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NEWSLETTER |
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Follow this link to read The Latest Edition of the NEWSLETTER. CURRENT: Sally's tips on how regional food operators can survive the current economic downturn. ALSO:
Follow this link to subscribe to the Newsletter. It has valuable information and tips which are not included in the Snippets. |
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WHAT'S IN SEASON?
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UPCOMING EVENTS |
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. . .visit Events page
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Do you want to be in charge of your photography for your web site and promotional material. With each edition of the Newsletter you will receive invaluable professional advice that could save you a small fortune. This edition: More on Digital Editing
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FOOD, FOOD, FOOD |
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An amazing resource by Sally Hammond, a highly acclaimed food and travel writer with an encyclopaedic knowledge of food. This ever expanding feature is a great fund of information with everything from food facts, nutritional information, tips and recipes.
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Food TrailsWhat better way for a food group or a community to introduce visitors to the wealth of produce in their area? Help to fill in the blanks here. If you know of a food trail in your area please let us know . Click here to see the beginning of our list |
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IMAGE GALLERY |
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View Gordon's images of this vast and beautiful continent.  |
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DIARIES |
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Sally and Gordon share their travel diaries as they visit regional Australia. Click here |
Keep sending those emails with news of future events and recaps on ones just past. Tell us too if something has closed, moved or reopened. This site is for everybody!
BE AN AUSSIE EXPERIENCE SEEKERThat's the message from Tourism Australia – and, incidentally, this site for years now. A new destination campaign created by internationally renowned film-maker Baz Luhrmann us rolling out across the country from this weekend. The campaign has tested very positively with the target audience in Australia – called Experience Seekers. “In the initial testing 70 per cent of Australian Experience Seekers agreed the campaign inspires them to explore more of Australia' |
OIL AWARDSWe've mentioned Red Rock's great wins but others also gained awards at the 12th National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards dinner held in Canberra last month where over 270 olive growers and industry experts attended the gala which honoured the best in the Australian olive industry. |
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YOU KNEW ORGANIC WAS POPULAR..................but did you know that nearly two-thirds of Australian grocery buyers buy some organic products? A current survey conducted by Newspoll has revealed that 61 percent of shoppers had oganic products in their baskets. |
ORGANICS ON THE ROADThe Organic Advantage, the excellent newsletter from the BFA reports that two organic roadshows in Armidale and Coffs Harbour this month will underline an escalating interest from northern NSW in growing and eating chemical free |
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FARE AFFAREThe Good Food Affare, to be held at Castle Hill Showground, NSW, from 21-23 November 2008, is shaping up to be the ultimate event for food lovers to taste, buy and experience the best organic and regional produce and wine |
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MORE TIMEDairy Australia has announced that the closing date for applications for two education-related Australian Grand Dairy Awards have been extended. Applications for the 2009 Innovation in Dairy Manufacturing Award and the 2009 Cheesemaker Scholarship will be accepted until December 15. |
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GUILT FREE TOURSTwo new food and wine tours –Pedal to Produce and Hedonistic Hiking – are now on offer in Victoria’s High Country, incorporating the best of the region’s produce with cycling and hiking to food and wine destinations within the scenic High Country region. |
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OLIVE AWARDSA South Australian olive from Coriole Vineyards has been named ‘Best Table Olive’ on Tuesday, 28 October at the 12th National Extra Virgin Olive Oil Awards dinner held in Canberra and hosted by celebrity chef Peter Howard.
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Kangaroo on the climate change menuSoaring food prices could see kangaroo meat more commonly used in households according to a recent report by Professor Garnault for the Rudd government. As kangaroo meat gains recognition it is suggested it could replace beef and lamb, but how best to cook it? |
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AND IT’S GOLD FOR AUSTRALIAThe Australian Culinary Olympic Team have been awarded gold medals in the 22nd IKA Culinary Olympics, held in Erfurt and hosted by the German Chefs Association. The senior team was awarded three medals for its achievements in the culinary arts section, on the second day of competition. |
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CHEF's CHARTERGabby Greyem, True Food Guide Coordinator for Greenpeace Australia Pacific, has brought this to our attention. The GM (genetically modified)-free Chef's Charter has already been signed by over 150 high profile Australian chefs. |
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MARKET WINSThe Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers Market at the Rouse Hill Town Centre has been announced as the winner of the Foodies Guide to Sydney 2009 Best Market award |
GARDEN TO PLATENo mention of complimentary green thumbs, but a kitchen garden in every NSW Blue Mountains home is the vision for Cittaslow Blue Mountains in partnership with Oasis Horticulture. The next Garden to Plate slow lunch will take place at Blue M Cafe in Katoomba on November 2. |
SIP BY SIP SAVINGSVictorian cafes are being urged to join forces to cut the industry’s water usage one glass at a time as part of a new environmental action and awareness campaign, Drink For Change, launching 15 October. |
SAY G'DAY USA
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CLIMATE CHANGEThe Federal Government is making grants of up to $500,000 available to help small and medium sized manufacturers reduce the environmental impacts of their production processes by improving their energy and/or water efficiency. |
OZ OILS PASS THE TESTRecently 12 oils (nine imported and three Australian major supermarket brands) labelled as extra virgin olive oil were independently tested by the Australian Oils Research Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industries. |
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Wild About Yeast!Producers Spring Fiesta! event is on Sunday 19 October from noon with a sublime theme.It's a celebration of budburst with tasting and a discussion panel hosted by Pip Forrester of The Retreat at Chapel Hill followed by a Mediterranean family style lunch with the locals. |
Queensland's top Country restaurantsThe 2008 Restaurant & Catering Queensland HOSTPLUS State Awards for Excellence announced on September 15 highlighted 39 winners across the state. |
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DOES THIS SOUND LIKE YOU?Knowledge-hungry individuals in the food industry and rural sectors are invited to learn more off-shore. Thirteen Fellowships designed to address agricultural and food-trade skills missing in Australia are up for application. |
ARCHIVED NEWS: September | August | July |June | May | April | March | February | January |
A SQUAB AMONG THE PIGEONS
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WINE AT NORFOLK
IT'S STREETSMART TIME AGAIN
OLIVES - AGAIN!
THIS WEEKEND
A MONTH LATER.........
WINE REGIONS OF VICTORIA
LUKE LIKES LILYDALE
GINGER JANUARY
GOOD – AND SAD – NEWS
COFFS CALLING
Food companies targeting the US market have opportunities to participate in Australian food promotions at the 2009 Winter 
CHEFS GET DOWN AND DIRTY
The Brisbane Good Food & Wine Show
New Farmers Market
REGIONAL SEASONAL
SIGNATURE DISH G'day!
Being fair dinkum Australian regional food I figured that this would be a good place to promote myself. I reckon you could also look impressive on this site by taking out a Premier Listing |
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Follow this link to read Sally's review of four great new cookbooks
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AUSTRALIA’S WINEWhen the first vines were planted in the original Jacob’s Creek vineyard in South Australia’s Barossa region in 1847 no one could have predicted its success. Those original vines were simply designed to make sweet sherry and port, purely for domestic use.
Understandably, the eyecatching and recently opened Jacob’s Creek Visitor’s Centre receives more than 200,000 visitors a year. In fact the winery is so well known that the road sign for the area has been stolen several times – a sure sign of fame. Now it is about to become even more well-known. Jacob’s Creek is one of only three global sponsors (the other two are, predictably, Qantas and Tourism Australia) of the Baz Luhrmann epic Australia starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Following the November launch in cinemas, every carton of Jacob’s Creek wines sold overseas will be emblazoned with the film’s logo and distinctive outback sunset silhouette scene. Last week, with some other journalists, I was invited to fly (with Qantas of course) to the Barossa for the day to be present for the launch Jacob’s Creek’s involvement with the film. As we lunched on fine South Australian produce prepared by the winery’s talented Executive Chef, Veronica Zahra, we were shown some clips from the movie and of Baz Luhrmann briefly sharing on camera the story line and his hopes for the film. The movie has certainly taken a long time to produce and cost many millions of dollars. There has been a huge amount of media hype and speculation surrounding it and its stars. Everyone seems to expect that it will be a hit, and most hope it will increase awareness of Australia and encourage tourism. But one thing I know. If it turns out to be as profitable and successful – and as well-appreciated – as Jacob’s Creek, it will be a world beater. |
LISTEN TO THISPaul Smith is a busy person who runs the Green Zebra cafe in Albury and also chats to food people around the world on his website. It was my turn the other day and you can hear it on www.irunarestauranttoo.com or if you use itunes, you can subscribe from there. Paul tells me it's the most popular podcast listening/subscribing medium. Follow this link to hear it. |
MUDGEE MUNCHING
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DSRD GOES SOUTH
Producers from the Illawarra, South Coast and Capital regions joined others from the Southern Highlands in a highly interactive day at Craigieburn in Bowral. Buyers were able to meet the group of about twenty growers and manufacturers to discuss how best to access their products.
That night at a dinner at Centennial Vineyards Restaurant, the newly appointed Minister for Water, Rural Affairs and Regional Development, Mr Phillip Costa, announced that during the next two years, the Department of State & Regional Development will sponsor 150 one-year listings for producers on the Australian Regional Food Guide website. Mr Costa’s interest in regional industries comes from his own family background operating market gardens, and he stated that he was supportive of strategies that ‘allowed food buyers and producers to find each other’. In talking about the Department of State & Regional Development initiative with this website he praised the Australian Regional Food Guide for its ‘wealth of information’, adding ‘I strongly advise people to seek a listing.’ Interested applicants should contact the project manager, jillian.fryer@business.nsw.gov.au as soon as possible. |
HAWKESBURY COMES TO TOWN
In fact even the shoppers seemed unfazed as they dodged dripping umbrellas to taste foods they might otherwise have had to make a lengthy weekend trip for. The Hawkesbury Harvest Food Trail has been luring Sydney-siders to the western edge of the fertile Sydney basin for a couple of years now. Now, Hawkesbury Harvest will come to them in the city every Friday from 10am to 2.30pm at a prime location, in the heart of the CBD. It is expected that the markets will give something back too, helping to re-energise the newly upgraded square at Cook + Phillip Park. To this end the City of Sydney has formed a partnership with Hawkesbury Harvest, a collective of farmers from the Sydney basin, who will run the markets each Friday. To the background music of live entertainment by the group Waiting for Guinness, interested city workers and visitors moved between the stalls tasting delectable Willowbrae cheese, sausages and smallgoods from Eumundi Smokehouse, La Tartine bread, Saltbush Lamb, Pepes Ducks, Infinity farmed barramundi, and delicate hot-smoked ocean trout from Brilliant Food, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables – ideal for people stocking up for the weekend – jams, chutneys, olive oil and even more. To make up for Sydney turning on one of its chilliest winter days, there were stalls selling hot coffee, Malaysian, Indian, and Turkish food – and of course, the warmest of country welcomes from the stallholders. Just imagine how much better it will be on a sunny day! Markets 10am – 2:30pm every Friday read Sally's Diary on the Hawkesbury Harvest |
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ARCHIVED HAPPENINGSJuly 25-27 ~ City Showcases Country in Organic Expo JULY 29 ~ Homebush Regional Food Fair: AUGUST 8-10 ~ Country Week Expo C-Change, Tree Change AUGUST 11-12 ~ RESTAURANT 08 AUGUST 23 ~ Mudgee at Balmoral |
**RADIO GUEST **
Just over 150 years later, in 1999, Australia’s wine exports topped $1billion. In 2007 it was $2.8 billion. This Barossa winery is responsible for a good share of this with export sales in Europe and Asia of eight million cases. In fact it is estimated that around two million glasses of Jacob’s Creeks wines are enjoyed around the world every day.
Last week I was honored to be invited to help judge the Mudgee Fine Foods Awards. I can't tell you the winners (they will be announced at a gala dinner in Mudgee on October 19th) but I can say how impressed I was by the overall standard of entries and the level of interest in the contest. There were 165 entries, which we had to taste and assess. Believe me, that is a lot, especially when you consider that there were around 25 jams and twenty or so honeys alone. In addition there were pickles, relishes, jellies, confectionary, oils, balsamics..........it was a long, full day! Watch this space for the results, and check this link to the coverage in the local newspaper that day: 
Last weekend the NSW Department of State & Regional Development (DSRD) conducted a two-day Regional Food Tour to the Southern Highlands of NSW as part of the department’s ‘Putting Regional NSW on the Menu’ strategy.
The Australian Regional Food Guide was also invited to join the group, along with two journalists from China Radio International. In the afternoon while buyers were conducting business talks with producers, the media group was taken to visit the bakery at Gumnut Patisserie and also the disused railway tunnels where Li-Sun Exotic Mushrooms are grown.
“I’m never upset about rain,” one of the stallholders stated firmly at the Hawkesbury Harvest Farmers & Fine Food Market launched on Friday August 22. It’s a true farmer’s perspective. After battling drought, rain is never unwelcome.
© All contents of this website are Copyright © 2005--2007 Sally and Gordon Hammond and www.australianregionalfoodguide.com.au unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. You may copy and use portions of this website for noncommercial, personal use only. Any other use of the materials in this website without prior written permission is prohibited.