Beltana Farm Head Chef Heather Kovacs (centre) is currently obsessed with the potato rosti on the menu. Photo: Lean Timms.
Who are you?
I’m Heather Kovacs, the head chef at Beltana Farm. I grew up near Murrumbateman on a blueberry farm called Blue Fields. My family still lives there and has a pick-your-own season during summer.
Tell me about Beltana Farm.
Beltana Farm is a restaurant set up on a truffle farm with over 800 trees. We’re a share-style fine-dining restaurant based on modern Australian farm-style cuisine. We take that style and use it to highlight truffles during truffle season, which is coming up soon in June.
How did you get involved in the hospitality industry?
During school and college, I definitely didn’t know where my path would go, so I did a lot of different things. Then my school hosted a program where they got local chefs from around Canberra to come in and cook with the students. That’s where I met John Leverink from the Boat House, who is now my executive chef at Beltana Farm. He suggested I try out an apprenticeship at the Boat House and it’s all just kind of gone from there.
If you weren’t in hospitality, what would you be doing instead?
There’s a running joke in the kitchen that I’d love to get into meteorology because I’m obsessed with the weather. They call me the weather girl!
John Leverink has been a mentor to Heather Kovacs during her career. Photo: James Souter.
What is your food philosophy?
Definitely minimising food waste. At Beltana, we like to use all parts of the fruit, vegetables, meat and chicken. And coming from a farming background, I definitely know how much goes into producing food, so it’s really important that we use all parts of the produce.
What’s an underrated Canberra venue that you love?
I love whenever I have the time to go to smaller local businesses, just going down to local cafes and seeing what they’re doing. I live around Queanbeyan, so there are lots of gems around there!
Who do you admire in the Canberra food scene?
One obvious person is John Leverink. He’s done a lot for me and taught me so much. I definitely wouldn’t be who I am and where I am without him.
And also Eddie Tsai. He owns Canteen in Fyshwick. He’s a great chef, and he used to work at Boat House when I first started and he taught me a lot. I’ve got to see him grow both as a person and with his business, which is really great.
Where’s the best place for a coffee in Canberra?
Redbrick in Fyshwick is probably my go-to. You get to see their whole bean roasting process when you sit down for a coffee, which is really cool.
Where do you like to go out for a drink?
Civic Pub or the Kingston Hotel are great places to go. I love the atmosphere. They have great vibes, and I like going there to play pool with my friends.
The Kingston Hotel is much beloved by locals. Photo: Michael Weaver.
Who is your dream dinner party guest, and what would you make them?
A while ago, I participated in an apprentice competition in Melbourne, and I met some really lovely people from all over Australia. I’d like to invite them all to dinner because I haven’t seen them since then! But we all keep in touch and keep up with each other’s careers, which is really nice.
I love cooking simple, home-cooked meals for family and friends. So maybe I’d do a typical roast chicken, or maybe a pork belly with roast potatoes and a nice salad.
What is your current food obsession?
We make a potato rosti with crème fraîche, salmon roe and cured eggs on top. There’s something about the crispy and fluffy rosti which is really, really yummy. It’s my favourite thing to eat at the moment!
What’s the best thing you ate this week?
There’s a smoked trout dish on the menu that pairs perfectly with that rosti! Smoked seafood, light fluffy potato with pickled cucumbers … That’s definitely my favourite pairing on the menu.
What’s a food that reminds you of your childhood?
My Mum’s lasagna. I still think that no lasagna can ever compare! I used to ask for it for birthdays and she’d make it on special occasions.
What’s a normal breakfast for you?
Definitely something easy to eat on the go: jam or Vegemite on toast. And then a coffee when I get to work.
Where do you shop for groceries?
I really like getting to the markets and experiencing all that freshness and seeing what’s in season. But it’s hard when I’m working at the same time the markets are on, so I do most of my shopping at Aldi.
Civic’s CBD Dumpling House is a favourite for lazy meals. Photo: CBD Dumpling House Facebook.
When you can’t be bothered to cook for yourself, where do you go and what do you eat?
The CBD Dumpling House in Civic. It’s so good and really fast. I like to try something new from the menu every time. We recently went there for a little work lunch and the dumplings were amazing.
Where are you travelling next?
My partner and I are looking into taking a big road trip around Australia sometime, but we’re not sure when.
Tell me something you love about living in Canberra?
The convenience of everything. It’s only ever a 20-minute drive, and the traffic isn’t that bad compared to bigger cities. Everything is so close and you can always find what you need.
What TV show are you watching right now?
My partner is super into anime TV series and we’ve recently been watching a show called Solo Leveling. I’ve quite enjoyed it, considering I don’t really watch that much anime.
An easy one to finish – what’s your go-to coffee order?
When I get in to work, I just tell the baristas “anything with a shot of coffee and hot milk: flat white, cappuccino, latte, whatever!” but if I’m at a cafe, I order a flat white. Before I was a chef, I did a bit of barista work, which usually surprises chefs because they love coffee but always get someone else to make it. So sometimes I like to jump on the machine and impress them.
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