Food for thought in Tasmania

"Ben's really lucky to have a relationship with the growers who supply his restaurant," says Adam. "It's not just coming up with an idea and ordering ingredients, it's a community-type arrangement. Every dish on the menu comes from a relationship that Ben has with somebody nearby."

The restaurant, which opened less than a year ago, describes itself as a celebration of food and a sustainable, social enterprise that's committed to improving their impact on the environment by reducing food scraps with a nose-to-tail / root-to-tip menu.

All produce is sourced from within a 50-kilometre radius, cementing the menu as a tribute to the farmers, fishers, growers and winemakers of this impressively fertile region. All dishes intentionally use minimal ingredients, allowing the flavours to sing for themselves.

One of the ingredients dialling up Ben's minimalist dishes is wasabi, and it's grown right here in Tasmania at the Shima Wasabi farm.

"When you think of wasabi you wouldn't think of Tasmania, but the environment is perfect for it," says Ben, who uses the entire plant on his dishes - stem, leaf, flower and root. "It's quite versatile. Freshly grated wasabi is totally different to what you'd expect."

The food philosophy in every dish has its roots in the farm-to-fork movement and avoids over-cooking. Ben says the food available from local growers is the only thing that influences what they cook in the kitchen. "One of our main growers, a guy named Travis from Exton, we never know what he'll drop off, but it'll decide our menu for the week. If we get carrots, they'll go on the menu, and if we get beetroot or finger fennel or daikon, that'll go on. We rely on who turns up that week and drops stuff off."

Ben's support of local growers extends to his patronage of Produce to the People, a local not-for-profit hothouse that grows micro herbs including nasturtiums, edible flowers and pea tendrils. "You'll see pea tendrils on every single dish and that's so we can buy as many as possible from Produce to the People to ensure we provide them with funds to keep doing what they do," notes Ben, adding that the food hub is also a place where people down on their luck can go to for free food twice a week.

That sense of community that's thriving in Devonport, and all over Tasmania, is inescapable. Everyone knows each other by name and is happy to talk to you about 'their' Tassie.

"Ask five people what they like to do, and you'll get five different answers," says Ben, who recommends arriving without a plan. "Within an hour you'll have 10 unique places to visit that you've never heard of before."

It's those things that visitors don't know about that you'll want to see. It's how you'll write your own Tasmanian story.

Ben's top 5 for Devonport

Coffee: "Fundamental. I've travelled everywhere, and it's the best coffee I've ever had, anywhere in the world. Tom, the owner, is very serious about it."

Explore: "Devonport Regional Gallery, housed in an old church, has really good exhibitions all year 'round."

Shopping: "The Antique Emporium is somewhere you can lose yourself for hours."

Lunch: "Mrs Jones, for food on the waterfront and amazing views of Bluff Beach."

Dinner: "CharlotteJack. I want you to feel like you've come to my house for dinner."

Come thrive on winter in Tasmania