Trevor Perkins is a passionate advocate for eating locally and sustainably. Local for Trevor is West Gippsland where he cooks overlooking the vines at Hogget Kitchen. On the day I visited, the countryside was shrouded in a smoky haze from nearby bush fires, a reminder of our footprint on this land that was so well managed and appreciated for thousands of years. It is good in times like these to talk to good people like Trevor, whose love for his region, the produce he works with and for teaching and sharing his knowledge with others is inspiring. Trevor’s connection to the land started in his childhood and is now woven into the food he puts up. After our chat, he took me for a tour of Hogget Kitchen to check out the hanging charcuterie, native garden, the carcasses waiting to be butchered on site and the huge bookshelf of cookbooks ranging from the Larousse Gastronomique to Rohan Anderson. I want my house to look and feel like Hogget Kitchen; it’s a gem of a place.