Cath Muscat (Left and Right), Getty Images (Middle)
Welcome to Cooks Co-op, an original web series from Home Beautiful. You’re invited to meet the team behind the series, and to join them on an incredible culinary journey of NSW’s Hawkesbury region.
THE CHEF
Martin Boetz
Executive Chef, Cooks Co-op
For the foodies out there, the name Martin Boetz might ring a bell – the chef amassed a cult following during his 13-year stint at Longrain restaurants. Since then, Marty has escaped the bustle of the big smoke and taken on a new adventure. In 2012, he stumbled across a stunning property in the Hawkesbury Valley in NSW and moved swiftly to snap it up. Set against a canvas of blue-grey gums, the farm boasts breathtaking views and, as Marty quips “gives good shed”. With producers of all kinds appearing in every corner of the region, it wasn’t long into his tree-change that Marty thought to combine his new plot with his passion for food, And so, Cooks Co-op was born!
Throughout the web series, Marty will be joined by his good friends and celebrated chefs Alex Herbert, Christine Manfield, Alessandro Pavoni, Giovanni Pilu and Colin Fassnidge.
A PRODUCER
Gerry Harvey
Founder and Executive Chairman, Harvey Norman
The entrepreneur best known as Founder and Executive Chariman of Harvey Norman, Gerry Harvey joins the Cooks Co-op team in the capacity of a passionate farmer and supporter of the Cooks Co-op project.
Gerry is joined by a host of other local NSW producers, including Karen Borg of Willowbrae chevre farm, Matt and Sue Simmons from Melanda Park free-range pork, Lynne Trappel of Bowen Mountain Bread and many more.
THE DESIGN EXPERT
Wendy Moore
Editor-in-Chief, Home Beautiful
Home Beautiful’s Editor-in-Chief and House Rules judge, Wendy Moore, steps into the HBTV original Cooks Co-op web series to offer Marty expert advice, plus design tips and tricks to help him fulfill his dream of bringing the rustic shed up to speed as a world-class restaurant.
