- 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.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
This was great feedback because that is exactly why we keep our groups small - so you get the best experience. One of the producers who we visited said "Aren’t the folk just lovely!"
Dave grows raspberries at Cuttaway Creek near Mittagong.
These are mid week tours and one is offered in different options. We have shortened the day because it is getting colder now and we thought it would be nicer to start at 9.30am. Prices have been adjusted accordingly. I will tell you more about the new tours but first of all some more pics from the last tour....
Dave and Nicki make delicious jams and vinegars in their commercial kitchen on the farm (see above). This gives them product to sell all year round. Bilsons using their raspberry vinegar as a dipping sauce for oysters!
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When the chooks have passed their peak laying years Anne and Warryn try to sell them as pets. They hate to think they might be killed and eaten! Anne refers to the chooks as "my girls".
We get to see the chook houses where the hens go at night to sleep - away from the foxes.
We see the nesting boxes where the chooks go to lay their eggs. If you are lucky you will see this happen and can feel the warmth of a freshly laid egg.
In the shed Anne and Warryn talk about what is involved in preparing the eggs for sale and we see how they are cleaned and sorted by machine into their different sizes. Very clever.
The afternoon was devoted to cheese. First the Small Cow Farm at Robertson. One group members said on her feedback sheet "Great, very interesting and gave us an insight into the cheese making process. We appreciated the opportunity to taste so many varieties of their cheese".
The afternoon was devoted to cheese. First the Small Cow Farm at Robertson. One group members said on her feedback sheet "Great, very interesting and gave us an insight into the cheese making process. We appreciated the opportunity to taste so many varieties of their cheese".
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Lesley Williams and Nick on the left and Mark Williams on the right.
Finally we had a taste of a range of sheep's milk cheeses at the Cheese Factory and a talk from Cressie and Michael about their sheep and where they are up to with setting up their dairy so they can "go commercial" next year. We look forward to that!
