A Homecoming Feast With Sarah Todd

Review by Hannah McNamara

Smiles and satisfied stomachs filled the Lancaster Room at Harrup Park last Friday night as Sarah Todd returned to her hometown of Mackay and gave guests a taste of her creativity, sharing her remarkable life experiences and how her culinary career came to be.

As most recognise her from appearances in two seasons of MasterChef, the well-known celebrity cook has since gained a fan base and opened up a successful restaurant based in India. She is now an inspiration, not just to Australians but worldwide, having travelled to different countries with the opportunity to experience different cultural and traditional styles of foods.

Ms Todd emphasises her love for India, calling it her second home as she decided to make the big decision to move to the country after her love for India grew. Her passion for India inspired her to create her own unique twist on Indian flavours and she now shares it with the rest of the world.

“There’s this saying that translates to basically say their guest is their God, so when someone from overseas comes to India they’re very welcoming and I really felt that and fell in love with it,” Ms Todd said.

During her master class dinner at Harrup Park, her love for Indian culture prevailed throughout the courses, with each dish providing a distinct taste of Indian essence. On the night of the event, she openly spoke on her insights and challenges throughout her culinary journey. With living so far away from her close family members as well as working extremely hard to open her new restaurant, she often found it difficult to be apart from her loved ones.

“I was so stressed out, it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life and I think for a lot of reasons, not just because it was in a different country, and it’s very foreign, but also, I hadn’t run a business before.

“There was a lot of learning and a lot of hard learning,” Ms Todd exclaims.

Despite the challenges, her determination of following her culinary dreams certainly paid off as her career continued to escalate into a successful business. She goes on to talk about her family dinners as a child and reminisces the good times that have impacted her life and stuck with her throughout her career.

“From a very young age, every night on the dinner table at 6.30pm, either nana or mum had cooked dinner and we were very lucky as we sat down at the table and really enjoyed that family time together.

“I think it’s something that’s really stuck with me throughout my life,” Sarah Todd explains.

“Food is not just about eating, but it really does cross borders and when I started travelling around the world one of the first places that I went to was Germany where nobody really speaks English.

“I just remember having this really incredible dish with the family I was staying with and they couldn’t speak English but we’re just savouring this meal and it’s just such a nice way to connect with people through food.”

The return reunion of Sarah Todd at Harrup Park involved a four-course meal with a cocktail on arrival as well as four different wines to go with each of the courses. Sarah’s unique style of food made quite the conversation at the table as guests were left blown away at the distinctive contrast of flavour and her ability to make different ingredients blend in a perfect combination.

The food presented was a testament to her ever-growing success and the night felt much like a family gathering as she shared multiple stories with her close relatives, specifically in relation to her mother, father, brother and grandmother who were also seated amongst the crowd.

She spoke about her ever-growing inspiration and her passion that led her to become a chef.

“When I was in MasterChef the biggest thing I wanted to do was open a restaurant.

“I didn’t want to be just known for being on television, so I really get inspired by female chefs who have done great things in the food industry,” she says.

Sarah’s mother, Lorraine Todd, has been her biggest supporter throughout her journey and on the night of the event, was a shared tribute to Lorraine’s birthday. Of course, Sarah had the honours of singing her treasured mother a Happy Birthday as the audience joined in to make the birthday girl feel special.

Overall, it was a fantastic night, showcasing a Mackay born local who had a dream and chased it.

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Caption 1: Sarah Todd with her mother, brother and father. Photo credit: Hannah McNamara

Caption 2: Sarah showcasing her rose petal topped dessert

3: The arrival snacks set the tone for a delicious evening

4: Friends and family with Sarah

5: Harrup Park staff with Sarah. Photo credit: Harrup Park General Manager Adrian Young

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