Once over-looked by Australia's culinary scene, regional restaurants now provide many delicious destination-dining options and a whole lot of reasons to plan a trip out of town.
Some of our absolute favourite dining experiences are away from the hustle and bustle of the city, and Tulip in Geelong is one of these.
Tulip's dining mantra is 'say yes more' and their shared menu approach allows for a more flexible dining experience, removed from the confines of an entree-main-dessert approach. You can experience the menu in whichever way suits - whether popping in for a glass of wine and some oysters, a quick lunch sharing a larger dish and a grain salad with a friend, or enjoying a 4 to 6 wave tasting menu while making a night of it!
Sourcing ethical produce is a non-negotiablec commitment for the Tulip team. They offer free range meat, poultry and eggs, and the beef used is grass-fed only. Their seafood comes from fisheries with sustainable quotas, and the menu is seasonally.
How do they maintain these principles year on year? They form relationships to partner with like minded-suppliers who have a similar passion for their produce - suppliers like us!
About the chef - Graham Jefferies
From humble beginnings slinging pizzas in his native South Africa, Graham's journey to Geelong has been an interesting one. A stint in the UK lead to a move to Australia (Lynch's, Pettavel Winery). Graham them returned for a second term in the UK (this time at Michelin Starred, The Whitebrook in Wales) before circling back to Australia. It would seem that Graham is staying put, for now - which is great news for food lovers.
2013 was the year that Graham and business partner Matt Dempsey decided to open their own establishment in Geelong. Their talent and vision was recognised soon after in 2014, when they received a Hat from The Age - Good Food Guide - an award they've maintained every year since.
Graham's philosophy drives Tulip's menu which is full of seasonal produce from ethical producers that harvest sustainably, responsibly and with good humour. That's an approach we can applaud; see you at Tulip!
