Better Homes and Gardens presenter Karen Martini relishes Border tour

During a whirlwind tour, Martini visited Albury-Wodonga and Echuca to film segments for Channel Seven's lifestyle show Better Homes and Gardens.

Martini said she relished the chance to return to the region.

"My grandparents had three or four pubs at Benalla and growing up I used to spend my holidays there," she said.

Martini said she was blown away by the quality of produce from throughout the Border and North East.

"We've enjoyed some great whisky and chocolate," she said of her visit to Corowa Whisky and Chocolate.

"In Albury-Wodonga we met producers and provedores of amazing lamb, organic olives and fresh produce. Everything has been top-notch!"

A Melbourne chef, restaurateur and food writer, Martini has been cooking professionally for more than 30 years.

She trained at iconic restaurant Tansy's in the early 1990s and headed kitchens at Melbourne Wine Room, Icebergs Dining Room in Sydney and her artisan pizza restaurant Mr Wolf, which she runs with husband Michael Sapountsis.

Martini credits her mother and grandmother with inspiring her to follow a career in cooking.

"Mum prided herself on making everything from scratch while my grandmother introduced me to spices and exotic ingredients that allowed me to experiment with new ideas," Martini said.

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Martini said more people had been drawn to experimenting with cooking during the past 12 months amid the global pandemic.

"The lockdowns reframed what people could do daily," she said.

"With months of restrictions we've been pushed to cook more and try different things.

"I think COVID pushed individuals further with their own cooking and expanding their food knowledge."

Having only opened a new restaurant Hero at ACMI in Federation Square last month, Martini said she looked forward to seeing the CBD spring back to life.

Hero's menu emphasises simple and straightforward presentations, championing the produce of local farmers and purveyors, organics and seasonality.

"People are interested in sustainable food processes," Martini said.

"There's also a trend to people buying entrees, mains and desserts again rather than share plates."

The Border segments of Better Homes and Gardens will air in two parts on April 30 and May 7.

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