully composed dish, and our food is pretty. We like it to be elegant and plated well, so you have everything you need on that one plate.
“If you are paying a chef to cook for you, you want something you can’t cook for yourself and that’s what we’re trained to do.”
“It’s an occasion to eat here. It’s not just about the food,” says Alex.
“Because it’s so beautiful you want to sit in the big barn and look out at wallabies and have a lengthy experience, it’s an activity and that’s how we try and compose the menu,’ she says.
“It’s about slowing down the process of going out to eat as an experience instead of something you need to do.”
Rural life
Beechmont Estate is only around 45 minutes from the Gold Coast, but it feels very rural, says Chris.
“If you’re travelling in Australia, the Gold Coast has great beaches, so you could pair it with a couple of nights in the hinterland and Beechmont Estate neighbour’s Lamington National Park.
“Getting up here gets you off the beaten track a bit, people spend too much time on beaches and not inland and the park has amazing walking tracks and waterfalls.”
While it can be colder up in the hinterland, Chris says it has its benefits.
“We’ve got plans for chocolate and cheese fondues and open fires, so you can come here after a hike and have a glass of red and cheese fondue – doesn’t get much better on a cold night.”
“For us, we get the best of both worlds,” says Alex. “We live in Brisbane, and we get to spend our days here creating an experience for people with great classic food. It’s pretty special.”
For more information, visit Beechmont Estate.
