Fresh Seafood, Local Produce: How Aaron Ward Builds the Menu at Bathers’ Pavilion
At Bathers’ Pavilion on Sydney’s Balmoral Beach, chef Aaron Ward is building menus around the people and produce behind every ingredient.
For Aaron, a finished plate of fish begins long before it reaches the kitchen. It starts with fishermen working through rough seas, farmers growing produce in the right soil and suppliers putting time and care into everything they deliver.
In this exclusive behind-the-scenes visit, Aaron takes us inside the kitchen at the two-hatted Bathers’ Pavilion and explains how fresh seafood, local produce and long-term relationships with growers shape his approach to cooking.
He also demonstrates a nettle pasta filled with pecorino and truffle, finished with a rich Marsala sauce, while discussing the importance of using every part of an ingredient and respecting the work that goes into producing it.
Aaron’s understanding of farm-to-table cooking was strengthened during his time at Sixpenny, where produce arrived directly from the restaurant’s farm. That experience gave him a closer understanding of where flavour begins and why the way an ingredient is grown matters.
Today, he maintains close relationships with growers near Newcastle, including a farm run by people he grew up with. By sharing ideas and different varieties with the farmers, Aaron is able to introduce heirloom produce to the menu that would rarely be found through conventional suppliers.
The film also explores the culinary history of Bathers’ Pavilion, Aaron’s approach to leading an open and collaborative kitchen, and why hospitality is about carrying the producer’s story all the way through to the guest.
Whether you are a chef interested in produce-led cooking, sustainable kitchen practices or building stronger relationships with suppliers, this is an honest look inside one of Sydney’s most recognisable waterfront restaurants.
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📌 CHAPTERS:
0:00 — From farm to sea
0:29 — The culinary history of Bathers’ Pavilion
1:07 — Cooking for Balmoral
1:58 — Nettle pasta with pecorino and truffle
3:03 — Lessons from Sixpenny
4:04 — Working directly with growers
5:00 — Bread, suppliers and respecting produce
5:50 — Using every part of an ingredient
6:44 — Creating an open kitchen culture
7:12 — Life beside the water
7:46 — Hospitality and community
8:29 — Outro
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