Join Jill and Nick as they take you behind the scenes to see where your food actually comes from!

We have been busy firming up several tours and workshops for next year and have a busy schedule lined up. If you are on our mailing list you should have received our December Update the morning. If you didn't and you would like it, please let us know and we will email to you.

Scheduled Summer activities include:

• Two Berry Picking tours (Sat 11 and 18 Jan)
• A Winery Tour (Fri 3 Jan)
• Two Family Farm Tours (Fri 10 and 17 Jan)
• A FoodLovers Walking Tour in Bowral (Sat 15 Feb)
• Preserving Class with Steve Hogwood (Sun 16 Feb)

We are looking forward to welcoming Robyn Darley to our FoodPath team next year. She will join Steve Hogwood and Biddy Maupin who run regular classes for us and also Patricia Phillips from the Blue Bowl Cooking School with whom we collaborate for the Market to Table Tours.

Robyn will be running a wide range of cooking classes including Making Dairy (quark, yoghurt, marscapone, gourmet fetta and paneer - a full cream ricotta), Sausage Making, Bread Making, Pastries and more. Robyn has extensive experience as a Cooking Teacher - you may have seen her demonstrating cheese making at the Southern Highlands Food and Wine Festival? Robyn runs Cheese Making Classes for Small Cow Farm so she will not be running those for us. If you want to learn to make cheese please contact Small Cow Farm. When you live in a small community it is important that you all work together...

Cheers,
Jill

As a small business we were very excited to be announced Runner Up in the "Excellence in an Attraction or Tour Service" category at the 2013 Southern Highlands Business Awards for Excellence on Fri night. Very gratifying to know we are up there near the top - there were seven finalists and the competition was tough.
We love what we do and look forward to getting better and better!

Had a call at midday today asking if we could take a conference group on a tour this afternoon. Their scheduled activity was cancelled at short notice and they were in a spot. We like to personalise tours for private groups and soon ascertained that this group wanted to visit wineries - so we made a few phone calls and were quickly able to put together a nice itinerary visiting Centennial Winery, Bendooley Estate and Tertini.
As you know we normally run food tours - but we are flexible and this was fun.

Groups are our main focus these days so don't forget if you have a bunch of friends, family or work mates we can put something together for you - even at short notice, just give us a call - m: 0419 617 021 or info@foodpath.com.au

We thought all our Christmases had come at once when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban and their two children turned up on a FoodPath Tour on 29 December at the dairy at Burrawang. What a surprise! This was our Summer Farm Tour and they had read about it in the SMH Spectrum Planner - which was also exciting. It is so good when you get unsolicited publicity!

They came along as normal members of our community to show the children the cows. They listened to the talk, toured the dairy and watched the afternoon milking with the rest of us - and said they enjoyed it. We hope they will be back for more!
We couldn't resist asking for a group photo and they were happy to oblige. We asked if we could use the photo in our FoodPath promotion and they agreed, so it was a good day for us and we are very appreciative.
So - although we cannot guarantee a brush with fame you never know who will pop up in the Highlands! We do have a range of interesting and famous people here.

These tours are continuing "on demand" for the next two weeks, then we are out of town for a period. One tour is tentatively scheduled for Sun 13 Jan.
If you are interested in berry picking and/or visiting the dairy please contact us.
Meet at the Sutton Forest Country Store at 10.15 where you can grab a coffee before we head off for the berry farm.
Pick fruit for the morning, then follow us to the Burrawang Village Hotel for lunch. In the afternoon come to the dairy to join in a tour, hear about the business, watch the milking and feed the poddy calves.

One farm or two, your choice.
Price: Two farms $65, one farm $35 (adults). Two farms $30, one farm $15 (children). Lunch not included. Minimum numbers apply.
foodpath.com.au, info@foodpath.com.au, 0419 617 021

We have been busy planning for the next couple of months and will have our December Update out very soon.
Posted three workshops and two tours on the website last night and received 3 bookings this morning!!
We were amazed and very happy about this.
It is always a bit of a gamble over the holiday season but last year we were very busy after Christmas when people were looking for things to do - so we have decided to run some shorter Farm Tours that will hopefully have broad appeal. We have kept the price down by leaving out morning tea and lunch. By choosing your own lunch you can decide what you spend. We love to organise a nice lunch but that does affect the price of the tour. We are calling these our "Summer Special" and will revert to our normal Day Tours after the school holidays.
Good news - we are going to run our regular monthly Day Tours again in 2013. Had too much feedback that people wanted to come but didn't have a group. Some farms do have a minimum of eight people so let's hope we get the numbers - but we will try!

Celebration Sunday on again this weekend and a couple of spaces left on our FoodPath table. Next month is full and then Biota is having a break over summer - no Celebration Sunday in Dec or Jan 2013. So... if you want to come give us a call or contact us from the website. You are very welcome.

Venue: Biota Dining, Kangaloon Rd, Bowral
Date: Sun 28 Oct 2012
Time: 10.30 Market Tour in the garden and 12.30 lunch in the restaurant on our FoodPath table.
Price: $55 pp for a 3 course lunch of tasting platters, glass SH wine, tea/coffee.
To book: Contact us from the website www.foodpath.com.au, email info@foodpath.com.au or ring 0419 617 021

I have been really bogged down with paperwork for the past three weeks - don't you hate that?! I do. I would much rather be out and about in the Highlands meeting new producers and developing new products for you dear customers :)
Had a call today from another free range egg farmer at Marulan who has free range chooks too AND free range pigs. Very exciting. It is nice when people get referred to us and we can look at incorporating them into our tours and activities - and also put them on to outlets for their products. It is all about helping each other I say, then everyone benefits.

Tomorrow is Celebration Sunday at Biota Dining, one of our special restaurants in the Southern Highlands.
This falls on the last Sunday of the month and we come together to celebrate our local produce. We visit a great little Produce Market in the restaurant garden then share lunch together at a long table in the restaurant.

FoodPath is fortunate to have a communal table at the restaurant where you can join us and enjoy the company of like minded people - while we enjoy a 3 course lunch of tasting platters including local produce in season. For example Redleaf farm at Fitzroy Falls provides the suckling pig that is spit roasted for lunch.

This is proving very popular with our FoodPath customers with several people coming back again and again. we are taking bookings as far ahead as November - so let us know if you would like to join us? We are now limiting our numbers to 14 to offer a more personal experience.
Date: Last Sunday of the month
Time: 10.30 Market Tour in the garden
Price: $55 adults, $28 children
Contact us from www.foodpath.com.au to book

We are excited to be providing a tour for Peppers Craigieburn and The Manor House as part of a Gourmet Traveller food and wine weekend they have coming up on 18/19 Aug weekend. Hope to be able to show our visitors to the Highlands some of our great food and wine growers.
If you are not staying at Craigieburn you can still come on the tour by booking with FoodPath direct

Wow, what a big day at Biota Dining in Bowral today for Celebration Sunday.
There were five new stalls at the Produce Market in the restaurant garden which is growing each month. These included truffles from Marulan, beef from Sutton Forest, horseradish and chilli products from Goulburn, fine food from Moss Vale and jams from Harrington Park - all fabulous.

This is probably the last market this season that we will see the Highland Gourmet Potatoes from Wildes Meadow and delicious Filbert Farm hazelnuts from Werai. We will have to wait patiently for them to come again next season. It makes you appreciate them all the more when they are not available all the time. Don't you agree?

We had a huge group on the FoodPath long table for lunch today - twenty two, our largest to date! All went well and everyone enjoyed themselves; and the food was delicious again.
However, we think we will limit numbers in future so the group is more manageable and everyone can meet and greet as they would like to. We are not really about large groups - more about friendly intimate experiences :)
So - we already have bookings coming in for next month Sun 26 Aug, so if you want to join us please don't delay in case you miss out. Contact us from the website to book www.foodpath.com.au.
Price: $55 Time: 10.30 Market Tour, 12.30 lunch.

Good news, the cafe in The Old Cheese Factory at Robertson is reopening on 1 July 2012!
That complex is the gateway to the Southern Highlands from the East so we were disappointed when it closed a couple of months ago. One of the new owners is Warwick Noble who was head chef at Berry Wood-Fired Sourdough Bakery. He and Susan McMurdo will own and operate the cafe.

The Cheese Room remains as a great destination for cheeses and local produce. Hopefully FoodPath will be visiting again soon with our tour groups.

Have you ever stopped at Marulan to visit the Meridian Cafe? If not, you should!
I love it when these small country towns have a great cafe that acts as a meeting place for locals and attracts visitors too.

Robert and Alison have been in the area for the past 14 years and started the cafe about 8 years ago. They have tried different opening hours to find the best configuration for them and their customers - and think they have cracked it now. They don't open for dinner but are open 6 days a week for lunch. Simple menu, everything freshly made on site and very reasonable prices.

Their customers mainly come from surrounding properties or people meeting halfway between Canberra and Sydney to catch up over lunch. And what a great idea! Yesterday when we were there one couple we know from Berrima were lunching with friends from Sydney who have a property at Marulan - a good example.

The food is all made in house by Alison who has a close relationship with a permaculture farm just out of town. Her salads are from there and included rose petals and the freshest greens.

We are interested in seeking out farms to visit in the Marulan area hence our "market research" and looks like there could be Boer goats, olive oil and maybe some historic houses. Wouldn't that be fun!
Anyway we will keep you posted.
In the meantime if you are passing Marulan, turn off the Hume Highway and find the Meridian Cafe in the main street - you can't get lost :) Tell them we sent you!

It is very exciting because our big weekends are becoming more frequent and this has to be good.

The word must be getting out about what a great area the Southern Highlands is for food and that you can have fun when you come on a tour with FoodPath.

Thanks to everyone for talking to your friends and relatives about FoodPath - that is the best marketing we can ask for.

We have many people now who have been back several times and we love you! Just the sort of customers we want - like minded people who enjoy the same things we do.


This weekend coming we have a conference Partners Tour on Sat that has taken up our normal Day Tour.

On Sun we have a Preserving Workshop that is fully booked - but there will be another one next month if you missed out this time. Steve Hogwood is running this and is always good value and Gail Wilson has kindly offered her beautiful house (and kitchen) at Monreale, her Bed and Breakfast in Burradoo, as our venue. We are all excited about this collaboration and I am sure it will be excellent.
Please keep an eye on the website for what is coming up and let us know if you have a group of family, friends or work mates and would like a customised tour, just for you. This is a growing part of our business and seems to meet the needs of many. Contact us from www.foodpath.com.au, email info@foodpath.com.au or ring 0419 617 021.

On Sat next weekend - 31 Mar - Luigi de Luca will entertain us at Howards Lane Winery with tales of his family business that spanned several generations.

He will also tell us the history of gelato making and show us how to make gelato using fresh local ingredients.
This will be a fun workshop. Actually more of a Masterclass I guess because we will be watching and tasting (yum), not actually making.

One of our group is bringing her own buffalo milk (!) and Luigi has asked me to source some local produce. He said olive oil but I'm not so sure - I think I will get some of our wonderful local fresh raspberry sauce. The raspberries have just finished so there should be lots of value added products that carry the farmers through the rest of the year.

Nick and I were lucky to be invited a couple of years ago to Luigi's launch of his Prickly Pear Granita at his Leichhardt Gelateria. That was delicious!

Come along and join the fun. Price: $66
To book contact us from www.foodpath.com.au, info@foodpath.com.au or ring Jill on 0419 617 021

Another successful FoodPath Day Tour today and we were lucky with the weather. Some light rain but only intermittent and it didn't stop us at all.
Picked delicious blackberries at Montrose.
Jasmin gave us lots of tastings at The Sutton Forest Country Store and it was great to include Kym from Sutton Forest Olives today.
How nice to meet the grower in the olive grove amongst the trees that she looks after so well to produce her prize winning oil.

For lunch today we visited Sutton Forest Estate Wines where Nick and Santina gave us a wine tasting followed by a long table lunch with antipasto platters and delicious tiramisu followed by a nip of home made limoncello.
This group were mostly locals some of whom were friends but others enjoyed meeting more like minded people. This is what we like to do on our tours - give everyone a good time!