THE FOODPATH BLOG

We decided to write a blog to let you know some of the fabulous food related things that happen in the Southern Highlands all the time. Keep checking back here to see what is going on. Get to know what hidden treasures we have and if you want to find out more - come on one of our tours and meet the people who grow our food.

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Click on our TOURS page to see our latest trips. If you can get a group together we can organise a tour just for you! Minimum 6 people. Contact us to discuss.

Visits

About Us...

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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.
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About Us...

Nick Padol, Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia.

Nick with his partner Jill has been running their business FoodPath in the Southern Highlands since April 2010. His motivation was to share his knowledge by taking others on a journey to discover local and regional food.

At the age of 4 when Nick had his first taste of coffee with his father at Andronicus’ Coffee Shop in Sydney he developed an interest in all things gastronomic. At the age of 24 his father gave him his 1st copy of Larousse Gastronomique. He now has an extensive library of cook books and he hasn’t looked back.

Not only is Nick an excellent cook and host with an interest in the cuisine of many cultures but he is also a food writer and cheese and coffee judge. He has been involved in regional food and wine related projects over the years and was an active member of Slow Food for 9 years.


PRODUCE INCLUDES:

Apples

Blackberries

Blueberries

Raspberries

Gooseberries

Grapes

Potatoes

Truffles

Garlic

Olives

Asparagus

Mushrooms

Cheese - cow, goat, sheep

Beef

Goat

Lamb

Eggs - hen, duck

Poultry

Pigs

Hazelnuts

Chestnuts

Vegetables

Jams and vinegars

Wine

Sunday, June 20, 2010



We are looking forward to July with 5 tours planned - it is going to be busy!
Wed 7 July is our very first Mushroom Tunnel Tour (see the Tours page of our website for details).
Tues 13 July is another new tour - the Croissants, Raspberries and Cheese Tour.

Both of these tours are available in 2 options - but I recommend you take the longer tour if you can because you have a greater experience and can relax and enjoy it.







Wed 14 and Fri 16 July we have a special School Holiday Tour to a free range poultry farm. Again details are on the website and I do have a flyer if you would like one for your school, day care centre or playgroup? Just let me know and I can email one to you.
Sat 17 July is our regular popular Sat tour again. This time we are going to see some basic cheese making as well as the interesting talk and cheese tasting. Do you know how to taste cheese as the cheese judges do? Come along and learn.
Bookings are under way so please let us know soon if you would like to come to any of these tours.

Look out for our Walking Food Tour in Bowral, due to start in August. This will take you to the many specialty food shops in Bowral with a rest in the middle while we enjoy a relaxed long table lunch.
Friday, June 11, 2010
We are very happy that Noel Arrold has agreed that FoodPath can take a tour of the famous mushroom tunnel in Mittagong on the 1st Wed of the month, every month. 

First tour is on Wed 7 July 2010.

Tourism Southern Highlands reports that they are always being asked by visitors if they can see the mushroom tunnel.  It is very popular and access to the tunnel is limited - so our tours will help in this regard. 

Noel runs a very successful business with his Li-Sun exotic Mushrooms. 

You can find them at the Fox Studio markets in Sydney, the Kings Cross Farmers Market, Bowral markets, Harris Farm Bowral and many more places I'm sure. 

Let me know if you have seen the Li-Sun mushrooms anywhere else?



We are offering two options on our Mushroom Tunnel Tour -
1. The tunnel only. We will meet you at a nearby car park and take you to the tunnel where we are taken on a guided tour.
2. A half day tour where we meet for morning tea first, go to the tunnel, then move on for a mushroom lunch (using mushrooms from the tunnel of course) at a cafe in a lovely setting nearby.





Check the Tours page of the website for details, 
email jill@foodpath.com.au or ring on 0419 617 021 for more information.


This old disused tunnel is well worth visiting. A fascinating tour where we see how the mushrooms grow and hear about the business from the scientist and business owner. 

You will be amazed by the colours and shapes of these mushrooms!




Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Our regular Saturday FoodPath tour is running again on Sat 19 June.

Come with us to the free range poultry farm in the morning and to meet some cheese makers in the afternoon - cow, goat and sheep's milk cheese.

Very special day.







For lunch we share a long table at a beautiful winery restaurant - Stones at Eling Forest.

Mark and Megan are both chefs and always make us welcome and the food is delicious.



Check the Tours page on the website for details.

If you can't make it this month don't forget this tour runs every month on the 3rd Sat.

Call us on 0419 617 021 or email jill@foodpath.com.au

Feedback has been great - everyone has rated this tour as excellent on our feedback sheets.


This tour is a guided self drive tour for up to 12 people. If you are on your own we encourage car pooling.

However if you have a group of people who would like to come call us because discounts apply.

We can accommodate group bookings and can tailor make a tour to suit you. Just call us to discuss.






Exciting news is that we have "partnered" with the Peppers hotel group and a new corporate events business in the Highlands, Southern Highlands Corporate Events so we look forward to packaging tours with them both.
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Stephan Jouin has opened a tiny coffee outlet in Mittagong main street called Jet Espresso. He is a firm supporter of Fair Trade coffee.

He opens at 5.30am (!) and reports that he does a brisk trade with commuters heading for Sydney.
On Monday nights Stephan runs a Coffee School from 6 - 10pm. Contact him on jetespresso@hotmail.com

We hope to include a stop at Jet Espresso in one of our FoodPath tour itineraries when Stephan will talk to us about his coffee and Fair Trade.

Just stopped at the Long Track Pantry at Jugiong for lunch. Discovered this great little secret a year ago and now always factor in a stop on the way to Melbourne.





If you haven't been there you must try it.

Home cooking and jams, preserves. Lots of interesting bits and pieces, great welcoming atmosphere, always busy.

Has anyone else ever stopped at The Long Track Pantry?
What do you think?




Just discovered that the cafe at McVitty vineyard is selling fresh hazelnuts grown at Werrai, near Moss Vale.

The public do not have access to the farm but it is good to know this new outlet is available.

Have you tasted fresh hazelnuts? Once you have you will seek them out let me assure you!






Another place you can buy hazelnuts from Filbert Farm during the season is at the Moss Vale Farmers Market which is on the 2nd Sat of the month at the Moss Vale showground.

Jim also sells dry rooted hazelnut trees at the market in July/August if you want to grow your own.