Marks Journey To Now

To Mark fishing means more than the adrenaline rush that explodes with the sound of screaming lines peeling off the reels, and, more than the proud feeling of landing that oversized fish it took hours to fight. To Mark fishing is a legacy.

Marks legacy begun before he was born. His Dads passion for boating, fishing and all things ocean was passed down through blood and sparked a fire in Mark that not even the ocean can extinguish. Memories from when Mark was a kid on his Dads boat, throwing Burley off the back and absorbing all things rig related, is a part of what carries us on this journey today.

Mark is a Chef by trade, passionate about flavours, aesthetics and the importance of salt and butter. Yes, imagine the decadence!  However, the one thing that Mark prides himself on more than anything is knowing where food comes from, and there is no way to do this better than to catch or forage it yourself. Mark learnt this from a young age when his family would go out together and forage for mushrooms, learning these important skills from both his Mum and Dad.  Over the last decade Mark was then able to create his own wild mushroom foraging business where he was able to identify and sell wild mushrooms commercially.

It probably doesn’t come to any surprise to hear now that Marks Dad was also a hunter. These skills were passed down through Marks Polish heritage which flowed through generations of Farmers, hunters and passionate cooks. Although hunting is a lot harder to pursue with many restrictions around guns, Mark has been lucky enough to grow up learning these life skills.

With hunting comes beautiful and sustainable hearty meals and from a young age Mark’s memory of his ‘Bubcha’s’ hearty cooking style and traditional recipes made him fall in love with the art of cooking, the science of flavours and of course, eating. Mark began his cooking journey in Melbourne at The Botanical where he began his apprenticeship and then later completing it at No.35 where he finished top of his class. Fine dining is where Mark continued to excel in his profession, eventually, leading him to his proudest moment, Head Chef at Harrisons, a hatted restaurant in beautiful holiday destination Port Douglas. From one holiday destination to another, Mark travelled to Byron Bay where he then found himself Head Chef at the Green Room. It was Byron Bays contrast of rugged hinterland and crisp ocean that stuck the nerve to bring everything back to basics. Sustainable, local and fresh produce. The highlight of any meal.

Travelling Australia has always been a goal and what better way to do it then doing what he does best; Hunting, Fishing, foraging and campfire cooking. Through fishing, foraging and hunting you are able to experience the pure definition of ‘Paddock to plate’ and ‘Fresh is Best’ which is often terms that are used without full comprehension. Food has become too easily accessible to us through big chain supermarkets and we are wanting to bring it all back to basics to show you how.

Written by Roxie Oppermann

In loving memory of Richard Musialkiewicz.