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Oliver James

@ollyjames

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Art.
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What is the true Taste of the Tropics to @ollyjames? 🔥 🦀 🌶️

Catch up on all episodes of Taste of the Tropics, now streaming on @sbsondemand.

#tropicalaustralia #australia #queensland by @ollyjames

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5 months ago

SBS Food | Taste of the Tropics: Foodie Friends
Premieres Thursday 7 May at 7:30pm on SBS Food and is als available to stream now, On Demand

My last guest takes me to Cape York, where I reconnect with Vince Harrigan at Normanby Station, a First Nations owned and operated station on Balnggarrawarra Country.

Vince and his brothers care for more than 30,000 hectares of culturally significant land, where wild cattle have impacted fragile waterways and important cultural sites for generations. Through @normanbybushbeef, they’re turning a serious environmental challenge into food with purpose: protecting Country, protecting culture, and creating opportunity for community.

The scale of the landscape, the connection to Country, and the depth of story behind what ends up on the plate - being here is a privilege, so I can’t wait to cook some of this wild beef for the boys.

As the sun drops over the station, we get cracking with some flame on the Normanby Bush Beef, and build a rich tropical braise with smoky pineapple chimichurri.

The beef is lean, organic and full of flavour, but what makes it truly special is what it represents: keeping Balnggarrawarra connected to Country; stewardship, resilience and the people doing remarkable work in one of the most breathtaking parts of Australia.

Taste of the Tropics is an initiative supported @sbsfood , @screenqueensland & @screenworks_aus and produced by @producer.wildlifepictures by @ollyjames

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5 months ago

Have you ever had pineapple chimmichurri? 🍍 ✨

Catch more of @ollyjames on Taste of the Tropics, tonight at 7:30pm or stream for free on @sbsondemand.

#Queensland #FNQ #Australianfood by @ollyjames

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5 months ago

SBS Food | Taste of the Tropics: Foodie Friends Premieres Thursday 7 May at 7:30pm on SBS Food (available on demand now if you don’t want to wait!)

Next, I head inland to the Tablelands where we meet my long time friend and collaborator, Candy, from Skybury Farms. Candy and I first met years ago through coffee, when I was invited up to train the Skybury barista team, and in the years since, Candy’s friendship has had a profound impact on the way I approach hospitality.

Walking through the plantation together, surrounded by towering papaya trees and coffee plants beneath them, we talk about farming, resilience, regional life, and the importance of staying connected to the people who grow the food we rely on every day. Here, we’re reminded that good produce doesn’t just appear on a plate. Behind it are families, risk, changing seasons, constant adaptation, and an enormous amount of effort.

Together, we harvest papaya straight from the trees before cooking beneath the shade of a sprawling old raintree, transforming this renowned tropical fruit into a smoky vegan salmon alternative, textural, flavourful, and inspired by the constellations of papaya that surround us.

Hanging out with Candy felt less like filming and more like reconnecting with one of the people who helped broaden my understanding of what regional food culture can really look like when community, farming and hospitality all work hand in hand. I can’t wait for you to see it!

Taste of the Tropics is an initiative supported @sbsfood , @screenqueensland & @screenworks_aus and produced by @producer.wildlifepictures by @ollyjames

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5 months ago

Taste of the Tropics // Foodie Friends with Oliver James. Premieres Thursday 7th May at 7:30pm on SBS Food.

Almost a year ago, I sat down with @ollyjames to start shaping ideas for Taste of the Tropics Season 2.

We knew from the beginning we only had time to tell three stories, but those stories somehow involved aircraft, boats, remote locations, a lot of logistics, and a fairly ambitious amount of Tropical North Queensland squeezed into one episode.

With a lot of help, a lot of problem solving, and the amazing @producer.wildlifepictures steering the entire production, we somehow pulled it off.

This episode took us across Tropical North Queensland, through stories of food, country, reef, farms, family and the people who make this place what it is.

It was a privilege to help tell these stories and I’m really grateful to everyone who let us into their world, gave us their time, shared their knowledge, and helped make it happen.

The team:

Host @ollyjames

Producer/Writer: Tamera Simpson @producer.wildlifepictures

Director/DOP/Writer @gscissor

Editor/2nd Camera: Sarah Scragg

Contributing Writer @jannah8484

Grip/Gaffer: John Baker

Camera Assistant: Jack Lee

Underwater Camera team @scubabo_cairns @patrick.smithson & @Kozel.carthew

Underwater colourist @kozel.carthew

Sound Recordist @curtis_lambert99

Location Photography @romanpace & @nicole.holdsworth

Location Assistant @align.with.fun

Post production by @thepostlounge

Taste of the Tropics is an initiative supported @sbsfood , @screenqueensland & @screenworks_aus and produced by @producer.wildlifepictures by @ollyjames

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5 months ago

SBS Food | Taste of the Tropics: Foodie Friends drops Thursday 7 May at 7:30pm on SBS Food

With the countdown on till tomorrow night’s episode, I’d like to introduce a few foodie friends who generously shared their knowledge, stories and favourite spots in the region, making this episode a pretty special journey - and a whole lot of fun.

First up, meet free diver Ant Judge. We head out to the breathtaking Three Sisters reef, where rainforest and coral collide. Together, we dive, and Ant shares a philosophy that has subtly shaped the way I think: mindfulness isn’t about silencing the mind, it’s about watching it with calm and curiosity.

After harvesting painted crayfish by hand, we head to a stunning local beach, light a fire, and let the ingredients speak. Fresh painted crayfish, coconut cream, ginger and chilli, cooked over flame. A great way to kick off our Tropical Far North food exploration – flavour, meaning, and connection.

Taste of the Tropics is an initiative supported @sbsfood , @screenqueensland & @screenworks_aus and produced by @producer.wildlifepictures by @ollyjames

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5 months ago

SBS Food | Taste of the Tropics: Foodie Friends with… me!

Premieres Thursday 7 May at 7:30pm on SBS Food
After years of serving food in my own restaurants, I set out to reconnect with the people who helped shape my journey. I'm leaving the kitchen to step into their world, to walk their land, hear their stories, and cook their dishes with my own tropical spin.

This journey is about deepening friendships, honouring culture, and understanding how food connects us to place and to each other. I bring the recipes and ingredients gathered along the way back to my café, @guyalacafe where these new dishes are shared.

Taste of the Tropics is an initiative supported @sbsfood @screenqueensland & @screenworks_aus, Directed and filmed by @threadless_films and produced by @producer.wildlifepictures by @ollyjames

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6 months ago

So we can finally share our episode of Taste Of The Tropics has an air date of the 7th of May on SBS Food and SBS on demand.

It has been such an incredible journey to be a part in this initiative from SBS, Screen Queensland & Screenworks.

A special thanks to the team:
Producer/Writer Tamera Simpson @producer.wildlifepictures
Director/DOP/Writer @gscissor @threadless_films
Editor/2nd Camera Sarah Scragg
Contributing Writer @jannah8484
Grip/Gaffer: John Baker
Camera Assistant: Jack Lee
Underwater Camera team @scubabo_cairns @patrick.smithson & @kozel.carthew
Sound Recordist @curtis_lambert99
Location Photography @romanpace & @nicole.holdsworth
Location Assistant - Julia Homberg

And to Karen Warner, Rachel Smith & Ewan Cutler for being on this journey with us at each and every stage.

Ant Judge, Candy McLaughlin, & Vince Harrigan for your wonderful stories, each of your stories is a true “Taste Of The Tropics”

@normanbybushbeef @skyburyfarms @candymaclaughlin @freediveinstructor

Big thanks to my incredible teams running my venues and businesses whilst I’m doing these epic side-quests!

Congratulations to the two other episodes in this great series, we can’t wait to watch them!

More to come soon........

A @screenworks_aus @screenqueensland and @sbsfood program taken in Guyala Cafe by @ollyjames

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6 months ago

Straight off the plane and… boom 💥—Cairns serves up a plot twist.

What looks like a humble café is actually a full-blown flavour stage. Meet Oliver James aka @ollyjames at @guyalacafe —quietly turning out some of the most exciting Asian-inspired plates in Tropical North Queensland.

Here’s what landed on the table:
🥢 Cherry-wood smoked duck breast with smashed edamame, cold soba noodles, sesame dressing, wakame, crispy shallots + pistachio
🥢 “Good Morning Vietnam” – turmeric & rice flour crepe, twice-cooked pork belly, paperbark-smoked five spice, bean sprouts, green papaya slaw + nước chấm

Cairns, you’ve been holding out on us.

📍Make this your first stop. Trust me. #hosted @tropicalnorthqueensland taken in Cairns, Queensland, Australia by @ollyjames

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6 months ago

Last Monday’s event was incredible. Chanho’s Tornado Pour absolutely blew the minds of Cairns coffee lovers 🌪️ A massive thank you to everyone who joined us and shared their passion @chanhohong @ollyjames @cairnscoffeecommunity

At Tattooed Sailor Coffee Roasters, we’re not dropping anchor anytime soon
we’ll keep sailing forward to support and grow the Cairns coffee community⚓️🚢

Stay tuned for the journey ahead! taken in Tattooed Sailor Coffee Roasters by @ollyjames

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7 months ago

Sneak peak at my next project - can’t wait to share with you what I’ve been up to with a few crew from my Media team…

Stay tuned.

🔥 taken in Tattooed Sailor Coffee Roasters by @ollyjames

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7 months ago

Who’s faster. Who’s more accurate.
No doubt. 100% certainty

Day 3, Cup Tasters practice with @frankieshi learning directly from his champion behind-the-scenes story, competition mindset, preparation, championship routines, and how to manage pressure, doubts, and nerves when it matters most. A session packed with practical insights that bring you one step closer to winning🏆

Truly valuable time
Thank you for sharing your experience and giving us your time.

This event was proudly co-hosted by @frankieshi , @barista_karl , @cairnscoffeecommunity @makecoffeewithlove , and @ollyjames , with the shared goal of supporting and strengthening the Cairns coffee community.

Thanks to our partners for supporting this event
@baristasupplies
@sttokeofficial
@infinitycoffeeroasters
@tattooedsailorcoffeeroasters
@minas_hill_coffee taken in Caffiend by @ollyjames

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9 months ago