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We were only supposed to pitstop at Harris Farm in Sydney’s Rose Bay for a packet of nitrite-free bacon. As the first stop on a four-store “shopping crawl”, it should have been a quick in-and-out.
But traversing the aisles with Donna Hay is a slow-motion exercise in culinary discovery. Every few steps, the stylist and bestselling author halts to grab a new find.
“Well, I do shop for a living,” says Hay, filling the French market baskets slung on her shoulders.
We’re stocking up for a typical Hay weekend: a harbourside Sunday lunch with friends defined by “low-fuss” elegance. It’s a theme she explores in her new Disney+ series, donna hay Coastal Celebrations, where the menu leans on high-impact, seasonal staples like miso-Dijon roasted chicken and sun-ripened tomatoes.
Despite her reputation for visual perfection, Hay’s hosting philosophy is surprisingly relaxed. “Focus on one course,” she advises. “Have snacks like olives or bruschetta to start, and a great cheese to finish, but make the main course the star. Don’t complicate things. It’s more important to connect with the people around the table and have a belly laugh.”
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Harris Farm
Before we even cross the threshold, one basket is half-full. Hay – the stylist who pioneered a white-plated, clean, sunlit aesthetic – loves to surround herself with flowers and potted herbs. She grabs white gerberas and a basil plant, intended for vintage ramekins and soup tureens. “These last for weeks,” she says. “It’s much better than buying cut herbs and flowers.”
Once inside, we talk tactics. “I love walking the aisles and reverse-engineering a menu,” she says, describing the process as a treasure hunt. “You have to be flexible. I think of meals as I go along, depending on what looks good.”
‘My menus are a bit like high-low fashion dressing: I balance a few key luxury ingredients like meat and cheese with basic, affordable things.’
Donna HayThe first gems she pounces on are baby pears and ripe figs – the cheeseboard finale to her Sunday lunch. Her rule? One cheese only. “For me, mixing cheeses is like mixing different wines. But I will buy the best cheese I can afford at a cheesemonger.”
She applies the same logic to the butcher, seeking out specialists such as Sydney’s Vic’s Meat or Melbourne’s Meatsmith and G. McBean Family Butcher. Her go-to cuts for a crowd include chicken on the bone, lamb shoulder and beef brisket – often finished with a bourbon barbecue schmear – or eye fillet for its simplicity and zero waste.
“My menus are a bit like high-low fashion dressing: I balance a few key luxury ingredients like meat and cheese with basic, affordable things.”
That pragmatism extends to the organic aisle. “Who can afford that? But if I see something organic, like apples, that are well priced, in season and look good, I will buy them.”
We continue darting through the store as Hay excitedly rounds up her pantry essentials:
● Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour: This is Hay’s “1-to-1” secret weapon. It works in everything from muffins to bread without having to redo your measurements, she says. “It’s a perfect swap for a gluten-free friend without any compromise for those who are not.”
● Soy Boy soy milk: “I couldn’t count how many coffees I have a day,” says Hay, laughing. She loves the flavour and chose this brand after analysing labels; it won her over with the highest protein and lowest sugar count on the shelf.
● Uncle’s Smallgoods Nitrite-Free Bacon: Bacon and egg rolls are a weekend staple for the four boys in her household. Hay is conscious of the WHO classification of processed meats as a Group 1 carcinogen and seeks out “cleaner” options. Nitrite-free products use natural curing agents such as celery powder or sea salt rather than artificial preservatives to achieve that classic cure.
● McClure’s or Acide pickles: Hay serves these as a side to almost everything, but her latest trick is a “pickle-juice marinade”. She halves chicken breasts horizontally, soaks them in the dill-flavoured brine for 30 minutes, then places them on a baking tray and roasts them for 30 minutes under a topping of mozzarella, sliced pickles and a shower of parmesan.
● La Stella Mini Burrata: While standard burrata – a fresh cow’s milk mozzarella pouch filled with a soft, creamy stracciatella centre – is usually the size of a tennis ball, this is a “baby” version. “You pop one of these on a bowl of pasta and break it open,” she says. “It’s seriously boujee – a stylist’s dream.”
● Flax, chia, sunflower seeds and pepitas: “I dwell in the seeds and nuts section of a supermarket! Food can be medicine, and this is where you can add some serious nutrition to meals.” She crowns her morning oats with flax and chia, while toasted sunflower seeds and pepitas are her go-to for adding crunch to any green salad.
Wholefoods House
The planned shopping crawl is cut short; after an hour lost in the aisles of Harris Farm, we skip straight to this family-owned health food store in Woollahra. Hay comes here for the greens – specifically the vibrant, less-common varietals like radicchio, rainbow chard and cavolo nero that peak in autumn.
“I try not to buy things pre-wrapped in plastic. What can I say? I was raised by hippies,” she laughs.
As we eye the shelf of premade sauces, she picks up a buttermilk dressing before rattling off her go-to recipe for creamy ranch-style dressing, perfect for cos salads or crunchy slaw.
Donna's creamy ranch-style dressing
In a medium bowl, whisk together until smooth:
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup Greek yoghurt
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
- salt and pepper, to season
Makes 2 cups and keeps beautifully in the fridge.
I also coax her to share the formula for her daily “three-way” vinaigrette-style dressing: she uses equal parts maple syrup, Dijon mustard and olive oil, with a splash of apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper. “Give it a good shake and you’re done.”
Other grab-and-go favourites at Wholefoods House:
● Spiral Foods Organic Furikake with Yuzu: This Japanese-style sprinkle of sesame seeds and seaweed gets a fragrant citrus lift from yuzu peel. Hay shakes it over fried eggs, salads and fried rice.
● Loco Love Chocolate: A staple of the store’s vegan treat section, these bars –free from dairy, gluten and refined sugar – are her final impulse buy. Grabbing one as she heads for the register, she grins: “It’s a Donna roadie.”
The Artisan Cheese Room
The last leg of our whistle-stop shopping tour is this specialist cheesemonger in Paddington, where Hay is looking for the perfect Sunday lunch closer.
“I know it’s not popular to say, but I don’t like serving cheese at the beginning of a meal,” Hay admits. “It fills you up too much.”
Hay enthusiastically chats with the owners while sampling slivers from the Artisan Cheese Room’s crammed cabinets. “I love choosing what suits the season and whatever they say is good,” she says. Her “greatest hits” rotation often includes:
- Comte: A savoury, unpasteurised French cow’s milk cheese with notes of brown butter and hazelnut.
- Long Paddock Banksia: A nutty, earthy semi-hard cow’s milk cheese from Castlemaine, Victoria.
- Woodside Edith: An ash-coated, French-style goat’s milk cheese from the Adelaide Hills that becomes delightfully gooey and intense as it ages.
Hay keeps the accompaniment simple: fresh figs, grapes, or paper-thin slices of apple and pear. If she has time, she’ll pan-fry wedges of fruit in butter with a splash of apple cider vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar for caramelisation. It’s all served alongside low-salt biscuits and crusty slices of Baker Bleu bread – the final pieces of her perfect Sunday puzzle.
- Donna Hay Coastal Celebrations is now streaming on Disney+
