Sarah Booth is an entrepreneurial creative who is affectionately referred to as ‘the Mayor of Melbourne’ by her various friends and co-workers. For the last 12 years she’s worked across a wide variety of fields and projects: from writing and editing, producing props in film and television, and managing events. It’s safe to say Sarah has been a driving force behind many of the exciting initiatives that have defined the city’s culture.
Recently Sarah has restructured her career, honing her diverse set of skills into three soul-satisfying businesses, which she operates concurrently. At the same time as running the well-loved Flour Market, selling delicious cakes and representing the specialty baking community, Sarah is also now the proud co-owner of a café in Collingwood called Tiggy. It’s from here she runs a small flower delivery company called B’OK. Typical of her initiatives, with B’OK Sarah is rallying the creative community and providing practical opportunities. “I’m involving a lot of local artists to do cards. It’s all about joyful flowers with really beautiful and inspiring mini artworks. It’s a simple, joyous offering.” Of her new ventures she explains, “2016 is the year of trying to get off the computer and work with my hands, to connect with the things that make me happy.”
When she’s not at Tiggy, Sarah has a couple of local spots she eats at regularly. Two of Melbourne’s most vibrant and healthy Japanese cafes – Cibi and Mina-no-ie – have become like her living room away from her living room. The signature Cibi breakfast plate is her go-to, and when she’s too busy to make it to the cafe she creates her own interpretation at home. “I try to make the plate myself with things from the fridge. Even though this brekkie is very simple it feels really indulgent. I like the way it’s compartmentalised; it almost reminds me of being a kid. Everything is in its right place and you can customise it as you go.” The meal also strikes a personal note with Sarah: her sister spent some time living in Japan, and Sarah would make regular trips to Tokyo to visit her.
During her time in Tokyo, the Japanese approach to everyday life resonated with Sarah. “I like the continuity and that the colours are calming and clean. I feel like it’s easy to be creative in Japan,” she tells i-D. It’s something she tries to carry into her own creative processes, too. “If everything is clean and in its right place it’s a great base for me to be creative from. If the start is clean then you can be messy along the way. Clear space, clear mind.”
As you’d expect of a florist, Sarah is a morning person. Every day she’s up by 7am embarking on a ritual to set her up for the day. She explains, “my boyfriend and I typically get up and walk around Fitzroy Gardens, generally in the rain at the moment, which is nice. Then we come home and make coffee and brekkie. It’s a time we enjoy-we read the paper and write a to-do list, something I do every single morning. I think any morning where the day in front of you involves doing what you love makes for an exciting day.”
Sarah Booth’s Cibi-Inspired Breakfast
For the plate:
1 fillet of sustainably sourced salmon
¼ cup of uncooked brown rice
1 cup of organic pumpkin
1 small organic sweet potato
½ a cup of fresh broccoli
½ a cup of fresh green beans
½ a cup of frozen edamame beans
1 Tbsp toasted black sesame seeds
1 tsp quality soy sauce
1 tsp furikake rice seasoning
1 tsp schichimi togarshi red pepper mix
For the tamagoyaki egg:
2 free range eggs
Pinch of salt
Dash of quality soy sauce
1 Tbsp mirin
1 tsp oil
For the miso:
1 Tbs miso paste
1 cup of water
¼ cup organic firm tofu, chopped
1 Tbsp fresh spring onions
1 Tbsp wakame
Shredded nori (for garnish)
For the plate:
1. The day before, cut the salmon into sections and salt the skin. Put it in the fridge.
2. Cook the brown rice.
3. Meanwhile, cut up the pumpkin and roast it in the oven. Roast the sweet potato whole.
4. Put the salmon in the oven for 15-20 minutes on 200 so that it will crisp up.
5. Blanch the broccoli and beans, and defrost the edamame. Toss the broccoli, beans, and edamame in the sesame seeds.
6. Do the eggs tamagoyaki style. This usually requires a tamagoyaki pan but I used a cake tin to roll them.
7. Take the sweet potato out of the oven and squeeze it out onto the plate. It candies a bit in the oven and is really nice with soy on top.
9. The rice should be finished now. Mix it with some of the furikake seasoning. Put the red pepper mix on top.
10. Make the miso soup using the miso paste and hot water. Add tofu, spring onions, and wake. Garnish with the nori.
Credits
Photography Benjamin Thomson
Photography assistant Ashley Goodall
Styling Natalie Turnbull
Hair and makeup Star Royal