The origins of Three Blue Ducks at The Farm
Chris Sorrell, Three Blue Ducks OG
“It chose us really”.
Chris, one of the original trio behind Three Blue Ducks, shares the origin story behind how
Three Blue Ducks ended up here at The Farm at Byron Bay.
Friends and foodies Mark Labrooy, Chris Sorrell and Sam Reid-Boquist were the OG Three
Blue Ducks. “The Ducks”, as they’re often referred to these days, held a clear vision right from
the start and have stayed true to it all these years; to provide quality food and service in a
conscious way.
The original Bronte location opened in Sydney in 2010, where the crew established a small,
productive onsite garden, growing fresh herbs and produce which would feature on the
seasonally inspired restaurant menu.
A handful of happy hens out the back produced fresh eggs and fertilised their veggie patch, and
from there the Ducks made it their mission to source their ingredients as locally and sustainably
as possible.
Their ethos around quality, local produce gained a loyal following and began to inspire change
in the community.
The Ducks were heavily involved in the inaugural “Grow it Local” program - an initiative
encouraging people to grow their own produce, which would be cooked by Three Blue Ducks’
chefs as part of a highly anticipated annual event in their community.
Word got out, and the Ducks became renowned for their strong values around sustainability and
for supporting local, ethical growers.
Tom and Emma, the original owners of The Farm at Byron Bay, saw the synergies between
what they were looking to create and what The Ducks were already doing.
They approached the Three Blue Ducks team with a compelling invitation.
“How would you like to open a restaurant here at The Farm, where you can grow your own food
on the property?”
It was exactly the opportunity the Ducks had been waiting for.
Chris describes how Three Blue Ducks in Byron Bay has evolved and grown over the years at
The Farm, and how the Farm has continuously transformed around them.
The arrival of Oliver’s Hens at The Farm came with organic, pasture-raised hens, producing an
abundance of fresh, high quality eggs, just a stones’ throw from the restaurant.
Katerina of Byron Fermentary, began creating flavoursome misos, savoury salts and seasonal
krauts which complement many of the dishes on the Ducks’ menu.
Josh and Lynette, long-term market gardeners known as Greens from the Farm, provide a
continuous source of salad greens and vegetables.
And the participants of the newly introduced Farmer Incubator Program, a partnership between
Farmers Footprint Australia and The Farm, began producing edible greens and herbs which
regularly feature in sauces and dishes at The Ducks.
These micro-businesses all complement one another, and all provide precious ingredients to
Three Blue Ducks’ restaurant. As far as sourcing locally is concerned, the restaurant couldn’t be
any closer to the origins of these vegetables and eggs if they tried. Growers in the broader
northern rivers region also supply to the Ducks, providing the rest of their fresh produce needs
while keeping it as local as possible.
One of the things Chris appreciates the most about being at The Farm is the collaboration
between all of the businesses here. The Ducks’ restaurant receives ‘something from everyone’.
The Chefs talk to the growers and find out what’s coming up in the fields, and they plan the
menu around what is abundant and in season.
They’ve created a circular system where there’s almost no waste, and they use composting to
recirculate nutrients back into the soil, all fitting into the regenerative nature of The Farm.
“Composting is a way to measure how much we’re saving on general waste”, Chris shares.
“Eggshells and coffee are separated out, and everything else goes into our general compost.
There’s an onsite composting manager, Ryan, and he works with our inhouse compost manager
Gus to ensure that process is seamless”.
The addition of four new owners - Darren Robertson, Jeff Bennett, Andy Allen and Paul
Dewhurst, each bringing their own unique experience and highly regarded reputations, have
allowed the business to create a much bigger impact in their conscious food movement
The Ducks now have five restaurants throughout Australia, including the flagship restaurant in
Byron Bay.
Chris talks of how the Ducks team makes their business decisions, and it quickly becomes clear
that they prioritise the environment.
It’s not just words with these guys, their environmental commitment is evident in their practices.
They’ve introduced an E-water system, which uses rainwater harvested onsite, combined with
salt at varying concentrations to create a fermented salt cleaning product, a sanitiser and a
disinfectant.
There’s no packaging or transportation costs, they’re all environmentally friendly, low footprint
products produced on site, and they’re organic and food safe.
This means they’re actually edible, so they can even be used to spray on fresh produce to
prolong its life. All this happens using energy from the sun, utilising the solar panels on the roof of The Farm
buildings.
“We choose to buy things with minimal plastics. We have a milk system where our milk comes
in bladders, and our wine comes in kegs instead of glass bottles. Our fresh fish is delivered in
plastic tubs that are returned to the supplier to be reused indefinitely”, Chris shares.
“Wherever possible we’re making very local choices, looking at how far things have travelled,
how they’re grown, how they’re packaged”.
“We want to know if it’s Australian or New Zealand grown, and is it organic, spray-free, fair-
trade, another certification that we know and trust?
100% sustainability almost isn’t possible, but we’re doing everything we can to reach optimum
level of sustainable practices”, says Chris.
He shares how part of his role at the Ducks is in finding new technologies and ways of doing
things that help to reduce their impact on the environment. They’re looking into b-corp
certification, and constantly check in that they’re asking the right questions when choosing
suppliers. They’ve got a focus on measurability too, looking at how they can save more energy
and water - actually putting numbers to this so they can track the tangible difference their
choices are making.
When asked about some of the highlights of working with the Ducks, Chris said there were too
many to mention. One of the most rewarding events he recalls was the fundraiser for drought-affected farmers in 2019.
And when asked what he loves most about The Ducks in Byron Bay, Chris shared, “The open
spaces. The restaurant gets busy, but looking outside and seeing green fields and sunshine,
seeing how happy people are, makes everything feel so worthwhile. I love that we’re sharing
delicious food with people, and doing it with a clear conscience, without sacrificing the
environment”.
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Restaurant bookings can be made here.