- 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.
Friday, November 30, 2012
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!
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!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Well, we have busy weeks and we have quiet weeks but the last seven days have seen us run five tours and activities. That must be the busiest we have been for quite a while.
First we had two Mushroom Tunnel Tours on Tues 20 Nov. These are always popular and are very interesting. We are only able to run these tours for SH Tourism three times a year and we have our dates for next year now.
They are:
First we had two Mushroom Tunnel Tours on Tues 20 Nov. These are always popular and are very interesting. We are only able to run these tours for SH Tourism three times a year and we have our dates for next year now.
They are:
- Tues Mar 5 Mar
- Tues 23 July
- Tues 29 Oct
On Thurs 22 Nov we had a large group from Sydney who came on a Day Tour with us visiting farms and meeting the people who grow our food. Everyone had fun, including us - it is my favourite tour.
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| Hearing about growing truffles - everyone was fascinated |
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| Waiting patiently while Craig talked to us in the dairy |
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| A delicious lunch at the Studio Restaurant |
On Sunday we had fifteen on our table at Celebration Sunday at Biota Dining. Another great meal and good company. Looking forward to more again next year from the last Sun in Feb 2013.
To cap it off we ran a Cheese Tasting of local cheese for forty members of Bowral/Mittagong Rotary on Tues night this week. It is good to inform our locals about the wonderful things we have in our area and they all loved the cheese and now know where they can buy it.
Everything went swimmingly and we look forward to more of the same.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Our gift vouchers are proving popular this year as Christmas presents.
No doubt about it more and more people are giving an experience as a present and what a good idea!
I know that I love it when my daughter does that - so far we have had a Whale Watching Trip, a food tour in Sydney and lunch at The Pavilion Restaurant. Loved them all.
Over the weekend we have had a request for a gift voucher to a Pickling Class and another for two gift vouchers to our Market Tour and Lunch at Celebration Sunday at Biota today. Curiously both included Christmas presents for men who are interested in food...
We have other Gift Vouchers for a range of activities - something to suit every budget.
For example our
No doubt about it more and more people are giving an experience as a present and what a good idea!
I know that I love it when my daughter does that - so far we have had a Whale Watching Trip, a food tour in Sydney and lunch at The Pavilion Restaurant. Loved them all.
Over the weekend we have had a request for a gift voucher to a Pickling Class and another for two gift vouchers to our Market Tour and Lunch at Celebration Sunday at Biota today. Curiously both included Christmas presents for men who are interested in food...
For example our
- Food Lovers Walking Tour in Bowral - $55 per person
- Privately Hosted Tour - $75 for 3hrs (includes coffee) or $135 for a day (includes lunch)
- Market Tour where you meet the local producers and taste their products - $30 pp
- Fruit Bottling - 3 hr class plus lunch - $95
- Market to table tour - Market Tour, Cooking Class & Lunch - $185
Just contact us on 0419 617 021 or info@foodpath.com.au if you would like to buy a Gift Voucher for someone you care for, for Christmas.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
On Tues 20 Nov FoodPath is taking the last two tours for 2012 to the famous Mushroom Tunnel in Mittagong.
Three spaces are available @ $35.
Ring Southern Highlands Tourism on 4871 2888 to book.
FoodPath has been running these tours for SH Tourism for the past two years and they are a unique opportunity to see through the tunnel and to hear about this fascinating business.
Hidden in this old disused railway tunnel built in 1866 are a range of exotic mushrooms grown by Dr Noel Arrold, Microbiologist. Noel describes the environment inside the tunnel with a constant 16o temperature and 80% humidity as resembling a forest floor in the cool climate forest of Korea, Japan and China - so it is a natural environment for these mushrooms to grow.
If you can't make it this time, the dates for next year (2013) are:
Three spaces are available @ $35.
Ring Southern Highlands Tourism on 4871 2888 to book.
FoodPath has been running these tours for SH Tourism for the past two years and they are a unique opportunity to see through the tunnel and to hear about this fascinating business.
- Tues Mar 5
- Tues 23 July
- Tues 29 Oct
We have an interesting new workshop coming up next week at Hot Canary Gourmet Meats in Bowral. This will be held on Wed 21 Nov at their shop, which is at the corner of Bowral Street and Station Street.
Cameron is going to show us how to select, prepare and cook a range of Christmas meats and Patricia will talk about glazes and show us how to carve.
Brush up your skills and wow your guests with your Christmas cooking this year!
Using all free range products the class will cover turkey, ham, goose, pork and duck.
The Hot Canary is a new award winning butcher with a range of products all free range - so you can be confident that the animals have had a good quality of life. This is a big issue these days and FoodPath is happy to support Hot Canary because of the quality of their products and their innovative ideas.
They have recently started smoking meats in house and making a range of sausages.
Visit the Hot Canary if you haven't before - you will be glad you did.
Date: Wed 21 Nov 2012
Time: 7 - 8.30pm
Cost: $65 (includes samples and product to take home)
To Book: Contact us on 0419 617 021 or email info@foodpath.com.au
Cameron is going to show us how to select, prepare and cook a range of Christmas meats and Patricia will talk about glazes and show us how to carve.
Brush up your skills and wow your guests with your Christmas cooking this year!
Using all free range products the class will cover turkey, ham, goose, pork and duck.
The Hot Canary is a new award winning butcher with a range of products all free range - so you can be confident that the animals have had a good quality of life. This is a big issue these days and FoodPath is happy to support Hot Canary because of the quality of their products and their innovative ideas.
They have recently started smoking meats in house and making a range of sausages.
Visit the Hot Canary if you haven't before - you will be glad you did.
Date: Wed 21 Nov 2012
Time: 7 - 8.30pm
Cost: $65 (includes samples and product to take home)
To Book: Contact us on 0419 617 021 or email info@foodpath.com.au
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| We love free range! |
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