- Jill Dyson,
- Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia
- Click on the link to read Jill's latest blog post. Jill has been running FoodPath in the Southern Highlands of NSW with her partner Nick since April 2010. They have grown the business to a level where they now include a range of activities including tours, workshops and collaboration with others (cooking schools, wineries, etc). During the past 10 years Jill and Nick have got to know the local producers and continue to promote and support these local small businesses. They have organised and run many food related activities including taste education workshops and producer visits. It was after they organised a successful tour for a group of chefs from some of the best restaurants in Sydney that they realised they could turn their interest into a business - and this led to the setting up of FoodPath - Culinary Tours with a Difference. Now Jill and Nick are working closely with Southern Highlands Tourism and Wingecarribee Council to help raise the profile of their area as a food destination where everyone will benefit - tourists, local consumers and the producers themselves.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Well, it has happened!
Yesterday was our first FoodPath Tour and we had a great day.
The producers were wonderful and made us feel welcome.
Dave met us at the raspberry farm and gave an interesting talk on their business - how they started, how they are going and what their plans are. Nicki told us about the jams and vinegars that they make from just fruit and sugar, so that they have product to sell all year round.
If you can get hold of any, try Cuttaway Creek Raspberry Vinegar with oysters - that is how they serve it at Bilsons restaurant!
On to Berrima Ridge where they produce and sell real free range eggs. Four thousand chooks roaming free during the day scratching in the dirt and having dust baths as they love to do.
We saw the mobile hen houses where the chooks go of their own accord to roost at night, protected by the Maremma dogs. We saw where they lay their eggs & how these are collected manually 1500 every day!
Warren showed us how the eggs are washed by machine & then graded into sizes. Finally he gave us a demo of their new Italian pasta making machine - a great way to use up surplus eggs.
The lunch at Eling Forest was scrumptious. Check out the photos.
Cherry tomato tart and onion jam tart with Eastern Fetta (from Small Cow Farm).
Seared Japanese scallop with Green Pea Veloute and Kipfler Potato.
I had Duck Liver Pate with Cumberland Sauce & Toasted Sourdough. Yum!
On to Small Cow Farm after lunch to see Lesley and Mark. Here we sat around a large table and Mark told us about cheese making and their business. They are doing extremely well winning lots of prizes for their cheese. No wonder - look at the luscious brie on the right!
After a leisurely talk and taste at Small Cow Farm we moved on to the Robertson Cheese Factory where we heard from Michael & Cressie about their developing sheep's milk cheese business. Zoe was our host here and she had put together a fine spread of antipasto to finish up the day. Zoe told us about her goat's milk cheese and gave us all some to take home.
All in all a very stimulating and interesting day.
The next tour is on Sat 15 May. Let us know if you would like to come?
Don't forget these producers are farmers who are busy making a living and we are very lucky to be able to visit them on their farms with our FoodPath tours once a month.
Yesterday was our first FoodPath Tour and we had a great day.
The producers were wonderful and made us feel welcome.
Dave met us at the raspberry farm and gave an interesting talk on their business - how they started, how they are going and what their plans are. Nicki told us about the jams and vinegars that they make from just fruit and sugar, so that they have product to sell all year round.
If you can get hold of any, try Cuttaway Creek Raspberry Vinegar with oysters - that is how they serve it at Bilsons restaurant!
On to Berrima Ridge where they produce and sell real free range eggs. Four thousand chooks roaming free during the day scratching in the dirt and having dust baths as they love to do.
We saw the mobile hen houses where the chooks go of their own accord to roost at night, protected by the Maremma dogs. We saw where they lay their eggs & how these are collected manually 1500 every day!
Warren showed us how the eggs are washed by machine & then graded into sizes. Finally he gave us a demo of their new Italian pasta making machine - a great way to use up surplus eggs.The lunch at Eling Forest was scrumptious. Check out the photos.
Cherry tomato tart and onion jam tart with Eastern Fetta (from Small Cow Farm).Seared Japanese scallop with Green Pea Veloute and Kipfler Potato.
I had Duck Liver Pate with Cumberland Sauce & Toasted Sourdough. Yum!
On to Small Cow Farm after lunch to see Lesley and Mark. Here we sat around a large table and Mark told us about cheese making and their business. They are doing extremely well winning lots of prizes for their cheese. No wonder - look at the luscious brie on the right!
All in all a very stimulating and interesting day.
The next tour is on Sat 15 May. Let us know if you would like to come?
Don't forget these producers are farmers who are busy making a living and we are very lucky to be able to visit them on their farms with our FoodPath tours once a month.
