My name is Michal and I am the founder of Good Gazda, a small family business based in Sydney, Australia.
As a boy living in a small town it was always very exciting to spend summer school holidays with my grandparents. Two months in the village, enjoying every minute and savouring all the fresh produce from the garden! Still to this day I have the best memories of my grandfather, and vividly remember his huge garden full of fruit trees, vegetables and domesticated animals. It was him who has had the biggest influence on me and inspired me many years later to start Good Gazda. The sweet smell of something baking in grandmother`s oven still makes me happy today and takes me back to their estate. I just wish they were still here!
The word “Gazda” translates as a farmer/host. Gazda is a respected man and honourable member of any community, living a simple life in symbiosis with nature. Remembering my grandfather growing all of his fresh produce, his green houses and animals, I envisioned to do exactly the same one day. Produce would never go to waste and everything that could not be eaten or given away was preserved for later.
When someone takes good care of the land, treats animals with respect and most importantly values his family and friends, we would often say
this person is a “Good Gazda“!
Stepping into the commercial kitchen for the first time in my life I was about 22, freshly arrived to Australia. Just like everyone else starting in the kitchen I was being bombarded with hundreds of kilos of seafood to clean, mountains of onions to peel, and smoking pans to scrub! Even though the days were long and life was tough I enjoyed the hectic kitchen service and was satisfied seeing people leaving happy and full. As a cook, I love to experiment with different flavours and textures but essentially my desire is to feed people the best food possible. Prepared with love, respect and care. Keeping it simple, really!
My aim is to offer a range of homemade products made right here in Australia. Respecting the age old recipes from Europe we are choosing only the best imported and freshest local ingredients. I believe Australia has the potential for growing the best produce in the world. It has always been important to me and my family to live more sustainably, be environmentally concious and to support local small producers. We care about where the food comes from, the less the food has to travel, fresher it is. Good Gazda strives to preserve the traditional recipes, letting you experience the products while continuing the legacy of our grandparents.