About Us...
- Jill Dyson,
- Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia
- 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). Jill grew up in a large family on a sheep station near Crookwell but for the past 13 years has lived in the beautiful Southern Highlands of NSW. During the past 8 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.
About Us...
Nick Padol, Southern Highlands, NSW, Australia.
Nick with his partner Jill have been running their business FoodPath in the Southern Highlands since April 2010. His motivation was to share his knowledge about food 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 extraordinary interest in all things gastronomic. At the age of 24 his father gave him his 1st copy of Larousse Gastronomique and he hasn’t looked back.
Early on he developed a love for cheese, going out of his way to visit cheese factories including the long-lost Robertson Cheese Factory in the Southern Highlands. When he lived in Sydney Nick belonged to a Wine and Dine Society where they had a blind tasting of cheeses at the end of the meal. Nick was always left until last to give his opinion because he was always right.
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.
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Flash the dog has found his first real truffle - very exciting! We saw Alan training flash on our last tour but you don't know for sure until they actually find the real thing.
Much celebration in Robertson where a large truffle was found near the surface. Now they have their first should be more to come.
One local truffle farmer I have been told has had 80 kilos this year!!! Their trees must be older but that is huge! Most are exported so we don't get to try them here.
However at our Cheese Appreciation Workshop next Sun 11 Sept we will have some cheese from Thistledown Creamery at Windellama that has been impregnated with truffle from Braidwood! That is about as close as we will get this year - but we are looking forward to trying that.
If you are interested in coming to this workshop - the details:
Sun 11 Sept from 10.30 - 12.30 at Sturt, Mittagong. Price: $65.
We will be showcasing 3 local cheese makers.
Contact us from the website or email jill@foodpath.com.au