ALBERTA'S

A freewheeling newcomer combines global dining pedigree with love for its hometown.

- MAX VEENHUYZEN

Let's get it out of the way: Kirsty Marchant and Ben Ing, the life and business partners behind Alberta's, both worked at Noma. When reports surfaced that the former head gardener (Marchant) and head chef (Ing) of one of the world's most watched restaurants were floating around WA, locals - unsurprisingly had questions. Where were they living? What were they doing? Could they get me a table at you-know-where? With the opening of this breezy 50-seater in the coastal hub of Busselton last June, the couple answered many of those questions while prompting some new ones, not least "why Busselton?" Beyond being familiar to Marchant - she grew up in Perth and holidayed "down south" as a kid - Busselton was somewhere that two 30-somethings could open their first hospitality venture without needing a Scrooge McDucktype backer. Crucially, calling Busso home means they were clos