Kane Pollard named inaugural Waite Chef in Residence

In this role, Pollard will share industry expertise with staff and students at the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, as well as bringing fellow chefs on site for special events – such as in his upcoming Tasting Australia presented by Journey Beyond collaboration with fellow famed food-waste fighter Douglas McMaster, founder of the world’s first zero-waste restaurant.

Pollard says he was lured by the idea of combining his chef’s creativity with the Waite campus’s academic knowledge base.

“It is an absolute honour to be the first chef to take on this new role at the University of Adelaide. After 23 years in the kitchen, you begin to wonder how you can push things further and contribute in a different way,” he says.

“Already, we have found that my food- and method-driven mind blends easily with the academic brains and state of the art equipment at the University, and so we will uncover some very exciting things over the coming year.”

Head of the University’s School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, Professor Jason Able, says he is excited to see how the chef will leverage the Waite campus’s cutting-edge equipment and world-renowned community of academics.

“We are looking forward to collaborating with Kane, who will bring an exciting new dimension to our portfolio of rapidly growing food product development research using novel raw ingredients,” says Professor Able.

“Throughout his year with us, there will be a myriad of opportunities for Kane to explore our Waite-specific produce, which include indigenous foods, No-Lo wines, industrial hemp, pulses, and insects.

“In particular, our students will benefit significantly from the sharing of Kane’s knowledge through guest lectures and practical demonstrations – where any perceived boundaries of what’s possible will be blurred.”

Pollard is keen to learn about the food-waste solutions in development at the Waite campus through initiatives like End Food Waste.

“Reducing food waste in restaurant kitchens and homes has always been a driving force behind my creative process,” he says.

“With the Uni’s connections, I will have access to industry byproducts that consumers don’t even know exist. It’s an opportunity to reduce waste, create new products, and find new ways of getting nutrients from parts of plants that people generally don’t consume.”

Pollard came to prominence in South Australia’s hospitality industry through his acclaimed restaurant Topiary, in Tea Tree Gully, and he recently won high praise from local media for his menu at Ondeen, in Verdun, where he is Creative Director.

He is thrilled Douglas McMaster will visit Waite during Tasting Australia.

“Douglas is an idol of mine, so I’m excited he could join me for some events on campus where we will talk about the process of creating his restaurant and how fermentation is the key to the future of ending food waste,” Pollard says.

“And there will be many more events throughout the year, featuring restaurant industry colleagues from around the country, showcasing key Waite ingredients and exploring their potential to transform how we think about food.

“In these hands-on demonstrations and dinners, guests will see and taste the knowledge the University is generating.”

Tickets to Pollard’s Tasting Australia appearances, including his cooking demonstration and dinner events with Douglas McMaster, are on sale now. Additional events hosted at the University of Adelaide’s Waite campus will be announced throughout the year on the University’s events page.