It’s been hailed as the holy grail of superfoods; a simple, nutrient-dense ingredient that promises to be life extending, health restoring and environmentally sustainable. But seaweed is also experiencing a global culinary evolution that is being embraced by some of the world’s best chefs, from Paris and New York to the Mornington Peninsula.
In Dromana three environmentally aware entrepreneurs with a shared vision are quietly spearheading an innovative seaweed farming and manufacturing business that they hope will one day see the edible algae make its way into every household pantry and commercial kitchen in the country.
Mornington Peninsula‐born Cameron Hines, who co launched his first business, Mountain Goat Brewery in 1997 while in his 20s, started Southern Seagreens with his partners in 2022 with the grand vision of seaweed feeding the world.
The fledgling business is just two years in, but its seaweed products are already being incorporated into the dishes of some of the best restaurants in Victoria, including Stokehouse St Kilda, Vue de monde, Barragunda in Cape Schanck, Alba Thermal Springs and Spa, and Laura at Point Leo Estate.
Sophie O’Neil from Torello Farm, which is the largest stockist of Southern Seagreen products, said she was really excited to see what the small company was doing. “Cam and his partners are coming up with seaweed products that are not too intimidating and are really delicious, like their smoked kelp and their seasonings that can be sprinkled on food to give it an amazing flavour,” she said. “And what they are doing is also really good for the environment and super good for us, which we will all only learn more about. You only have to look at the longevity of the Japanese, who have been eating seaweed for a long time.”
Hines, who was based in the city with his previous business, said returning to the peninsula with an enterprise that was “net zero impact” and met all of his sustainability objectives, started with a Tim Flannery documentary. “After watching this Flannery documentary on climate change, I was impressed with kelp as an environmentally friendly alternative to food production, and with seaweed’s ability to ‘mop up’ carbon,” he said. “In a climate change world, we have to look at smarter ways of feeding people. Seaweed also meets a lot of other sustainability goals…it’s a high value, high protein food, yet doesn’t need arable land, pesticides or fertilisers, and doesn’t require fresh water.”
“The Mornington Peninsula is an ideal place for growing it, because kelp loves the nutrient rich water that flows in from Bass Strait”
Hines said seaweed had long been recognised as a superfood in Asia, and is packed with vitamins and minerals, including iodine, magnesium, iron, calcium, folate and vitamins A, C, E and K. It also contains antioxidants and offers possible benefits like blood sugar stability and healthy gut promotion. “And the Mornington Peninsula is an ideal place for growing it, because kelp loves the nutrient rich water that flows in from Bass Strait,” Hines said.
The Flannery documentary planted a seed that grew, and after more than a year of research, Hines and business partners Bert Cross, also the company’s diver, and scientist Dr Rob Brimblecombe, received a Mornington Peninsula Shire Council Climate Action Grant to set up a kelp nursery in Dromana to cultivate native kelp from spores in sterile, thermostatically controlled tanks. Once the kelp has established on ‘spools’, it is moved to their aquaculture lease at Flinders, where it is suspended in the sea for around six months from buoys until mature.
Another side to Hines’ business is the removal and processing of pest seaweed Undaria, which was brought into Australian water decades ago through ship bilge water and has spread rapidly. Listed as an ‘Australian Priority Marine Pest’, it is problematic to the Port Phillip marine environment because it forms dense forests that exclude and shade out other native species. “But we remove it from the bay, which helps to re-establish native kelp populations that have been under pressure from invasive sea urchins and increasing water temperatures, and process it into edible wakame, which is packed with flavour and goodness,” Hines said.
“Seaweeds absorb a mix of organic compounds from seawater, which contribute to their distinctive umami taste”
“And because of the way we use dehumidifiers to gently dry our seaweeds, rather than high heat, chefs who use our wakame tell us it has much more flavour than others that are imported.” Hines said innovative chefs have embraced seaweed in their dishes, using the complexity of flavours to create dishes such as seaweed butter, kelp-based salads and sauces, and even sweet dishes. “Seaweeds absorb a mix of organic compounds from seawater, which contribute to their distinctive umami taste. It’s the fifth flavour element that’s a savoury taste triggered by a naturally occurring amino acid called glutamate,” he said.
There are plans to export and expand into other states but, for the moment, the trio are enjoying their local success and ensuring they refine and expand their products to suit consumer needs. “Yes, exporting is something we will look at down the track, but we’ve got lots more to learn before we get to that stage.”
southernseagreens.com