Story By Mahmood Fazal, Photos By Marnie Hawson

In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde writes, “I hate people who are not serious about meals. It is so shallow of them.” In another time, Leah Johnston would circle Wilde’s orbit, draped in lace Victorian dress with Irezumi tattoos blossoming up her back.

“My small farm is surrounded by various gum trees; I like to bring our local fauna into the grazing tables to really showcase the land element.” At Musk Farm, Leah glides around a table with leaves and flowers that blossom on the ends of an opulent feasting table. A decadent assortment of soft cheeses dripping with honey, caramelized crackers and buttery pâté ow from the centre. She's launching her new catering business, Daylesford Grazing. As people pass by the room, littered with Renaissance paintings and French curtains, they quickly snap a photo.

Leah was raised in the English countryside with a family of vegetarians. “I've always grown up around vegetarians and people who really do care about what they're eating.” Behind her tortoise shell glasses, she radiates a warm and kind personality, “It wasn't until my grandparents knew exactly where the produce was coming from, that they started eating meat. They purchased a house in Devon, England's lush countryside, and started sourcing meat from the local farmers in the area."

Leah recalls fond memories of her grandparents' home, in particular a monthly event called The Wine Circle. "Most of the houses in the village have thatched roofs in Chittlehamholt, it's quite beautiful. Each member of The Wine Circle brings a bottle of wine and something to eat, like a quiche or some cake and it was a great way to make friends with people in the village. Children weren't usually allowed at The Wine Circle gatherings but I was an exception...it was mainly older people whose children had left home anyway. My grandparents spend a lot of time in France and they schooled me from a young age on cheese. They'd always put on a magnificent spread at Wine Circle and Christmas time, I guess curating grazing tables is a nostalgic experience for me."

Last year, whilst at a function with friends, Leah was irritated when no one knew where the cold-meats had come from. “It really bothered me because you can really taste the difference with ethically-raised meat. Living in an area with so much great produce you can really tell when food, especially within the catering industry, is just cheap and bad quality produce.” So she launched a sustainable catering company herself.

From studying fashion in London to working with acclaimed designer Zandra Rhodes, Leah redirects her stylistic air on dining tables at functions, parties, weddings and romantic getaways. “I think my background in styling has definitely helped with the presentation of the tables. Colours are a really big thing to me, when I'm selecting my foods I try and think of colours that complement each other as well as taste.”

She handles her work like an artist, delicately placing the assortment of cheeses to suit the mood of the room and the event. “I gues my overall look and brand is a bit moody. I always want to create an atmosphere when I'm curating my grazing tables.” Leah’s exquisite table at Musk Farm evokes a celebration that can be likened to Jacob Jordaens’ painting: The Feast of The Bean King. “My aim is for it to look like something from a Henry The Eighth movie or some Edwardian lm; a 10 metre long extravagant grazing table that’s over owing with a variety of cheeses, fruits, vegetables and pâtés...or a picnic with the royal family, one that anyone can treat themselves to.”

Daylesford Grazing is so much more than meets the eye, it’s about nourishing your conscience. Leah wants her company to be proactive about the environment she pro ts from. “I care about the land, the well-being of our animals and farmers, treating people with respect and taking care of our communities
at the foothills of the Great Dividing Range.” Leah lives on a small acreage and joked about how she started the farm in hope to be able to live directly off the land, with her own meat supply. However, all of her sheep have become pets and she couldn't dream of eating any of them now. “In Australia, 90% of pork products come from factory farms where pigs never get to go outdoors. We work with Oakwood Smallgoods from Castlemaine, who employ ethical practices and only use free range animals for their meats.”

In Daylesford and the surrounding areas, we are blessed with a range of forward thinking farm gates, farmers markets and food co-ops. Leah explains, “Daylesford Grazing was an opportunity for us to share the passion of our local small goods communities by inspiring people through their taste buds.”

Leah's contribution doesn’t just end there. “We believe in practical reactions to climate change. So with the help of Green Fleet, we offset our carbon emissions by planting more trees. And a percentage of all grazing table sales will be donated to Vets Beyond Borders.” All of the catering supplies are eco-friendly
and compostable; “I understand that we can’t all be 100% perfect but even small steps towards sustainability can have a huge impact. It's definitely hard in the catering industry to be completely plastic free but we are being very mindful when purchasing our fruits and produce to try and be as plastic free as possible.”

Daylesford Grazing encourages the lush world we live in whilst celebrating the best produce nature has to offer. While tucking into the Oakwood Wagyu beef brisket or Max & Delilah’s Chicken Liver Pâté, Leah
demonstrates on her grazing tables an opportunity for all of us to eat like royalty... with a conscience.

Daylesford Grazing

www.daylesfordgrazing.com

info@daylesfordgrazing.com