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Thomas Erkelenz

Born:

Port Augusta, South Australia.

History:

I started in the industry as most kids do – being a dishy that gets roped into the hospo lifestyle. I finished up school and decided to take a gap year to raise some cash for myself after being accepted into uni – took another kitchen hand job at a local pub, which quickly turned into being full-time on the pizza section.

I was making money, having fun and was allowed to swear in the workplace – what more does an 18-year-old boy need?

I deferred uni indefinitely and started my apprenticeship at Mr Micks in mid-2013.

After about a year in Clare and with a few key staff changing over – I found that the challenge was missing; I wasn’t learning anything new and decided to start looking elsewhere.

I ended up at Jolley’s Boathouse in the city centre – starting right at the beginning of the Christmas period in 2014. Going from a lunch-only restaurant in a little town like Clare to a 7-day-a-week, lunch and dinner Adelaide dining institution was a little bit of a culture shock, to say the least.

Long hours under high pressure, working to very high standards and let’s just say ‘old school’ kitchen culture all worked their magic together and my time at Jolley’s is definitely a massive part of who I am today as a Chef.

After two years in Adelaide – my partner Cassie fell pregnant with our first son - Oscar. I was 21; she was 22, we were both working about 70–80 hours a week - both completely career focused and decided to stop and head back home to the valley and at least try to be decent parents.

I quickly got a job at Seed Winehouse + Kitchen in its first iteration in the old Chaff Mill.

Rolling fresh pasta every day, baking bread, cheese making, whole animal butchery, curing our own small goods - Seed was definitely not as busy as the city – but the love and attention for every process in the kitchen was incredible to be a part of.

After a few years – and another baby boy - I decided to go for the Head Chef role at what was then the Bush Devine Café.

Once COVID forced us to close our doors, we reassessed what our focus was going to be for when we reopened and with our limited seating we all agreed that we would tighten our focus on becoming a restaurant.

How would you define your style:

Familiar flavours through a ‘bush food tinted lens’.

Obsessive-compulsive about?

Filleting fish, properly cut chives and baking bread.

Your greatest culinary influence:

I really look up to Kane Pollard from Topiary in the Adelaide Hills. He’s delivering consistently amazing, intelligent & creative food, with a borderline militant approach to food waste, an inspired reliance on foraging, all while running his own business and being a father - I’m not actually convinced the man needs sleep.

What do you love about this business?

It’s forever changing and there’s always something new to learn, something to get better at and a new puzzle to solve.

An ingredient you can’t live without?

Good quality vinegar.

Most ‘eyebrow-raising’ menu item?

For the Festival of Lamb a few years ago, Bush Devine did an 8-course nose-to-tail degustation and the dessert was garnished with slivers of lamb’s tongue that had been brined, poached in palm sugar and then sliced very fine, deep-fried and then dusted with freeze-dried Davidson plum powder – was sort of like a chip of candied ‘lamby’ bacon.

Bush DeVine Restaurant

After exploring Clare Valley, take a sensory detour to Sevenhill where you will find hidden gem Bush DeVine Restaurant within Paulett Winery. Work up an appetite by strolling through the Indigenous Australian bush food garden, where DeVine takes inspiration and partly sources produce, before taking to alfresco dining to soak up serene views over delectable Modern Australian cuisine. Settle in for a taste sensation of cheese boards with lavash and specialty wines, or delve into tea-smoked chicken and kimchi dumplings, prawn head and native citrus ponzu, paired with a 2025 Sangiovese Rosé. Be enticed by dishes of beef cheek tagine with bunya nut hummus, cauliflower, quince molasses and sumac; finishing with a dessert of whipped pistachio, strawberries, rosella, wild rice and river mint.