Indigenous chef shares the healing power of native food

Award-winning Indigenous chef Sharon Winsor is on a mission to show the world that bush food is much more than just "witchetty grubs and goanna". Growing up in Gunnedah and Coonabarabran in western NSW, the Ngemba and Weilwan woman would often collect native ingredients in the bush. "That was our favourite pastime," she told AAP. "It was always fun. It was always something that was part of my life." When Ms Winsor moved to Sydney she missed the bush, and the foods she had grown up with. She realised many people did not know what bush foods were, and decided to start a business to showcase how native ingredients could be used. "When I started catering it was quite a challenge initially because people's mentality around native foods was that I could possibly be only serving witchetty grubs and goanna," she said. "It was very tough to start with." Ms Winsor took a year off from her business for her mental health. It was when she returned to the business, Indigiearth, she realised the power working with native ingredients had. "That was the beginning of my healing process," she said. "It continues to be my healing, forever will be my healing. "I hit rock bottom in Sydney, mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually, from domestic violence and I had to get back to those childhood memories of being on Country and collecting bush foods and the happiest times of my childhood." So Ms Winsor moved back to regional NSW - this time to Mudgee - hoping to heal and create new opportunities for her business and her family. In the years since she started Indigiearth, she's watched the interest in native ingredients grow. But while interest increases, Indigenous ownership of native food operations has not, which is something Ms Winsor is passionate about rectifying. "We own less than 1.5 per cent of the industry," she said. "There's lots of companies that are using native ingredients and they're promoting their produce using our traditional knowledge ... and traditional owners are not being recognised. "I want to see more Aboriginal ownership, I want companies to start asking questions about where the ingredients are coming from." Now Ms Winsor creates dining experiences for bespoke events with her award-winning business. Over the weekend she is launching her new dessert bar at a pop-up cafe in Sydney, featuring dishes like wattleseed tiramisu, Kakadu plum cheesecake and lemon myrtle and green ant meringue. "It's a menu where people can come and experience lots of different flavours, try different things they might not get to experience anywhere else," she said. "There's some really high-end desserts with lots of native ingredients and really showcasing the diversity of our native ingredients and botanicals." Ms Winsor said there would also be savoury options on offer with finger lime glazed crocodile tail, Karkala and garden salad, and kangaroo and bush tomato nachos amongst the line-up. Indigiearth's pop-up cafe will be held at Carriageworks alongside the SOUTHEAST Aboriginal Arts Market until Sunday. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732)