Sometimes collaborations seem so natural that they almost beg the question - why didn’t we do this earlier? For people of a certain generation, there were some things that were staples of a simpler time – there were 5 television channels, the only way to speak to someone was to see them in person or to know their home phone number, CDs were expensive, and Mario Kart was cutting edge. If you were lucky enough to be home sick from school the tv options were Days of Our Lives, The Young and the Restless, General Hospital, and then just after lunch but before the cartoons started, Healthy, Wealthy and Wise with TV Chef Iain ‘Huey’ Hewitson. Huey went on to feature in our collective tv chef consciousness for decades, and even the youngest gen Z in our office has fond Huey memories.
So, when we saw Huey with a Curatif Margarita in hand on Tik Tok we knew we had to reach and to talk all things cocktails – and what a delight it has been! We spent a great afternoon in the lab discussing all things Melbourne hospitality history – for the uninitiated, before TV fame Huey was a powerhouse of the restaurant scene, in fact ever moreso than this author even knew. The list of Huey’s restaurants are significant - and very cool – non-exhaustively summarised below;
- Lemon Tree Hotel, Carlton
- Clichy, Collingwood
- Fleurie’s, Toorak (Four courses fixed price $44, cigars and pipes disallowed in the dining room until 10pm, cigarettes OK) – Three Hats Age Good Food Guide 1987/88
- Champagne Charlie, Toorak
- Last Aussie Fishcaf, South Melbourne
- Memories of the Mediterranean (in the building fka Rockman’s Regency, which is now the Marriott Melbourne), Melbourne
- Tolarno Bistro, St, Kilda
- Barney Allan’s, St Kilda
- …. and Big Huey’s Diner, South Melbourne
A veritable laundry list of some of the most well-known dining institutions over decades have carved a legacy for one of the most familiar faces on tv for Aussies (and Kiwis!) of several generations.
Our afternoon in the lab was spent wiling away the time talking Fitzroy St in the 90s – Monroes and Joey’s were notable features – along with discussions around dining (fine and otherwise) that demonstrated Huey’s encyclopaedic knowledge of the culinary pursuits, and endearingly exhibited his easy-going and affable attitude to hospitality broadly. One of the stories we enjoyed was the receival of the American Express statement one month that had a full page of transactions at Monroes, strawberry daiquiris for the room after shift being a go-to move.
Taking cues from those stories, we built from the base of our house-made strawberry syrup (fresh, frozen strawberries are utilised in creating a hypertonic solution, allowing us to extract the maximum amount of flavour out of fresh fruit with the minimum amount of fruit particulate), then blending with fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and Los Arcos 100% Agave Blanco we were able to create the first iteration of what would become Huey’s Strawberry Margarita. The result is lively, fresh, and equal parts sweet and zesty, fierce and refreshing – the perfect representation of Huey’s flair in the kitchen, tempered with a big dose of fun.
At the outset, we had hoped that Huey would turn his mind to a dish that would pair perfectly with our collaborative Margarita and we weren’t disappointed! Our team had the good fortune to spend a day on set with Huey where he whipped up a Thai-inspired salmon ceviche; freshly caught and cutTasmanian salmon, with a marinade of fish sauce, lime juice, fresh birds-eye chilli, garlic, and as much shaved palm sugar that went into the bowl as flew around the quintessential outdoor kitchen. It was pretty eye-opening for us – Louse and I – to be working with a consummate professional who hit his cues, staring straight down the barrel of the right camera, and nailed all of his sections in a single-take. The video will be up on socials by the time you’re reading this – check it out, and if you get the chance make the ceviche to go with the cocktail, it was bloody delish!
With Huey’s new book – Who Called the Cook a Bastard? - coming out soon, there may even be a little nod to the cocktail within, so our serving recommendation for Huey’s Strawberry Margarita is over large ice, with a view of the beach in the background, with Who Called the Cook a Bastard? in the other hand.
Huey’s Strawberry Margarita is available now until sold out.