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20 | iNarrabri Magazine
Feature
Interview by Chris Jollow
How did you come to Narrabri?
My parents were born in Narrabri and decided
to get married and raise a family here. My
sister and I were born and bred here as well!
Where have you worked and why?
Before and during university I worked with
James Bennett at his cafe (now One23) and
at the Bowling Club bistro. While studying I
worked as a freelance journalist, first for Alter-
native Media and then for Fairfax. After uni-
versity I started my own business; a food and
lifestyle website. When I came back to Narrabri
I worked at The Courier, mostly as a digital
media co-ordinator but also in advertising.
What was the motivation for starting the
Maverick Cafe?
I’ve always wanted to have my own cafe.
When I was little I used to design menus and
draw floor plans of how I would set it out. I
loved cooking as a kid and making people
happy through food. When the current op-
portunity presented itself I knew it was now or
never.
What will the Maverick Cafe offer?
We offer breakfast and lunch seven days a
week and dinner five nights. I would describe
Maverick’s food as contemporary and rustic,
with a myriad of international influences.
Something I love for breakfast that’s never
really been done in the ‘Bri before is Baked
Eggs - a tomato salsa with eggs baked on top.
Add some chorizo, goats cheese and a piece
of toast and we’re talking.
We’ll have a couple of fresh gourmet salads
made up every day, which will be easy to take
away. I have a feeling our burgers will become
popular - especially the slow cooked lamb &
the fried chicken!
There will be two dinner menus - classic bistro
and something more a la carte, with dishes
like pan fried barramundi, romesco and cauli-
flower tabbouleh.
What is the story behind the name? Are you
a “Top Gun” fan?
Definitely! The aerial sequences were some of
the most groundbreaking at the time. I sup-
pose that’s part of what I wanted to do here
too - shake things up a little, be unique and
ahead of the game while having fun.
‘Maverick’ as a noun means someone who’s
independent minded and unorthodox, so it
fitted the bill.
What are your favourite foods to make?
Tough question! I love Indian and Mexican
food for their spices, so when I have time I like
to crush them up to make pastes for curries
or marinades for meat. I’m also a big fan of
sauces, relishes, pickles and jams - all made
fresh at Maverick.
What is your speciality and why?
For breakfast, fluffy hotcakes with salted
caramel sauce and ricotta. Lunch, my sweet
potato, fetta, chive and caramelised onion
quiche, and for dinner a thick piece of eye fillet
with cafe de paris butter, shoestring fries and
a watercress salad. Serve the latter with a big
glass of red.
Kitchen utensil you cannot live without?
A good pair of tongs.
Chefs you look up to and why?
My favourite chef of all time is Mark Best, who
runs Marque in Sydney. He’s like a modern-
ist painter, with every dish akin to an artwork.
The flavours and textures are out of this world.
Very polarising food, though. I really look up
to Alice Waters and Elizabeth David, whose
books are basically bibles for home cooks
looking to master basics like mayonnaise or
a cobb salad. And of course, the cooks and
chefs I've worked with over the years.
Away from the Maverick Cafe, what do your
interests include?
There’s life away from the cafe? I enjoy a
good glass of wine, so I like travelling to wine
regions to sample and grab some for the
cellar. Also a big film fan, so will spend a day
watching the latest releases.
Finally, baked beans or spaghetti?
They say cooks are always harking back to the
flavours of their childhood - mine was spa-
ghetti and cheese toasted sandwiches.
rhys gard
A Narrabri local, Rhys has made the move
from media and journalism to begin a
business close to his heart...
photo: john burgess
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