Tasmania’s leading luxury lodge Saffire Freycinet has appointed Toby Raley as Executive Chef in a rewarding rise through the ranks from his previous role as Sous Chef and having spent formative time with the property’s former Executive Chef Paddy Prenter.

Most recently, Toby had worked as Sous Chef at Sydney’s outstanding Quay Restaurant working alongside Executive Chef Peter Gilmore. During the pandemic, Toby considered next options for a place to settle and become part of the local culinary community and landed on Saffire Freycinet for its stellar reputation for dining and drinks and for its ready access to a veritable food bowl of fresh, small batch grown produce. 

Toby has since thrived in discovering the people and places that produce a rich and diverse bounty of local ingredients; wagyu beef from Robbins Island, Springfield Farm venison, Long Name Farm Ham, fresh vegetables, organic dairy items and sublime cheeses, and an abundance of sustainably sourced, snapping fresh seafood.

Saffire Executive Chef Toby Raley said sourcing seafood that was line caught and harvested in a considered, sustainable way was personally very important to him.

“I love fishing and over my time here at Saffire I’ve started to learn more about the surrounding marine environment, and how we can best work alongside it whilst also protecting its future,” Chef Raley said.

“Guests at Saffire can expect beautiful seafood with oysters coming from Dolphin Sands, Tasmanian rock lobster from our surrounding waters and octopus from the north of the state at Stanley,” he said.

“We’re also working with a new supplier of sustainably sourced abalone which is hand-dived by a small, local not-for-profit organisation with proceeds going back to support First Nations Tasmanians. And in season, we work with divers in Coles Bay to source sea urchins, which are a delicious delicacy on the plate but a threat to vitally important kelp forests in the region.” 

Another highlight for Toby is working with Saffire’s resident horticulturalist Rob Barker, known best as the ‘Bee Man’, who manages the hives set along the banks of Coles Bay and who leads the Beekeeping honey making experiences for guests. Local Wild Hives Honey plays a key role in the menus at Saffire.

"We use fresh honey from Wild Hives Honey on a daily basis here in the kitchen and bar at Saffire Freycinet. We are very lucky to have Rob and his onsite hives as part of our Saffire team, and we use his Tasmanian honey for a touch of sweetness in savoury dishes and as the main ingredient for many dessert dishes,” Chef Raley said.

“One of my favourites at the moment is a dessert comprising Wild Hive Honey cream, green apple, kunzea and milk crisp,” he said.

“Rob sources his honey from different hives around the state and it is an incredible experience tasting the subtle nuances in the different honey he produces. It's really exciting to have our own hives and Saffire honey, and to be able to work so closely with a producer who is so passionate about what he does.”

The new kitchen garden at Saffire has also taken on a new boost, with Toby working closely with local nursery Billy Blue House to source native edibles, fresh greens and herbs that are well suited to the Freycinet coast environment. The garden is of great personal interest to Toby, who plants seasonally to make the most of Tasmania’s wonderfully rich soil and to support the menu which produce that’s delicate or difficult to source.

“We’re finding a diverse range of seedlings grow really well here, from garlic and potatoes to brassicas and Brussels Sprouts. We’ve also introduced some wonderful local natives to the kitchen garden including kangaroo apples, warrigal greens, finger limes and native raspberry, which guess will soon see on the menu,” he said.

“I love the freshness and vibrancy of the produce available to us in Tasmania, literally on the doorstep. Tasmania is a relatively small island, yet there is such a large variety and diversity of fresh produce, supplied by small scale farmers and producers who are passionate about their craft and who each play a part in this close-knit community. I couldn’t think of a better place to be.”