IN CONVERSATION WITH Scott Gooding

Celebrated chef, holistic nutrition coach, author and personal trainer Scott Gooding is a man of many talents. You might be familiar with Gooding’s latest book, The Sustainable Diet, which unpacks our current food systems and helps to navigate towards a more sustainable model. Most recently, however, Gooding and his wife Matilda have started their own regenerative meat business, assisting farmers to bring ethically raised produce to consumers. We sit down with Gooding to find out more about his journey into the world of food.

- Scott Gooding

Tell us about your journey into the food world.

It began at a very early age. My folks ran pubs in and around London for nearly 40 years and cultivated a strong food element into their business. This wasn't typical for pubs of this era; it is now, but back then pub food was a packet of pork scratchings and peanuts. I grew up with the smells of steak and kidney pies, oxtail stew and beef and ale casseroles. They were busy pubs too, so often I would have to jump in the kitchen to make my own dinner and I began to experiment with food from when I was 12 years old. I was lucky to be exposed to offal and fridges full of fresh produce at such a young age. All the flavours I experienced as a kid have become the flavours I gravitate towards now and share with my young family.

What are your four top tips for eating sustainably?

1. The best place to start is to know where our food comes from. We can get lost in meat versus plant and which one is better for the planet. The truth is, either can be impactful in either direction. It's about supporting farmers, growers and producers who are placing the health of the soil and ecology at the fore of their business. By being more conscious of the provenance of our food, we can go beyond "sustainable" and regenerate the soil/land and help to sequester carbon from our atmosphere. Who would have thought that the most transformative climate solution was right under our feet?

2. If you choose to eat meat, try to support regenerative farmers. They are a growing force in Australia and fly the flag for ecological health, animal husbandry and biodiversity. Similarly, if you eat fish, try to support Marine Stewardship MSC seafood where possible.