Oh, Deer?

Soy. Camel. Goat. Oat. Do We Really Need Another Milk? Alexandra Carlton Puts Doe Dairy Through Its Paces.

- Alexandra Carlton

A group of 12 prominent Sydney chefs including Paul Carmichael from Momofuku Seiobo, Firedoor’s Tony Gibson and Black Star Pastry founder Christopher Thé, are seated at a long table 47 levels above the city at O Bar and Dining. The Sydney skyline glimmers under a soft wash of rain as the guests exchange gossip and jokes.

In front of everyone is a glass of Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV. And next to that is a glass of milk.

It’s not just any milk. This is deer milk. The first deer milk to be produced commercially anywhere in the world, and it’s the reason for today’s gathering. It’s not every day that an entirely new raw ingredient enters the world. “It’s almost like finding a new colour or a new music note,” says O Bar and Dining’s owner Michael Moore as he swirls the tumbler of creamy, yellowish milk and brings it to his lips.