AN EDEN business, its seafood and the region’s produce will be showcased in an upcoming episode of the Sydney Weekender.
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On Tuesday, November 24, the television show’s host Mike Whitney and his underwater and land film crews visited the town to talk to Scott Proctor from Australia’s Coastal Wilderness Adventures (ACWA).
Each episode of the Sydney Weekender investigates places to stay, eat and play in Sydney and NSW to help people make the most of their weekends.
In Eden, the show was focusing on one of ACWA’s experiences called Ocean to Plate, which gives people the chance to snorkel and catch their food before cooking and eating it.
“Our program is about the sustainable collection of seafood and eating that seafood at the end of the experience,” Mr Proctor said.
“So the whole idea is that you are catching it from the ocean and it ends up on your plate as part of your experience.”
He took the film crew to Eden Wharf so the snorkelling part of the experience could be done off the break-wall at Shelly’s Beach.
Their dive targeted abalone, crayfish and mussels.
Later, Mr Proctor prepared a smorgasbord with seafood caught on the dive and served it at the harbour using a setup table to cook on.
Local families and businesses also chipped in for the meal, with prawns coming from the Bell family, oysters from Wheelers and a cheese platter supplied by Bega Cheese which also had some Tilba and South Coast cheeses on it.
“My business only started this September but I’ve been working on it for a while,” Mr Proctor said.
“I offer snorkelling tours, prawning tours and this Ocean to Plate experience.”
A qualified marine scientist, after the 22-year-old Mr Proctor finished studying at the University of Wollongong he returned to Eden and decided to start his business.
It operates from Eden to Bermagui and he is helped in his work by his mother Mandy Revington and father Nat Proctor.
“I grew up diving and fishing and living in the water and I wanted to make that lifestyle accessible to everyone,” Mr Proctor said.
ACWA offers one-on-one Ocean to Plate experiences and can also cater for groups of up to six people.
It includes expert guidance on sustainable marine collection techniques, a demonstration on seafood preparation and more.
The Sydney Weekender is now in its 22nd year and Mr Whitney is a retired international cricketer who first appeared on the show in 1994.
It is on every Sunday at 5.30pm on the PRIME Network in NSW.
