Opinion Bush to Bowl: Bringing native Australian bush foods back to the table

This NAIDOC week, we’re celebrating Bush to Bowl — a 100% Aboriginal-owned business introducing Australians to the incredible, flavoursome world of native bush foods…

Bush tomato, coastal pigface, old man saltbush…. These native ingredients have been grown, gathered, and enjoyed on this continent for tens of thousands of years, yet many Australians have never even heard of them, let alone tasted them!

One organisation working to change that is Bush to Bowl, a 100% Aboriginal-owned social enterprise founded by Clarence Bruinsma (Yaegl) and Adam Byrne (Garigal/Gadigal).

Through education, workshops, cultural landscaping, and community programs, Bush to Bowl is reconnecting people with Country through the incredible variety of native ingredients Australia has to offer — from strawberry gum and finger lime to the emu apple and Tasmanian pepperberry.

NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate the history, culture, and ongoing contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and an opportunity to listen, learn, and support the First Nations-led businesses creating meaningful change in our communities.

So, what better time to spotlight Bush to Bowl and their inspiring work to bring Australia’s native bushfoods back to the table?

Reconnecting with Country through food

At its heart, Bush to Bowl is all about helping people build a deeper connection with Australia’s native food landscape while championing Indigenous voices and culture.

Through growing and supplying native ingredients, leading bushfood walks, running cultural workshops, and delivering school and community programs, Bush to Bowl is encouraging Australians to discover the diverse, delicious ingredients growing in their own backyard while supporting local Aboriginal-owned businesses.

“Native ingredients aren’t simply another food trend,” says Mel from Bush to Bowl. “They’re part of the world’s oldest continuing living culture. By choosing Aboriginal-owned businesses, people help support Indigenous enterprises, strengthen cultural knowledge, and contribute to a more ethical and respectful native food industry.”

How Bush to Bowl is championing First Nations peoples and culture

Part of what makes Bush to Bowl’s work so important is their commitment to ensuring First Nations voices remain at the centre of conversations about native foods.

While interest in bushfoods is growing, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation within the industry remains disproportionately low, despite native ingredients and traditional food knowledge originating from First Nations cultures.

“Bush to Bowl was created to make Australian native foods more accessible while ensuring the knowledge, stories and economic benefits remain connected to Aboriginal communities,” Mel explains. “It’s about creating opportunities for First Nations people to lead the conversation around their own cultural foods while helping Australians build a deeper understanding of Country and culture.”

Through employment, education, and cultural leadership, Bush to Bowl is helping ensure First Nations people remain at the forefront of an industry built on their knowledge and traditions.

Their vision is simple but powerful: a future where native ingredients and cultural knowledge are part of everyday Australian life. Not just featured occasionally on a fancy restaurant menu, but growing in backyard gardens, taught in classrooms, stocked on supermarket shelves, and finding their way into home-cooked meals.

Three native ingredients to try

Want to start cooking with native bush foods, but not sure where to begin? One of the best things about native ingredients is how easily they can be incorporated into everyday cooking.

“Many native ingredients can fit naturally into meals people already love,” Mel explains. “For instance, lemon myrtle has a bright citrus aroma that’s familiar enough for beginners while still being uniquely Australian. It’s incredibly easy to use in everyday cooking. Try adding a pinch to a creamy pumpkin soup, roasted vegetables, or a simple olive oil dressing for a grain or quinoa salad.”

If you’re keen to dive into the world of bush foods but aren’t quite sure where to start, these three native ingredients can be easily integrated into your everyday cooking — while adding a whole new dimension of flavour.

Strawberry Gum: One of the most delightfully fragrant native ingredients around, strawberry gum combines sweet berry-like notes with hints of eucalyptus. It’s perfect in baking, desserts, smoothies, porridge, hot chocolate, or sprinkled over fresh fruit.

Bush Tomato: Often described as Australia’s answer to the sun-dried tomato, bush tomato has an intensely savoury, earthy flavour that brings richness and depth to soups, pasta sauces, stews, curries, or almost any dish where you’d normally use tomatoes. Hot tip: a little goes a long way.

Old Man Saltbush: Old Man Saltbush offers a naturally salty, herbaceous flavour that makes a brilliant seasoning for roast vegetables, tofu, potatoes, breads, and crackers. It adds a distinctly Australian flavour to everyday cooking. Plus, it’s packed with protein!

Looking to the future

Through every plant they grow, workshop they run, and ingredient they champion, Bush to Bowl is helping more Australians discover native foods while ensuring First Nations knowledge remains at the heart of the industry.

“We hope to make native ingredients a normal part of Australian kitchens, not as something reserved for fine dining or special occasions, but as everyday ingredients that people understand, appreciate and use with respect,” says Mel. “If we can inspire more people to connect with Country through food, support Indigenous producers, and celebrate Australia’s unique native ingredients, then we’ll have played a meaningful role in shaping a more inclusive and authentic Australian food culture.”

This NAIDOC Week, Bush to Bowl reminds us that native ingredients are far more than a new, novel ingredient to cook with. They’re an invitation to learn about the world’s oldest continuing living culture, support Aboriginal-owned businesses, and appreciate the stories, knowledge, and care that have shaped Australia’s food landscape for tens of thousands of years.

If you’re looking to deepen your understanding of First Nations food cultures while supporting Aboriginal-owned businesses and discovering some incredible new ingredients for your kitchen, Bush to Bowl is a great place to start.

Ready to get cooking with some of the incredible native ingredients Australia has to offer? As a special gift for the VegKit community, you can enjoy 20% off at Bush to Bowl via our voucher page.