Author Portfolio
This is a (mostly) complete writing portfolio where you can find other places I’ve been published.
Eating Democracy
Published by the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance, 2023
I was fortunate to be one of eleven eaters who contributed a chapter to this book by the Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance. My chapter “Cooperative Eating” details how I engage with the food system to build community, from volunteering at the local food coop, to crop swapping with neighbours.
Buy your copy of Eating Democracy here!
From Pig Farming to Cheese Making: how grown up work experience changed my life
The Guardian Australia, July 2023
After burning out in the hospitality industry, I spent months doing internships all over Australia - and found a new world of opportunity
It’s the bridesmaids you’ve got to watch out for: notes from a professional wedding singer.
The Guardian Australia, February 2023
I like to be booked with my emotional support keyboard player – but it’s not unusual to meet band members for the first time when you arrive at the venue.
Articles for Region Media
Check out this page for a full list of my regular contributions to The RiotACT and other Region Media outlets.
Here are links to a few of my favourite pieces:
What have Canberra’s chefs been doing during lockdown?
It’s not easy being a chef at the best of times. Long hours, hot kitchens, high costs and tiny profit margins are challenges they face everyday, and COVID-19 lockdowns have affected the hospitality industry more than most. But despite the difficulties, two Canberra chefs can’t wait to get back into the kitchen.
Meet the gardener behind this berry wholesome online community
Annette Bunfield is a Canberra gardener who has been using Facebook to help others grow bumper backyard strawberry crops. With warm days ahead of us, now is a great time to get stuck into the garden and connect with communities of like-minded local gardeners online.
Patchwork Urban Farm: a community stitched together by a love of local produce
If I asked you to imagine a farm, you’d probably think of endless paddocks with a weathered man wearing an Akubra leaning against a fencepost. But Patchwork Urban Farm is a farming co-operative which is challenging assumptions about what farms can look like.
Multicultural Eats: The Canberra Food Co-op puts community first for more than 45 years
The co-op has been known by a few different names in its long history, starting in 1976 as the ANU Nutrition Society and changing location multiple times before settling into its current home in Kingsley Street just over a decade ago.
Meet the Changemakers reimagining how we work and connect
Her Canberra, November 2020
This piece was written in collaboration with Claire Harris as part of a series of events held in Dickson. Find out more about the Changemaker Career and Craft Hub here.
Amplifying change for good in Dickson
CBRLife Vol.23, May 2021
Another piece in collaboration with Claire Harris to wrap up the Changemaker Career and Craft Hub.
Take it from a hospo worker: just follow the COVID rules
Canberra Times, September 2020
The sun is shining, spring has sprung and here in Canberra it feels, well, normal. You can sink a pint at the pub, hang out in the corner of your local cafe, and have a sit-down dinner on Saturday night.
Queering History: Memories, Museums, and ‘Little Women’
Archer, April 2020
I couldn’t understand the queerness of my youth because I was looking at my memories through a heteronormative perspective, rather than a queer lens. This compounded my feelings of invisibility and of not being queer enough. Rather than understanding my queerness as one journey, I had split my memories in two: before I was queer, and after.
Will your local barista still be here at the end of the coronavirus crisis?
SBS Food, April 2020
The reality is, when this crisis is over, cafes and bars will reopen, but the international workers who have kept our coffees hot and our beers cold might not be around to serve them.
As a chef, I wanted 2020 to be my year of change…but not like this
The Canberra Times, April 2020
We know that this crisis will mean last drinks for some businesses in Canberra, but while we wait and see which will return to their former glory and which will sink, the hospitality industry professionals are turning to creative pursuits to make ends meet.
En Route To Beirut
Nourish Magazine, Vol 8. No 2.
This article can be found in the Feb 2020 issue of Nourish Magazine.
Canberra Area Articles for The Culture Trip
Canberra’s Best Brunch Spots
The Culture Trip, April 2020
Canberra’s Best Late Night Food Spots
The Culture Trip, March 2020
Best Urban Hikes In Canberra
The Culture Trip, March 2020
7 Best Markets in Canberra
The Culture Trip, August 2020
The Best Things to Do and See in Gunghalin
The Culture Trip, August 2020
The Top 5 Things to Do and See in Central Canberra
The Culture Trip, April 2020
The Best Things to Do and See in Belconnen
The Culture Trip, March 2020
Victoria’s Little Secret: Join the rush to explore historic Bendigo
The Road Ahead, Feb 2020
Bendigo may be known for its gold rush history but the city is definitely not stuck in the past. With a thriving culture of arts, a strong music community, and an acclaimed food and beverage scene there’s plenty to explore in Bendigo.
Being considerate goes a long way to under-the-pump staff at Christmas time
The Canberra Times, December 2019
So, dear valued customer, please consider this letter a Christmas wish list, of sorts. But rather than sending it to the North Pole, I'm writing it for you. Yes, you. You at the Christmas party, you having a long lunch, you stopping in for a coffee halfway through your shopping spree. While you may be winding down and ready for a well-deserved break, please spare a thought for the hospitality workers who are pulling double shifts to pour the beers and peel the prawns.
One of the boys: How I lost myself in kitchen culture
Homer Online, 2018
When I was an apprentice I worked in the most remarkable kitchen. The head chef and part owner was a woman. Most of the chefs were women, as were several of the restaurant managers. This is remarkable because the hospitality industry is overwhelmingly run by men, especially in the kitchens.
The Hills Of Hall Are Alive With Wine
OutInCanberra, October 2019
I was recently lucky enough to take part in a wine tour visiting five wineries who make up the ‘Hills of Hall’ collective… despite being a born and bred Canberran I was surprised to discover it’s barely a 20 minute drive to historic Hall Village from Braddon. Although Canberrans may have forgotten how close we are to Hall, the winemakers of the area are well aware of their proximity.
Pique-nique: a non-wanky way to experience wine
OutInCanberra, November 2019
A quick look at the pique-nique introductory booklet at the Canberra Wine House tells me everything I need to know about how to taste wine: Drink it. Lol. It’s up to you.
There’s lots of other useful information about sipping, swirling, and swilling but it’s this statement that makes me realise that this is no ordinary wine tasting.
Review: Braddon Merchant
OutInCanberra, November 2019
‘What’s the best garnish for a martini? Olives! So, what’s the best garnish for olives?’ our server beams at us she reveals the answer, ‘a martini, of course!’ There’s a small glass bottle filled with gin and vermouth on the table which she spritzes enthusiastically over the bowl of huge Ligurian olives. It’s a simple idea but it’s fun and effective, an idea that runs through the whole Braddon Merchant menu. Nothing is too fussy or overdressed, there’s just a sense of well thought out, simplicity with a good dose of playfulness.
‘Banding Together’: local artists organise bushfire relief concerts
OutInCanberra, January 2020
It’s been a rough start to 2020 for Australia. Many people are feeling helpless in the face of so much destruction but Canberra’s creative community has found a creative solution. In a stunning example of community coming together, they have organised a number of concerts and exhibitions being held at venues all over the region to benefit bushfire victims and the Rural Fire Service.
Summer Drinks In Canberra
Eat Canberra, 2018
The days are finally getting longer and the evenings are getting warmer! At this time of year, I find myself wanting to spend my evenings with friends in the sunshine. Preferably with a beverage in hand. So we’ve done a lot of serious research (it’s a hard life – you’re welcome) to bring you our top picks for where to enjoy some summer drinks in Canberra.
Review: Morks
Eat Canberra, 2018
In a nutshell, it was damn good. Morks has fantastic food, excellent service and f@#$ing awesome choices for the vegetable lovers in your life.