Jock Zonfrillo closes Blackwood in favour of new indigenous ‘flavour lab’
Chef and restaurateur Jock Zonfrillo has closed his Bistro Blackwood with plans to turn the space into Australia’s first “Flavour Lab” for indigenous ingredients.
Launching in February, the Australian Flavour Lab will help clients commercialise products that have indigenous ingredients in them.
“The mentality at the Flavour Lab will have to be from a chef’s flavour perspective – because that’s the path to bringing some of these products to a shelf,” Zonfrillo told The Advertiser.
The Lab will provide clients have toxicology reports, nutritional information and taste profiles.
The new venture is being backed by venture capitalist and philanthropist Mark Carnegie, who suggested to Zonfrillo that his bistro no longer fitted his long-term ambitions.
“Mark started questioning me on my purpose and he surmised that Blackwood didn’t fit that purpose,” Zonfrillo told The Advertiser.
“No matter how hard you work in a restaurant like that it is never going to trigger any indigenous economic interest on country. Whereas Orana does.
“So rather than rent another premises it made sense to call it a day with Blackwood.”
Zonfrillo begins filming interstate for MasterChef in January but says he will spend as much time in the Lab as possible.
Sheridan Randall, 17th December 2019
