This month's Producer of the Month is Stefan Birmili of Cured Orange. Stefan has been a supporter of YourMarket from the very beginning, being the first ever producer signed on and up on the site. Cured Orange has been an Orange foodie staple since it opened it's doors in 2018, bringing brilliant artisanal European-style charcuterie and small goods to the Central West. This month I interviewed Stefan to learn more about his journey to founding Cured Orange and the influences and experiences that have gone into the delicious small goods he produces.
Stefan's story began in the bustling city of Stuttgart, Germany, where he was born and raised in a lively cultural melting pot of an apartment block. Surrounded by a rich mix of cultures—German, Italian, Croatian, Hungarian, Swiss and more—Stefan grew up in a surrounded by a multitude of European culinary traditions, all willing to share. This exposure to a wide range of cultures would later influence Stefan in the recipes used to create his wide range of products. In his words, so many cultures have similar recipes for the same thing, each with their local twist, so while we might know it as a chorizo is actually a very similar Hungarian Csabai (said Cha-Buy). This approach to integrating different cultures is why Stefan can keep such an amazing range of tasty different products perfect for whatever the recipe or occasion.
At the age of 10, Stefan’s life took a turn like many others in Central Europe and West Germany at the time when his family relocated to Australia. It was a bold move, filled with excitement and challenges, and after 2 years in Australia his father, Rudi, established Rudi’s, a German smallgoods butchery that quickly became known for its high-quality, handcrafted products. Initially studying avionics engineering and working for Qantas, when his father dropped the bombshell that he was closing the shop Stefan couldn't have it, he got his butchery apprenticeship and became the 3rd generation in the family business.
Since then, over the past three decades, Stefan has honed his skills as a smallgoods maker, learning the intricacies of curing, smoking, and perfecting recipes passed down through generations. His commitment to quality and tradition is evident in every product he creates.Continuing and building on his family's legacy, Stefan has gone from a young boy in Stuttgart to a master smallgoods maker in Australia, and Cured's popularity and loyal following is a testament to his passion for his craft and his dedication to upholding the values of quality and tradition in everything he does.