Australia’s toughest food critic, Matthew Evans, has thrown in his city life for a taste of some small farm living in Tasmania; that heart shaped island somewhere down the bottom of Australia.

This series plots the new trajectory of Matthew?s life: from living in Australia?s biggest and busiest city to a country life in an isolated part of the island state. He?s eager to seriously put to the test his primary belief that we should all be directly connected with our food: either by growing it or rearing it ourselves, or sourcing it from local producers. Having spent most of his life writing about what good food actually is, Matthew now wants to go directly to the source. He aims to find the best local produce: to rear and grow as much as he can himself. He wants to get pigs, chooks, sheep and a cow. He wants to grow things for the plate and have his farmhouse table groaning under huge platters of food. And then he wants to have lots of his old and new friends over to share in the spoils. Only problem is, he doesn?t know how to chop wood, and he doesn?t know anything about growing fruit and vegetables and even less about rearing animals. However, he does know how to eat. How hard can it be? Matthew quickly discovers that the transition from theory to practice means he will need plenty of practical help along the way: from learning how to fence, to humanely dispatching animals. Old mates and locals are on hand to help, and provide gritty advice, but Matthew still has to face many challenges on the road ahead. He?s thrown in his successful big city career - but will he now be able to make a living from the land? Can he use his skills to successfully sell his own smallgoods at Hobart?s premium marketplace, Salamanca?

On his eternal quest for quality and authenticity, he visits artisan food producers nestled in lush valleys, scattered along the coastal fringes or huddled in tiny towns across the island state. They all share a common commitment to natural and traditional methods of farming ? reflected in their unique approach to life and work. These niche producers show him how to make cheese, select pigs, pluck chickens, press cider, and most importantly, offer him ongoing inspiration and support. He repays them all by doing what he knows best: cooking up a feast made from their own or locally harvested produce. Matthew has plenty of bracing outdoor adventures; whether it be diving for abalone, toughing it out in freezing conditions in the highlands, or bushwalking in iconic Cradle Mountain National Park. Along the way, Matthew learns that his personal transformation involves forming deep connections to people, to other creatures, and to the powerful notion of place. And most of all, in the end, it?s just about doing things right.