Cath Claringbold – Chef/Restaurateur
When truckies stopped at a roadhouse outside Bacchus Marsh in 1980, little did they know that the teenager flipping their burger was destined to become one of Australia's leading chefs.
Cath Claringbold left Bacchus Marsh, approximately 60km from Melbourne, soon after to pursue a chef apprenticeship at the Arts Centre in Melbourne. Over the following years she honed her skills under some of the country's finest practitioners, including Greg Malouf, Jacques Reymond and Stephanie Alexander. Her signature is the infusion of fresh local produce with Middle Eastern and Moroccan flavours, although her culinary range is considerably broader than that.
'Every person you work for has a different spin on what they do and I took what I could from each of them,' Cath says. 'I have found that people who are successful usually have great vision and great passion and want to share that with others.' Now she is the passionate visionary inspiring others, as co-proprietor of Livebait, Mecca Bah and the Wine & Cheese Providore at Docklands, as well as two interstate restaurants. All of these establishments are winning acclaim. But then, chances are her Bacchus Marsh burgers were pretty good, too.
Fine dining
'Di Stasio is a great restaurant. It is the complete package – fantastic service, beautiful food and it's an institution. For me it is a restaurant I can always trust but it also provides a variety of experiences. You can have a special intimate meal, or be there with a group of people.'
Docklands
'The Docklands is great for a weekend bike ride and I especially love the Webb Bridge, a curving sculptural pedestrian and cyclist bridge. If you get tired it is an ideal opportunity to stop at any of the great bars or restaurants and have a drink and enjoy the unique views of the city, Bolte Bridge and the harbour. I am a co-owner of the Wine & Cheese Providore at Docklands but I want to mention it because everything I love is in that shop. It has a state-of-the-art cheese room so all my favourite cheeses are ready to eat, fully ripe, plus carefully selected wine on the shelves.'
Food faves
'Baker D. Chirico is a great bakery. I go there every Sunday morning for their wholegrain bread which is just beautiful. It is a tiny shop with a lovely ethos about artisan product. It is so Melbourne to me.
Victoria Street Richmond is like a little bit of Asia. It is all hustle and bustle with a really interesting choice of food shopping and great little cheap restaurants. You cant go past Pacific Seafood BBQ House for great BBQ
pig and duck.'
Parks, arts and icons
'Melbourne for me means gardens and beautiful buildings. I have always loved the Royal Botanic Gardens. Melbourne has so many great parks and gardens, but I think these are the best. I like the whole formation of the park, the historical plantings, and how beautiful it all is. The Royal Exhibition Buildings beside the new museum in Carlton are iconic and beautiful. The Shrine because when I come back from overseas and drive down St Kilda Road and see The Shrine I really feel like I am home. Heide Museum of Modern Art is a historic gallery in a unique setting showing fantastic work. The Arts Centre in St Kilda Road means a lot because I have spent some great times there.'
