Mabu Mabu

Mabu Mabu, meaning ‘help yourself’, is authored by a charismatic First Nations chef Nornie Bero who champions the tastes of native flavours in everyday cooking by unlocking the secrets of Australian herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits. Nornie has a restaurant and catering business in Melbourne so be sure to check it out next time you’re there.

Mabu Mabu reflects Nornie’s approach to cooking: simple, accessible, delicious, and colourful! Her native pantry (explored in a comprehensive glossary of native ingredients) includes seeds, succulents, nuts, plants and herbs, and her recipes range from Pumpkin and Wattleseed dampers (for which she is known) to Kangaroo Tail Bourguignon to Saltbush Butter, Quandong Relish, Pickled Karkalla and Pulled Wild Boar.

We stock a selection of Herbie’s Spices including Lemon Myrtle, Wattleseed, Bush Tucker Rub, and Australian Peppercorns. If there’s anything you’re looking for please get in touch and we’ll order it for you.

Nornie grew up on the island of Mer in the Torres Strait and while her wanderlust would take her to Italian and Japanese kitchens in Melbourne and London via Townsville, her home now is Mabu Mabu, a restaurant renowned in Melbourne and beyond for its innovative and delicious Australian Indigenous food.

Nornie also shares her knowledge of foraging, sourcing and substitutions, as well as the story of her formative years foraging, fishing and cooking alongside her beloved father on Mer.