Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Regional food stars at Brisbane Good Food & Wine Show - starts this Friday

For the third year running I’ve been asked to host the Lyndey Milan Producers’ Market at the Brisbane Good Food & Wine Show.

My friends at Forever Knives will be there too and I’ll be demonstrating my Brilliant Cut Knife on their stand at various times throughout the day. Make sure you come and say Hi.

I’ll also be chatting and interviewing these fabulous artisan and boutique producers at the Lyndey Milan Regional Producers’ Market:

Hills of Byron is an award winning, plantation roasted coffee from the Bryon Bay hinterland with rich flavour and aroma. The 18,000 Arabica coffee trees meet pesticide and herbicide free growing standards prior to being processed, roasted and packed. A judge at a recent coffee competition stated ‘the coffee has a good sweet aroma with hints of pleasant strong toasty fragrance and mix of molasses or honey’.

Silverwood Organics from Longreach in western Queensland sells and delivers organic meat packs. Silverwood grows the dorper breed of sheep which naturally shed their wool and are also known for their excellent carcass and superior eating quality. The free-range lamb is grown in natural Mitchell grass paddocks without chemicals or supplement feeding. To avoid undue stress, the lamb is processed locally by an organically accredited processor. Half or full packs with associated cuts are available online for home delivery. Just one taste and you will be convinced.

Located in the Barossa Valley, Careme Pastry, is owned and operated by William and Claire Wood, who, coming from a restaurant background we were always disappointed with the quality of commercially available ready-made pastry. Careme only use natural ingredients, free of additives, preservatives and colours to produce their hand-crafted pastry products. Their product range includes ready to use pastry dough: all butter puff, sour cream shortcrust, vanilla bean sweet shortcrust and dark chocolate shortcrust as well as a range of tarts, pies, savoury galettes and sweet tarts and croissants and pastries. Stephanie Alexander commends it!

Estate grown and produced, Olivfresh, on the shores of Lake Wivenhoe in South-East Queensland, sources its olives from their 700 tree certified organic olive estate. The olives are naturally fermented in rainwater and sea salt. The product range includes Ligurian style olives, Arbequina black olives, Olive and fig tapenade dip, Green olive and avocado tapenade dip, Sun dried black olives, Green olives and Party mix olives.

Bellissimo Coffee is located in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. They are a relatively new boutique coffee roaster that uses the highest quality beans which are organic, satisfy fair trade arrangements and are rainforest friendly. As a first time exhibitor, Bellissimo won a Gold Medal and Class Champion (overall winner) Espresso at 2010 Sydney Royal Fine Food Show for their premium blend Bellissimo Emporio. Amazingly Bellissimo Emporio was only created in 2010 and as well as being awarded Sydney Royal Champion also won a Gold Medal in the Cappuccino class at the Royal Hobart Fine Food Show.

Robert Channon from the picturesque Granite Belt in Southern Queensland produces some of the finest Australian Verdelho, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and Cabernet Sauvignon from its family-owned winery and vineyard. Recent awards include National Champion Sparkling Wine & Gold Medal Australian Small Winemakers Show 2010 for Singing Lake Sparkling Chardonnay 2008 and Robert Channon’s Reserve Chardonnay 2007 was awarded five stars from Winestate Magazine and the trophy for the Best White Wine and a Gold Medal in the Queensland Wine Awards 2010. However, it is his Verdelho which first found fame as arguably the best in Australia.

Robins Food is located in Altona, Victoria and was formed by recognised pioneers of the native food industry, Ian and Juleigh Robins, in 1997. The range of products are branded Outback Spirit and the vision is to bring indigenous foods to the mainstream market locally and internationally while giving back to indigenous communities. The product range includes chutneys, preserves, dry marinades, seasoning salts, seasoning sprinklers, sauces, dressings, crushed garlic, herbs and rejuvenating water and are available from major and independent supermarkets nationally as well as Oxfam Fair Trade stores.

Family owned, Queensland based Authentic Turkish Bakehouse has been producing breads and baked goods using traditional recipes for ten years. The products are stocked at many local supermarkets, cafes and restaurants in Queensland. The range include Turkish pide (all shapes and sizes) as well as ciabatta, panini, focaccia, Lebanese bread and cinnamon fruit loaf and banana bread for sweet bread lovers.

Murray River Salt has been harvesting in Hattah, North West Victoria since 1983 and more recently producing their iconic pink flake salts at Mildura. This unique product is additive and preservative free and the pink hue is created naturally via mineralized brines. In the natural world salinity is a major issue and by removing it Murray River Salt is doing their bit for the environment. This is my salt of choice especially as I much prefer Australian over imported product.

From Queensland’s peanut capital, Kingaroy, comes The Peanut Van, who celebrated their 40th birthday last year. Their extensive range of products includes sugar coated, dry roasted, sweet & salty, hickory smoke, savoury tomato, salt & vinegar, garlic, chilli & lime and Mexican delight. All peanuts are jumbo and freshness is guaranteed. Theirs is always a popular stand at the show.

Melbourne based Larder Fresh have been producing delicious falafels and nougat using fresh, locally sourced ingredients that are preservative and additive free for nearly ten years. They are gluten and dairy free and available around Australia.

Yumm Dressings from Sydney make dressings from natural ingredients with no artificial preservatives, colours or flavours. Each bottle is hand-made and many ingredients are sourced from local producers and farmers’ markets. The product range includes Very Original (blend of olive and sesame oils, fresh garlic and honey), Poppy Splash (red wine and raspberry vinegars, Spanish onion and poppy seeds), Balsamic Drizzle, So Provincial (apple cider vinegar, honey and tarragon), Maple Zest (orange juice and maple syrup). They are available online and from various gourmet food stores and farmers’ markets. They really do taste home made.

Yarra Valley Salmon has been farming salmon in the Yarra Valley Ranges since 1992. Clean, cold oxygen-rich water from the Victorian Alps flows through to the ponds where the salmon live. The salmon is reared naturally without antibiotics or chemicals and hand milked to provide plump flawless eggs bursting with flavour. The product range includes: caviar – the salmon are given a natural anaesthetic and gently hand milked – preservative and additive free and sold fresh in jars; salmon – antibiotic and chemical free and sold fresh, smoked and poached as whole fish and fillets.

See you there!

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