The native bush surrounds of Sydney’s Hawkesbury River will host a rare culinary collaboration later this month, when Norway’s three Michelin-starred Maaemo creates an entirely Australian version of its distinctive hyper-local Nordic cuisine at two-hatted Berowra Waters Inn.
Maaemo executive chef, Jay Boyle – one of just three Australian chefs running three Michelin-starred restaurants globally* – will join Berowra Waters Inn owner and executive chef Brian Geraghty to deliver an exceptional 14-course menu of Maaemo dishes reimagined using only Australian ingredients.
For the four-day Sydney pop-up, Newcastle-born Boyle will leave everything behind in Oslo – including ferments, misos and preserves built up over 15 years that play a significant role in the flavour profiles of Maaemo’s dishes – to start from scratch, strictly sourcing produce native to Australia, in line the local-only ethos of both restaurants.
“It’s a major and slightly terrifying challenge to recreate these dishes without a single item from the Maaemo pantry – there’s a whole alphabet of ingredients we need to replace – but it’s very exciting to recreate and even elevate dishes through a purely Australian lens,” Boyle said.
Ingredient swaps will include Hawkesbury mudcrab in macadamia milk instead of king crab and hazelnuts; wattle seeds replacing coffee for the smoked Atherton raspberries and brown cheese; pistachio miso instead of pumpkin seed for the lamb; and marron in place of langoustine.
Other native produce will include emu egg, bunya nut, Atherton raspberry, Geraldton wax, Australian tamarind, sunrise lime, Davidson’s plum, cinnamon myrtle, rosella flower and rye berry, sourced via a number of local suppliers, including Tinja Farms and Newcastle Greens.
The menu will feature an exciting mix of signature Maaemo dishes – like Oyster ‘Tradition 2010’ with Hawkesbury oysters in place of Norway’s Bømlo oysters – as well as new, yet-to-be-revealed dishes destined for the restaurant’s summer season menu.
“Dishes will closely resemble those served in Oslo, but will also be completely bespoke, taking on the unique flavours of Australia, cooked up by a couple of Australian chefs at the top of their field, in an iconic Australian setting,” said Geraghty.
“This is our second Maaemo x Berowra Waters Inn collaboration in two years, and with this uniquely all-Australian version of the menu highlighting incredible native ingredients, we’re expecting this to be even more special than the first.”
Just 250 seats will be made available across the four-day pop-up held 24-27 July 2025, with a 14-course menu for $420 per person, and two optional matching all-Australian wines selections for $220 and $340. Bookings essential via https://www.berowrawatersinn.com/maaemo
MENU IN PROGRESS
‘Our Caviar’, boiled eggs, local butter
Lightly poached Hawkesbury prawn, miso
BBQ lamb shoulder, white garlic, beer
Raw Hervey Bay scallops
Oyster ‘Tradition 2010’ with Hawkesbury oysters
Hawkesbury mudcrab, macadamia milk
Fish with bacon butter, mushroom
Marron cooked over embers, emu egg yolk
Lamb cooked over fire, mint, broccoli
Warm milk bread, garlic, butter
Toasted hay ice cream, honey
Smoked Atherton raspberries, brown cheese
Eggnog, honey, whisky
Chestnut flour cakes, cinnamon
* Jay Boyle is one of three Australian chefs running three-Michelin-starred restaurants around the world, alongside Matt Abé (Restaurant Gordon Ramsay) and Brett Graham (The Ledbury).
