Our Story

The farmers

Frida’s Field is run by the Rawlings family - Edward and Jeanie with their 3 young kids and lots of support from Edward’s parents. As passionate foodies, having an interest in growing food and farming was a natural extension for us. Traveling and working in India, Sir Lanka, South East Asia and Europe we revelled in the local food cultures. While living in London and exploring Europe, we were inspired by the attention on provenance, artisanship and food ethics - solidifying our desire to live on the land and be involved in food production. We left our city lives and spent 4 years living on the farm where Edward grew up in Queensland, testing out whether we really liked country living by breeding Tamworth pigs and establishing a market garden. Then we were ready to commit to finding our “forever farm”. We chose to move to the Byron Bay Hinterland as it was a progressive regional area with stunning natural beauty where we believed that we would find a community of like-minded people. And we did! Our dream of making a living by growing food has developed and grown as we have dealt with the realities of the market and come into contact with inspiring, progressive ideas such as regenerative agriculture and agroforestry. We feel extremely lucky to be living here and giving this project our best shot!

The farm

The property’s rich basalt soils derive from the outpourings of the Focal Peak and Mount Warning volcanoes over 20 million years ago. These fertile soils enabled the growth of the largest subtropical rainforest in the world, covering an area 75,000 hectares. Once densely covered by this “Big Scrub” forest, the farm was one  of the very last properties in the Northern Rivers to be cleared for farmland as it had been  earmarked as a nature reserve.  However, the government changed its mind and  kept a block further down  Booyong  Road (which you can still visit today).  Remnants of this magnificent forest still exist along the rivers that bound the farm; also home to platypus, water dragons, perch and bass.

Since the early 1900s, the property has been run as a family farm. For four generations and over a hundred years, the Johnson family were its custodians, successfully navigating the ebbs and flows of the local dairy industry. Their well-loved property became the focal point of local gatherings, including camp-outs, fishing days and the annual Nashua cricket match and fundraiser. This event still takes place each October at Johnson's pitch on the property's southern paddock, formerly the home ground of the old Nashua Cricket Club which started in 1907. We, the current owners, took over the property in 2014.

The farm is located in Nashua, which is a Native American Indian word meaning "land between two rivers".  The hamlet was named  by the Toohey  brothers  (of  Toohey's  Beer fame), who moved to the area from Ireland via the United  States.  We believe they were referring to this property, which lies between the Wilson River and the Byron Creek, making it the Nashua of Nashua!

The chef

Our kitchen is led by multi-award winning Chef Alastair Waddell.

Born in Glasgow, “Ally” received top notch classical training at two of Scotland’s most famous culinary institutions - The Bistro at One Devonshire Gardens as well as The Georgian Room at Cameron House – both of which have earned AA’s prestigious 3 Rosette rating. 

After working in the United States, Ally relocated to Australia where we worked at Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne before rising to Executive Head Chef at Qualia on Hamilton Island where he was awarded numerous accolades including Hotel Chef of the Year, Hotel Restaurant of the Year and Conde Nast Traveller’s World’s Best Resort. Ally has been awarded coveted SMH Good Food Guide Hat Award twice, including one with Frida’s Field in the 2023 Awards.

Ally has lived in the Byron Bay region since 2017, where he has forged strong connections with many local growers and producers. Ally’s menus showcase his classical training and deft skills in creating delicious, produce-driven cuisine using seasonal crops grown by us and other local producers.