Phillip Island is a little spot of paradise that has something for everyone. If you’re a nature lover, the Phillip Island Penguin Parade is one of the most heartwarming and spectacular wildlife attractions in the country. If you’re a revhead, the island’s famous racetrack has got you more than covered.

But if you like surfing – and living in the lap of luxury – then this spectacular property up for sale there will get you more riled up than a great white who’s smelt some chum.

‘Trenavin Park’ (or 746 Ventnor Road to us common folk) contains two beautiful houses, a private chapel, swathes of bucolic fields as well as a private beachfront. If, like us, you’re a little bit over 2020 and would rather just be surfing all day, Trenavin Park is the ultimate getaway location for any budding barefoot investor.

You might need a bigger boat but you won’t need a bigger place: Trenavin Park, an almost 84-acre property, has just about everything you could possibly need in a home. The highlight for many will be the secluded beachfront: epic surf conditions and views across Western Port Bay to Flinders and Bass Strait as well as the Mornington Peninsula? We’re already strapping our boards to the roof of the Kombi and packed enough shark repellant for months.

Even if you’re not a beach bum, Trenavin Park has plenty to offer. Not only are the buildings on the property pristine, but you could also turn the property into a business opportunity if you were so inclined.

“Amid the sound of crashing waves, Trenavin Park offers multiple options and income-generating opportunities, from being the ultimate private family estate or a working farm, to a luxury resort or an events and wedding venue with its own private chapel,” Sean Cussell and Marcus Heron from Prestige Homes of Victoria relate.

Other boxes to tick on Trenavin Park’s long list of features include a private tennis court; fenced paddocks, dams and abundant water storage; a machinery shed and two storage sheds; and access to the town water supply. It’s so well-appointed, you could go from a beach holiday to a resort holiday to a rural getaway all within the same property!

The chapel – once the original San Remo town church built in 1906, which has since been fully restored – is another unique feature of the property. There’s also a lovely guest house which you could turn into a luxe Airbnb.

The beauty of the main house is hard to overstate, too. The manor house is fully decked out in exquisite timber paneling plus has a spectacular craftsman-built timber staircase, open fireplaces, large home office, five bedrooms and four ensuites.

With all that room for activities, you could invite all your friends (okay, maybe just 20 friends, we still have COVID-19 restrictions, remember) and just set up your own self-sustaining community; whiling away your days playing tennis, milking jersey cows and surfing.

Or you could go live on your own and eventually pull a Harold Holt. Either way.

Read more about Trenavin Park and see the listing here.

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The post This Phillip Island Manor With Private Point Break Is A Surfer’s Wet Dream appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Uncontroversial take: eggs are great. Even vegans will admit that one of the foods they miss the most is eggs: tasty, versatile, good for you, relatively inexpensive… Eggs are a wonder-food.

But there’s eggs and then there’s eggs. The debate about whether free-range eggs objectively taste better than barn-laid or cage eggs is far from settled, but it’s undeniable that quality free-range eggs not only physically look much nicer, but are ethically a far superior choice.

Joe Rogan – UFC commentator, podcast host, comedian and blokey bon vivant – agrees.

Rogan recently shared a photo of four perfect-looking eggs frying in a cast-iron skillet, opining about the virtues of free-range eggs. But some commenters were quick to point out that Rogan’s eggy advice might not be as revelatory as he seems to think.

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A post shared by Joe Rogan (@joerogan) on Aug 4, 2020 at 8:58am PDT

“All eggs are not created equal,” Rogan shared.

“I don’t have chickens anymore because they were all slaughtered by those crafty coyotes, but when I buy organic free-range chicken eggs, I know those dark orange ones are what I’m looking for.”

In other words: buying free-range doesn’t guarantee you top quality yolks – something that may come as a shock to those that regularly shell out for top-end eggs.

Of course, you’re more likely to score those dark orange bad boys by buying organic free-range eggs. But Rogan’s advice just goes to show, even then, you should be looking to see which brands come through with the ripe and ready colour, and taking note of which are duller and closer in appearance to their cage egg compatriots.

Either way, we have to admit, just looking at those sunny side up eggs sizzling in Rogan’s pan has got our mouths watering (not just us, either: two-time undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones commented “now you’re just making me hungry”).

Others pointed out that Rogan’s eggs aren’t as spectacular as he would lead us to believe.

“All eggs in NZ look like that… sort it out USA,” famous Kiwi tattoo artist Steve Butcher pointedly commented. It’s not just New Zealand, either: comedian and regular guest on Rogan’s podcast Ari Shaffir related that “all [eggs] in Scotland are dark orange like that”.

“In my experience, eggs from the Amish at farmer’s markets here and routine markets in South America always were orange like this. Factory farms produce not merely animal horror, but less nutrient-dense foods,” MMA journalist Luke Thomas added.

There’s evidence to suggest that because free-range hens are allowed to roam, and can eat greens and insects, they produce eggs with a higher nutritional content compared to battery hens. Their diet also affects the colour of their egg yolks; the orange pigmentation coming from the variety of food they eat.

It shows how Americans are potentially missing out when it comes to egg quality. Only 15% of all eggs in the US come from free-range layers, compared to 47% in Australia and 51% in the UK. Free-range eggs are cheaper and easier to find in Australia (and other countries) than they are in America – even big brands like Arnott’s biscuits, Ben & Jerry’s ice cream and even McDonalds in Australia have ditched cage eggs.

So while Rogan’s right to support eating free-range eggs, they’re not such of a special choice compared to what he must think they are, particularly for his followers outside of the US.

Food for thought.

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The post Joe Rogan Reveals The Problem With Most American Free Range Eggs appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

From Qantas’ Queen of the Skies being axed to the return of international leisure travel being pushed back again and again, it’s been a rough year on the Australian travel industry. The lack of air traffic caused by the pandemic has led a number of airlines around the world to go under, with Virgin Australia being one of them, going into voluntary administration in April.

After going through a sale and restructuring process, Australia’s second fiddle airline is making moves to bounce back, with the financial backing of bidding war winner Bain Capital. The airline’s latest announcement showcases a number of these changes – many positive. There was one, however, which may strike fear into some business class passengers’ hearts.

As part of its recovery plan, Virgin Australia will revert to an all Boeing 737 fleet. While this has been expected for some time, it has now been confirmed in an official statement.

In a devastating blow to Australia’s business class connoisseurs, Virgin Australia will remove the ATRs, 777s, A330s, and A320s from its fleet.

This leaves 29 Boeing 737-800s on the books – jets which feature 2-2 business class configurations. While there are worthy planes, this will leave some business class passengers disappointed – especially as the axed A330s and 777s featured what many have called the best business class in the world (which came in a 1-2-1 configuration that gave direct aisle access to every passenger).

 

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Such a sad day for Australian aviation. With 3000+ Virgin Australia staff to lose their job. Also RIP to the best domestic business class product in the WORLD. Moving forward there will be no long haul flights, B777 and A330. I hope the economic ruin created this year will all be worth it in the end. I doubt it #virginaustralia

A post shared by Immanuel Debeer (@flighthacks) on Aug 5, 2020 at 7:18am PDT

Of course, in the scheme of things, it’s not the biggest thing to be complaining about. But as the last few months have shown, there’s little some pointy end passengers (ourselves included) won’t complain about.

RELATED: Ridiculous Rants Prove Business Class Passengers Are The Worst In A Crisis

Tigerair will also be killed off, Virgin Australia has said, “as there is not sufficient customer demand to support two carriers at this time” while Tigerair’s Air Operator Certificate (AOC) will be retained to support optionality to operate an ultra-low-cost carrier “in the future when the domestic market can support it.”

Virgin Australia’s reasoning for the changes? Their current mission is to “overhaul the cost base, and simplify everything, starting with the fleet,” the airline announced yesterday.

Virgin Australia also acknowledged the stripped back fleet would not be sufficient once international travel returns as normal.

“Long-haul international operations are an important part of the Virgin Australia business. However, given current international travel restrictions, the airline will continue to suspend flights to Los Angeles and Tokyo with the intention to recommence and grow long-haul flights when sufficient demand returns.”

“Customers will continue to have access to international markets through the airline’s codeshare partners.”

Once demand for international travel returns, Executive Traveller reports, “Virgin will have an all-new international fleet, with Boeing 787 Dreamliners previously earmarked for both Asia and the USA.”

These updates come as part of a six-point plan geared around overhauling the cost base, focussing on customer value, harnessing culture, investing in world-class digital and data technologies, creating a strong balance sheet and boosting jobs and future growth, which can be read in detail here.

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The post Virgin Australia's Latest Move Devastating For Business Class Passengers appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Football is filled with enormous egos, but none are as giant as A.C. Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s.

Luckily the brash Swede can back his big talk up with performance on the pitch. Zlatan (who, naturally, refers to himself in the third person) is one of the most decorated active footballers, with 31 trophies and 550 career goals to his name. The ultra-fit teetotaler is allowed to get away with such outrageous egomania because he’s arguably one of the best players of all time.

Maybe the only thing that eclipses his ego is his net worth: conservatively valued at $190 million, ‘Ibra’ shared a post to his Instagram this morning which gives fans a valuable insight into the mind of Zlatan.

Clearly looking to flex (figuratively and literally), Zlatan posted a video of him on holiday in Saint-Tropez, working out on the deck of a superyacht while his family was out enjoying the Mediterranean sun.

 

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A post shared by Zlatan Ibrahimović (@iamzlatanibrahimovic) on Aug 5, 2020 at 2:32pm PDT

On the surface level, it’s an insight into Zlatan’s unique sense of humour. We can see how he’d find the obvious juxtaposition of doing a serious workout on the deck of a multi-million dollar barge in one of the world’s most exclusive holiday spots funny. It’s a very Zlatan move.

But we think the video reveals something more about the man: that even on holiday, he makes maintaining his fitness a priority.

Zlatan takes football seriously, once telling the Paris Saint-Germain press team that “football is a religion in its own right [where] everyone is welcome.” He’s no Nick Kyrgios out there claiming “I don’t really like the sport of tennis that much.”

His ego may occasionally draw ire from teammates and rivals alike but no-one doubts his devotion to the sport, and his strict workout routine is evidence of how genuine the man is about football.

There’s been much speculation in recent weeks about where Zlatan will be playing next season. His current club A.C. Milan is apparently keen to re-sign him, but there’s talk that he could be moving to recently-promoted EPL team Leeds or even Hammarby, the top-tier Swedish team he recently bought a huge financial stake in.

No matter where he goes, his dedication to keeping in tip-top shape will serve him well.

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The post Zlatan Ibrahimovic Works Out In Superyacht Gym appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Watch someone swiping their way through Tinder, and you’ll soon see there are certain types of people they say no to, and those who they say yes and swipe right on. Whether or not there is a successful match is another story.

More often than not, guys will be shallow (when looks are all you’ve got to judge on; looks are all you’ll be judged on). But beyond that, many try to find someone who can be the yin to their yang: an introvert to your extrovert, opposites attract and all that.

However, a landmark study (published Monday 27th of July) conducted by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) suggests this stereotype may be flawed.

The study brought together a mammoth amount of data from some 86 researchers, to find out “which factors are most strongly associated with couples’ perceptions of relationship quality.”

The results may surprise you: the individual traits of each person matters less than the relationship qualities shared by the two people, in forming a positive relationship.

Translated into English: the quality of your relationship matters more than each of your specific personalities.

With such a huge amount of data, lead researchers Samantha Joel and Paul Eastwick used a machine learning system called Random Forests (essentially artificial intelligence) to analyse information received from more than 11,000 couples. The data collected was mostly self-reported and covered some 43 datasets, which the system had to sift through to determine an outcome.

The researchers found that the strongest predictor of relationship satisfaction is the characteristics of the relationship itself, and not the personalities of the couple involved, as would have likely been assumed.

The implication? Setting up your Tinder bio in a way that shows off your individuality with a hilarious quip like – “Gym is life. Banter is King” may not be as useful as you thought.

In fact, these findings suggest that this kind of practice has little influence on any potential and future relationships – or at least, to the extent that any relationship formed (if any) will be a positive one.

The research found that relationship-related characteristics – sexual satisfaction, conflict, investment and perceived partner satisfaction – accounted for around 45 per cent of the differences in relationship satisfaction and quality.

This is in contrast to the effect individual difference variables have – these include life satisfaction, negative feelings, depression and attachment anxiety – which accounted for around 21 per cent of the variability in relationship quality.

The study also found that even though the variability percentage for relationship-related characteristics was strong, it couldn’t determine if that figure would change in a positive or negative light over time.

The lead researchers were able to summarise the findings by saying “Experiencing negative affect, depression or insecure attachment are surely relationship risk factors,”

“But if people nevertheless manage to establish a relationship characterised by appreciation, sexual satisfaction, and a lack of conflict – and they perceive their partner to be committed and responsive – those individual risk factors may matter little.”

Joel adds, “Really, it suggests that the person we choose is not nearly as important as the relationship we build,”

“The dynamic that you build with someone – the shared norms, the in-jokes, the shared experiences – is so much more than the separate individuals who make up that relationship.”

Could this study be the catalyst that puts an end to shallow behaviour? Only time (and the ratio of senstitive f*ckbois to gym rats depicted on Hinge) will tell.

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The post Scientific 'Satisfaction' Study Puts Dreadful Dating Stereotype To Bed appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

There aren’t many Airbus A340s left in the world. The four-engine jet saw its heydey in the ’90s and 2000s and is now on its way out as airlines switch to cheaper-to-run twin-engines.

While some carriers still have a couple of A340s in their fleet (think: Air Madagascar, Edelweiss Air) the jet is now being seen more in reconstructed form than airborne. Enter: one of Turkey’s largest restaurants, which also happens to be inside a retired Airbus A340.

China Global Television Network (CGTN) recently reported that the converted Balikesir restaurant is currently on sale for US $1.4 million.

Turkey’s largest restaurant, transformed from an old Airbus, has been put on sale for 10 million Turkish liras or 1.4 million U.S. dollars, a real estate agent told Xinhua on Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/tOAirSEJRv

— CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) August 4, 2020

The aircraft, a wide body iteration of the A340, had belonged to Turkish Airlines, and had been broken into eight pieces after being retired four years ago.

Simple Flying reports, “The segments were then transported to Burhaniye district, the northwestern province of Balikesir, Turkey [where] the old Airbus reincarnated into a lush restaurant.”

Initial reports suggest the Turkish businessman that had put in US $1.5 million to convert the aircraft into the restaurant is now facing health problems and, as such, has put it up for sale.

As Simple Flying reports, the Airbus restaurant, named Burhaniye Uçak Restorant, “is located in a relatively spacious area lined with shrubs forming pathways [and features] a conveniently located parking lot in the adjacent region, allowing visitors easy access.”

“An Airbus A340 has a seating capacity of 270-354 depending on the model, but for this restaurant, it seats a decent 280.”

The restaurant has hosted various ceremonies (from weddings to special occasion dinners) and, in many ways, has become a symbol of the Balikesir region.

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The post Rare 'Restaurant Converted' Airbus A340 Hits The Market For $1.4 Million appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

The fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Why? Simply put, making clothes is both resource-and-energy-intensive, and the entire supply chain contributes to pollution as well.

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The vast majority of clothes made today are made from polyester, which is not only made from polluting petrochemicals (i.e. coal and petrol), but the process used to create polyester fabric pollutes. The final product is challenging to recycle and doesn’t biodegrade.

However, the biggest concern – especially for Australia – is the fashion industry’s water use. Cotton, another incredibly common clothing material, epitomises this issue: it might be easier to recycle than polyester, but Oxfam reports that from growing the cotton to the dyeing process, it can take an estimated 20,000 litres of water to make just one pair of jeans and one t-shirt: the same amount of water you’d drink in 13 years. Polyester is also cheaper to produce and more versatile than cotton.

In Australia, where water is already scarce and our domestic capacity to recycle textiles is nowhere near as developed as other countries, water usage is of particular importance. However, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (aka CSIRO) has come up with a brilliant new technology that could be a huge step in making the fashion industry more sustainable.

A Canberra-based team of CSIRO researchers led by Dr Colleen MacMillan have cracked cotton’s molecular colour code, adding genes to make the plants produce a colour, ABC Landline reports.

Creating cotton that doesn’t need to be dyed would save a huge amount of water, and could be a shot in the arm for Australia’s cotton industry, worth about $2 billion annually. More to the point, if other cotton producers around the world (e.g. India, China and the US) adopted this technology, we could see a serious improvement in the environmental impact of the global fashion industry.

An improved raw material will also open up more creative potential for fashion designers. Imagine the new kinds of fabrics and clothing can could be made out of naturally dyed cotton… The CSIRO team is also growing stretchier cotton varietals designed to make clothes that truly don’t need ironing – another exciting development (especially for lazy men).

As consumers become more and more concerned with their environmental impact, the desire for more sustainable clothing options is only going to become stronger.

One brand that’s ahead of the curve is heritage brand Levis, who just last month launched two pairs of men’s and women’s jeans in Australia under their sustainable Wellthread line that uses a recycled cotton product produced by Swedish firm re:newcell. Another brand moving in the right direction is Industry Of All Nations, which produces a unique line of undyed, unbleached clothing.

One thing we know for sure is that it’s always fashionable to give a sh*t about the environment. Those who choose more sustainable brands and think carefully about their fashion habits will reap the rewards of good karma (whilst looking fly, too).

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The post Australian Scientists Invent Self-Dyeing Cotton That Will Make Fashion More Eco-Friendly appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Chances are that your first car, or the car you learned how to drive in, wasn’t nearly as glamorous as this L plater’s ride spotted on the streets of Parramatta in Sydney’s west.After all, when you think ‘first motoring experience’ you think of Honda Civics, Subaru Outbacks, Toyota Corollas, Mazda 3s, Ford Mondeos… Not exotic cars or performance icons, but everyday cars that make sense for a learner driver.With that in mind, we’d like to have a chat with the maniac who thought giving someone driving lessons in an R35 Nissan GT-R was a good idea. We’re not quite sure if this is completely irresponsible (or if we secretly wish they were our driving instructor growing up).

 

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A post shared by Sydney (+NSW) Car Spotters (@automobilesofnsw) on Aug 1, 2020 at 11:40pm PDT

For those not in the know, the Nissan Skyline GT-R is one of the most enduring sports cars in motoring history, and any incarnation of the nameplate would be an absolutely insane choice for a car to learn how to drive on. Originally the top performance package for Nissan’s Skyline coupe, the current model – simply called the GT-R or the R35 – was separated from the Skyline and became its own model from the ground up.The R35 has been in production since 2007 and is one of the purest expressions of automotive excellence you can hope to ever drive, filled with goodies like a fancy rear-mounted dual-clutch transmission, a highly fettled all-wheel-drive system, groundbreaking driver displays, and of course, its famous twin-turbocharged V6 engine.In 2007 models, the VR38DETT 3.8L DOHC V6 made 358kW, but subsequent GT-R models have bumped that number up significantly. The highest power numbers are put out by the super limited 2014 ‘Track Edition’ that made 448kW (roughly a 25% increase in power over early model stock R35s).

The 50th Anniversary Edition of the R35 first debuted at the 2019 New York International Auto Show and is one of the finest incarnations of the GT-R. Offered with special two-tone paint and unique Alcantara interior trim, this GT-R makes 421kW and might be the prettiest version of the R35 yet.But don’t get confused – just because this is an ‘anniversary edition’ doesn’t mean that an ‘R36’ is on its way. Nissan isn’t in any rush to phase out the venerable R35 just yet, Car Throttle reports.But back to the matter at hand: putting a learner driver behind the wheel of a car worth almost $210,000 that can do 0 to 100 in 2.5sec seems like a really, really bad decision. Driving lessons are already stressful enough when you’re not strapped into a rocket.That said, it’s perfectly legal to learn how to drive on, even if the average L plater might struggle to adequately handle a ‘Godzilla’ like this. However, once they’ve done their 120 hours, it’s a different story. P platers are banned from driving cars this powerful – which means all those hours getting used to the GT-R would be in vain.If they need someone to look after the R35 until they get their full license, we’d be more than happy to take care of it…

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The post Australian L-Plater Spotted Driving World's Fastest First Car… & It's Surprisingly Legal appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Anthony Bourdain knew how to cook up a storm on the screen as well as behind the counter. One of his most iconic quotes, taken from his famous “Don’t Eat Before Reading This” essay, published in The New Yorker’s 1999 Annals of Gastronomy, demonstrates this with the delicacy of a meat cleaver.

“Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans … are the enemyof everything good and decent in the human spirit. To live life without veal or chicken stock, fish cheeks, sausages, cheese, or organ meats is treasonous.”

21 years later, this quote – arguably his most famous – is still trotted out by modern publications (DMARGE included) to add a bit of ~edge~ to proceedings, in a culinary landscape dominated by flabby opinions and half-strength wine.To understand its true meaning, DMARGE hit up some of Australia’s (and the world’s) top foodies.

 

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A post shared by Matt Preston (@mattscravat) on Aug 4, 2020 at 3:41am PDT

Matt Preston, award-winning food journalist, restaurant critic and TV personality told DMARGE exclusively that, despite its fame, this isn’t his favourite Bourdain quote.“Bourdain loved to go the vegetarians and the vegans. That is definitely not my bag.”“I preferred something he told me about the responsibility of being a meat consumer… basically that everyone should look their dinner deep in their eyes once a year if they wanted to eat meat.”Ben Groundwater, an Australian columnist, feature writer and host of Traveller’s Flight Of Fancy podcast told DMARGE that Bourdain was, he reckons, being facetious.“I think there’s a bit of tongue in cheek going on here – Bourdain knew how to stir up the ‘enemy’. But I think what he is saying is that the consumption of animal products – meat, stock, butter, lard etcetera – for him is an intense pleasure, the stuff life is all about, the greatest and most enjoyable thing you can do.”

“Food like that is celebration; it’s pure joy. Anyone who would consciously turn away from that, I guess [Bourdain was saying], is rejecting that basic enjoyment.”

Doug McNish, a Toronto-based vegan chef and author of Eat Raw had a different take.“I think that Tony Bourdain was missing out on something,” Doug told DMARGE.

“The truth is that now vegans can (and do) have all the same amazing flavours and texture as their traditional counterparts these days. When you compare the vegan foods that were available then vs. now, I’m sure he would not have said the same thing, simply because we have so many more options now.”

Brett Jeffrey, chef at Sydney French restaurant Bistro St Jacques, however, told DMARGE not all recipes can be recreated with equal vigour.“Yes, [using animal products] makes a difference, especially with pastries and baked goods. While you can substitute vegetable shortening for butter you do not get the same results or flavour.”“Butter is also essential for a lot of sauces (e.g. a bordelaise sauce). As for meat stocks they give soups, sauces and braised dishes a full-rounded depth of flavour profile (what the Japanese call umami) that you just don’t get from vegetables alone.”Vegan chef McNish agreed butter is a great provider of flavour, but pointed out it’s not the only one.“It is no secret that fat = flavour, and we as chefs literally pay our way through life with flavour. [But] today there is so much more known about vegan products and we are able to create so much that we may have not been able to create 10 years ago.”

“Butter is a saturated fat. Saturated fat makes things taste good. If you remove saturated fat from a recipe and do not put something similar back in, you will have a sub par recipe. Today we know that coconut oil (I like using refined coconut oil) is a form of saturated fat and it makes things taste equally if not more delicious!”

As for why we often see so much disdain towards veganism from some chefs and foodies, McNish said there’s more to it than people jumping on the Bourdain train.“Anything that goes against one’s beliefs or counterculture is generally looked at with disdain at first.”

“The word vegan has had some negative connotations over the years because of the idea of a hippy, or a mean hardcore activist throwing paint on people wearing fur coats.”

Gary Prebble, the owner of Bistro St Jacques, offered another reason.

“There can be a lot of moral vanity attached [to veganism]… But on the other side, a lot of chefs cannot produce interesting vegan dishes, so probably a bit confronting.”

Beyond taste, another common reason many foodies turn their nose up at veganism is the lack of obvious history and culture.We put the question to vegan chef McNish – do humans need a bit of tradition to keep us sane?

 

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A post shared by Doug McNish (@dougmcnish) on Jul 30, 2020 at 2:15pm PDT

“While traditions are important, I believe that they should not necessarily include ones that cause harm or pain in any way at all. There are traditions that have been around for many hundreds of years (human sacrifice for example) but just because they are done, does not mean they are right.”To the same question, travel journalist (and tapas lover) Groundwater responded “yes and no.”“We certainly cling to tradition in times of turmoil, and now is one of those times. But there’s fulfillment to be had in personal progress as well.”On this topic, Matt Preston points out not all vegan cuisine is lacking in (what we might stereotypically view as) culture.“Over the three years researching potential recipes for ‘More I drew on those cultures where lack of coin, issues with dairy consumption and cultural or religious factors influenced a diet that was more vegetarian or vegan.”“I would argue that India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan are awash with dishes that are culturally valued or adored above their role in nutrition. Whether that’s mustard oil in potato mash with green chilli and coriander in Bangladesh or daal in India (and elsewhere). In fact, chase the ingredient and you find dishes that take on huge significance all over the world – like hummus or ful medames in the Middle East.”Suffice to say: there’s more to veganism than air fried tofu in Newtown. And even then, our experts agree: time-on-the-planet isn’t the only thing that makes a dish ‘cultural.’In fact, the very concept of culture, the way it is often bandied around, is flawed, Preston told us.“Too often ‘cultural’ value is hijacked by naff marketeers (like the commercial salt cod fritters of Lisboa) and the dish bastardised by commercialisation.”

“Food is a key to a place, the people and their history. I’m as interested in this as the role a dish or place plays in the life of the person I am with, or the place where I am. I see there is more interest in this micro approach than naff authenticity claims for who, say, made the first chicken rice.”

Likewise, Groundwater told us food doesn’t have to be old to be cultural:“If a country or a city has begun embracing veganism in a real and organic way, going to that place and eating that food is most definitely a cultural experience. It’s just not traditional.”

“To me, culture is the here and now, it’s what people are interested in, what they’re eating and what’s popular right now. If a food scene has a history of innovation, which it does in, say, the Basque Country of northern Spain, then I would consider a movement towards veganism a very real part of that culture that travellers would want to experience.”

Restaurant owner Prebble told DMARGE the same: though (by definition) today’s nue-age vegan food can’t be considered traditional, there’s no reason it can’t make a cultural splash. Why? For him, a “groundbreaking dish” has “a special combination of elements including flavour, texture, aroma and taste that leaves a lasting impression.”So: can vegans and non-vegans happily co-exist in the restaurant industry moving forward?

 

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McNish told DMARGE he thinks they already are: “I was in Australia for business about a year and a half ago and nearly every restaurant I saw in Melbourne and even in the outskirts had a vegan menu in addition to their traditional menus.”Groundwater, likewise, told DMARGE: “I think they will co-exist, as long as we can get rid of the tribalism.”“My hope is that there’s a movement more towards ‘flexitarian’ diets, where people cut down on meat and other animal products, without feeling the pressure to label themselves entirely vegan. That’s a more inclusive and reasonable way to go.”

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