This holiday season, we teamed up with Helen Oltran, cook and founder of Fine Grazing to celebrate the art of the grazing table. Helen has crafted four mouthwatering recipes that you can create at home and caught up with us to discuss her recent culinary journey to France, how Fine Grazing went from concept to creation and how she plans on enjoying the sun-soaked season.

Tell us a little bit about who you are and what you do.

I have just returned after four months in Europe. In that time, I studied patisserie at Gastronomicom, a culinary school in southern France to learn the art of patisserie (pastry). I’m in the midst of recipe developing never before seen concepts involving cheese – watch this space! Before food, there was fashion and I’ve also had the pleasure of working closely with Jardan’s interior designers and architects as a consultant on their design projects. Creativity comes in many forms and to approach food with these design foundations is satisfyingly delicious! I also founded Fine Grazing which serves up elevated (literally) cheese cakes and styled grazings for high impact events across Melbourne. 

What made you create Fine Grazing?

What ultimately led me to cheese was a ‘cheese and wine’ event my husband and I would host at our home each year, just before the holidays. It was my creative outlet – the imagination would run wild with the styling of the tablescape. There was always a sense of fun putting an event together from concept to creation. It not only became a much-anticipated event with friends and family but it soon led me to being asked to create grazing tables for other peoples’ events. I love themes and here I was given the chance to interpret their brief and create. This was the foundation that evolved into the collection of cheese pillars (elevated cheese cakes) and lavosh I offer today.  

What are your signature items?

‘The Blue’ featured in Jardan’s Summer campaign is the original design I created. It was during lockdowns when events had ceased and it got me thinking of a ‘grazing type’ experience at home. But also, something different to what was well known and populating the market already. Sculpting cheese into a cake form offered a sense of occasion for cheese lovers. ‘The Blue’ still remains a signature product of ours today. 

Tell us a little bit about the recipes you’ve created for our holiday.