- 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.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Well we were lucky to have fine weather for our first "Day in Canyonleigh" tour today - but we still needed our jackets at times. It is the Highlands after all :)
We had a lovely day....
Delicious morning tea at The General Store thanks to Gisanne and Louise, then on to visit Laird and Jenny at Glenfion vineyard. How interesting to find out about their wine business, their son Andrew's beer making business - and also Jenny's art and about the Canyonleigh community as well. Several of the locals are trained up in emergency response so they can look after each other until emergency services arrive, in the case of an accident. What a great idea!
Our visit to the Birrong Suri Alpacas was great. Fiona gave us an insight into the alpaca industry in Australia and Suri alpacas in particular. We met several babies or cria (good trivial pursuit question?) and went for a tour around the farm. After shearing all of the fleece is sent to Victoria where it is made into yarn or garments that can be purchased. The yarn is often blended with a small percentage of wool and the end result is soft and silky.
We enjoyed a wine tasting and olive oil tasting back at the General Store before lunch. All produce was grown in Canyonleigh.
After a yummy two course lunch we drove to Pygmy Hill with Louise who showed us the Farmhouse Country Retreat and walked us through the vineyard.
Everyone was very welcoming and it certainly was interesting to get to know this little corner of the Southern Highlands. We'll be back to the General Store for dinner on a Fri night some time soon...
We had a lovely day....
Delicious morning tea at The General Store thanks to Gisanne and Louise, then on to visit Laird and Jenny at Glenfion vineyard. How interesting to find out about their wine business, their son Andrew's beer making business - and also Jenny's art and about the Canyonleigh community as well. Several of the locals are trained up in emergency response so they can look after each other until emergency services arrive, in the case of an accident. What a great idea!
Our visit to the Birrong Suri Alpacas was great. Fiona gave us an insight into the alpaca industry in Australia and Suri alpacas in particular. We met several babies or cria (good trivial pursuit question?) and went for a tour around the farm. After shearing all of the fleece is sent to Victoria where it is made into yarn or garments that can be purchased. The yarn is often blended with a small percentage of wool and the end result is soft and silky.
After a yummy two course lunch we drove to Pygmy Hill with Louise who showed us the Farmhouse Country Retreat and walked us through the vineyard.
