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The Flackyard Origins
Our little Family have taken over the iconic old Church in the Pioneer Valley and transformed it into The FLACKYARD.
We have travelled Australia, and the world, compiling ideas and inspiration, as far as the Middle East and the remote Kimberley wilderness.
Now back to his grass roots, it’s time to show this region what unique culinary flair Nik has to offer, all captured in a very special dining experience.
Nik’s Chef pedigree is incredible – a 25 year career in outstanding restaurants including: Wildflower in Perth, True North International,
Vue De Monde in Melbourne, and Fervor in WA.
We take pride in our ability to discover the most unique flavours from our beautiful country and share them with those living in the
Mackay, Pinnacle and Whitsundays Regions and all of our Guests visiting from all over the world.
The FLACKYARD Heart and Soul
NIKHOLAS FLACK
Executive Chef and Company Director
This guy is the embodiment of his motto
‘YOU SLOW DOWN, YOU GO DOWN’.
The FLACKYARD is Nik Flack’s destination dining dream realised.
Nik lives and breathes it every single day.
He is a powerhouse of passion and devotion to his craft.
He has the sort of determination and vision that can make it tough working for others, so with huge effort we made it possible for him to be and
do his own thing, and we are oh so glad we did.
He’s tackled learning business management and everything else a
tiny business needs beyond the kitchen.
For him, there is no greater joy than to share his flavour and teach a wider audience about the importance of respect for knowledge, culture,
and sustainability of Australia’s extraordinary and potent native foods.
Be warned…he will woo you.
Nik values impeccable delivery of a very special experience for
every guest and every table.
He takes the time to teach every Team member ‘the way of the yard’.
His immense talent and hard earnt years of training in elite kitchens,
from Melbourne’s Vue De Monde to Perth’s Wildflower,
is reflected in the extraordinary food, but the experience
for guests is something more akin to a loved one inviting you to
encounter a new wonder, indeed many new wonders.
He will take you on a journey, with such pleasure, even though his day may have started with a washing machine or plumbing malfunction,
or any of the tribulations that come from living on site.
He will never let the dream go, and rightly so, he resonates with how rare it is that any of us get to be so fortunate to truly realise our dreams.
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EM GOSS
Co Owner and Partner in Life and Business
This woman sees the SPARK in everyone and she stokes the FIRE.
Em has believed in this dream with Nik for longer than anyone.
They daydreamed and planned it out together as they travelled across Australia.
After Hunter, their first FLACKseed, was born the name: The FLACKYARD
is what they started calling their backyard for parties and mini festivals.
It’s the intimacy of the family home.
To get the restaurant started, Em sold her WA home and worked three full on health jobs all the way through a complex pregnancy, gave birth, and didn’t miss a beat to get the restaurant opened the week after Iluka was born.
Early guests remember Em as front of house, wearing Illy,
pouring wine and sharing life.
She’s done, and does, the jobs of every other Team member –
from scrubbing dunnies and ironing, to foraging and food prep.
Her focus for The FLACKYARD is: brand creative, marketing, tourism, grants,
social media photography, video and content creation;
sourcing our natural wines and really knowing all our makers;
creating potent no alc beverages with each season; the kitchen garden;
hand making gift cards with Hunter; learning from and building our vital connections with First Nations Elders, Advisors and Communities, including discovering ingredients we can use with their guidance; developing our
knowledge of nutrition science; organising exhibitions and events;
typing menus; the tunes you hear; business admin;
décor and creating some of the natural art you see.
Em LOVES being front and back of house,
sharing soul stories, whenever she can.
She does this, and she’s still a longstanding
Senior Clinician at Perth Brain Centre.
It takes a dedicated Team to make our
unique restaurant experience come to life
JORDAN KOZMAN
This guy embodies the GUSTO of creating your BEST LIFE.
Pioneer Valley local, Jordan, has shown his fervent interest in
The FLACKYARD since our opening night in 2019.
He immersed himself in the Welcome to Country, Smoking Ceremony, Community Dinner and made a point that night to introduce himself and his plans to Nik.
He helped us often in early days and Jordan has been
eternally reliable as we have grown.
We are so happy to have him as our skilled Apprentice in the kitchen, nurturing him in the unique FLACKYARD style comes naturally. Outstandingly he won Silver in his first year at the Golden Chef’s Hat Awards Competition.
Jordan is passionate about ‘making people happy’ saying ‘knowing your work and time has made someone’s day is an extraordinary feeling.’
Jordan’s talent and creativity is now becoming fully realised with
The FLACKYARD seasonal menus.
Last season’s celebrated Roo dish, inspired by his own heritage, was a vibrant Australian native take on the Berliner Street food – Currywurst.
This season he’s had a debut in desserts with a deep floral wonder
you’ll have to see to believe.
We feel so fortunate to have Jordan on our team.
He knows the business from the ground up and helps with absolutely everything.
We don’t know where we’d be without him honestly.
DONNA SIMPSON
Back and Front of House
This lady understands the deeper meanings of: FINE BUSH DINING.
Beautiful Donna and her awesome Husband Simmo are
The FLACKYARD’s cherished next door neighbours.
Donna is a talented cook in her own right and a much loved
caterer for unique festivals around Australia.
When she’s not on the road she is a vital member of our tiny team.
Donna’s attention to detail and finesse is such an asset.
She understands that a small business relies on everyone doing everything,
where we can, to keep the dream alive.
Donna’s skills come to life in the kitchen helping with prep and plating
during service, she serves our guests with heartfelt warmth,
and she is also a gun on the dishes, irons, cleans, and often
sets and dresses the restaurant with it’s signature style.
Donna is also the queen of word of mouth as a frequent FLACKYARD flyer,
and she has introduced us to some of the most gorgeous guests
and musicians for our ‘LONG and LIVE’ Sundays
who we are now lucky to call friends too.
Our Wonderful Suppliers
