Paddock To Purpose

What happens when a group of country producers, farmers, and chefs form a society? A lot of hard work, a ton of collaboration, and some seriously good meals. Alley Pascoe joins the club and meets the women behind The What If Society

- Alley Pascoe

It started with a conversation about compost. Last year, chefs and close friends Eilish Maloney and Kathryn Macfie – who met in 2011 working at Onesta Cucina restaurant in Bowral – were lamenting the amount of food waste produced by commercial kitchens when the first lightbulb flickered on: “What if ... we could collect the scraps from Onesta’s kitchen and compost them?” The question soon evolved to, “What if there was a food-focused cooperative with local businesses working together to educate and promote a sustainable way of living through food?” and then, “What if we could create a community that could spark a positive movement?”

The pair set out to answer their own questions, forming a cooperative – fittingly called The What If Society – and inviting local businesses to join their revolution. “Our mission at What If is to educate the society around us about sustainable eating and living,” explains Maloney, 26, who quickly recruited to the club her sister Jessica Bell of Carrington Meats, as well as the teams at The Little Big Dairy Co, Hill Family Potato Farming, Redleaf pork and lamb farm, Seven Miles Coffee and Wholegrain Milling Co. “The society is also a platform for everyone involved to be recognized and appreciated for their work. It’s about celebrating the simple and beautiful products of the Southern Highlands – without ego or greed.”