Bouncing back: four chefs reflect on the lockdown and their journey towards reopening

Words by Richard Cornish 
Images Supplied

With the ‘Ring of Steel’ dismantled, the 25km rule dropped, and our favourite destinations open for business we’re ready to head for the hills, beach, or valleys to celebrate our newfound freedom. There is a palpable energy in the air both in the city with people looking forward to a road trip, and in the regions, with kitchen crews preparing to welcome back long separated city guests. 

We spoke to some of our top chef/owners in regions around the state about their COVID19 lockdown, what they did to survive, and what they plan to serve up to us when we arrive to dine with them. 

Tedesca Osteria

Mornington Peninsula #onehourout

Tedesca Osteria RestaurantBrigitte Hafner baked us our daily tarts and made us our daily vitello tonnato when she and Jamie Broadway ran Gertrude Street Enoteca in Fitzroy. It closed forever over winter, preceded, thankfully, by the opening of the bucolic dream that is Tedesca Osteria. Perched on the spine of Main Ridge on the Mornington Peninsula, overlooking flowing creeks, stringybark forest and vineyards beyond, Tedesca Osteria is reminiscent of those classic European Michelin star restaurants with set menu dining.

When we spoke, Brigitte had just finished her second service since reopening after lockdown. “We were a bit anxious,” says Brigitte. ‘But what happened during lockdown was that we became a team. We only opened in March and did not have time, really to prepare,” she says.

With lockdown, she and her team, including Broadway, went to work preparing food boxes each week to keep Tedesca afloat. They contained comfort food, including bread and baked goods,  her German mother’s strudel and Eccles cakes with cheddar cheese. “We were able to keep most of our team, including our visa holders, together except one, who got a job as a nurse,” says Brigitte cheerily. “We all worked chopping wood, gardening, preparing the food. Skills that we learned and shared. I now have a great orchard planted with amazing citrus and nut trees.” Being in a beautiful part of the world made it easier for Brigitte and her crew, with daily walks along deserted country lanes and long strolls along the beaches of Westernport. “We were also able to have a smokehouse built in which we will smoke our smallgoods when we start getting our whole pigs in from a local farmer.”

This week she has been serving dolmades made with her own preserved vine leaves, mud crab with fresh pasta, tarragon, and garden peas. There is also Great Ocean Road Duck with chickpeas, spinach, and west Indian limes and a Paris-brest to finish. “We learned so much over lockdown about being a team,” says Brigitte. “Now it’s time to put those skills to work.”

Check out Tedeaca here.

Brae

Birregurra #twohoursout

Dan Hunter Brae Restaurant“We are here, and we are open,” says Dan Hunter of Brae at Birregurra. The internationally acclaimed chef has worked around the world and has watched as the pandemic raged through the places in Europe where he worked in his earlier years. “The international imagery of hospitals in Italy and Spain was devastating,” says Dan. “There are worse places being in lockdown than here,” he says of the masterfully converted farm cottage perched on a farmlet, surrounded by acres of orchard and kitchen garden.

“In early April, I looked around and saw a vegetable garden full of late summer produce, and it gave us a feeling of safety. We were comforted being out of the city on a rural property surrounded by produce that could feed the family,” says Dan. “We have the skills to grow the vegetables to feed us.” Dan and his team harvested fruit and vegetables from the kitchen garden and sold them to the local community. This connection with the local people continued with a series of international-themed dinners that took residents to Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and beyond. “We also made picnic boxes with our bread and terrines so people could take themselves away,” says Dan. Dan and his family were able to escape to the seaside area of Skenes Creek near Apollo Bay. “Spending time with the family was so important,” says Dan.

After good spring rains, the dams are full, and the surrounding countryside is verdant with lush pasture that Dan describes as ‘money paddocks’ for the local graziers; Dan looks to his gardens for inspiration for his late spring menu: asparagus, peas, broad beans, lettuce and radicchio to cook dishes like “rainbow trout and broad beans from this season and last, anise myrtle, roe and citrus, radicchio brushed with treacle and black garlic.” With customers back, Dan and his wife Julianne wrestle customer expectations and government COVID capacity rules. “You know what gave me great joy this spring?” asks Dan rhetorically. “The black swans who came to stay on the dam and the evening chorus of frogs. Simple things.” 

Head here to take a look at Brae.

Provenance

Beechworth #threehoursout 

Michael Ryan Provence Restaurant Beechworth“From here in Beechworth, I knew just how devastating the lockdown was for the industry,” says Michael Ryan. He speaks from Provenance, based in a solid-granite, former bank in the heart of historic Beechworth, where Michael cooks his unique Japanese influenced style of cuisine.

“When it first started, it was the unknown. And that is terrifying,” he says. Michael and his team suffered the triple whammy, first the fires over summer, then lockdown one, a brief awakening, then lockdown two. “In the first lockdown I tapped the bounty of the season and made sugo, chestnut jam and lime marmalade and some amazing grenadine,” says Michael. “I pulped 60kg of pomegranates for that grenadine. Not something I need to do again in a hurry.” It was a mild winter in the North East, and Michael spent hours on his pushbike, walking the dog around Lake Samball and time with his wife and daughter. “The biggest decision I had to make every day was what to make for dinner,” he says with a laugh.

Michael also received funding to explore making sake and delved into the arcane art of making amaro, the bitter Italian style digestive. He has extracted over 90 different botanicals. He will soon get his licence so he can buy alcohol and make, he hopes, three different styles of amaro early next year. “But now it is so green, so lush,” says Michael. “The days are long and warm and the nights cool. His garden is amok with shiso, the fragrant Japanese herb almost becoming a weed. He salts it down for six months, ready for the autumn menu.” He is currently serving a set menu of a four-course meal made of 18 small dishes. He is particularly proud of his lup cheong pork sausages he made in the first lockdown and potato chips cooked in beef tallow dusted with a little seaweed salt. He also takes great pride in a dish of cauliflower slow-cooked in lots of butter served with white fish floss and coloured pink with beetroot juice and served with cherry tomatoes marinated in sweet dashi. Off the grill comes flat iron steak, served with miso butter and braised onions. “Delightful with a local Beechworth Gamay,” he adds.

Now he is looking forward to the berry and cherry season. “Cherries for the extracts for the amaro,” says Michael. “And with the raspberries, I will make some old school sable, some yuzu cream, and finish it with some fresh lychees.” He pauses. And says, “You know what, that lockdown will be the long service leave I was never going to get.” 

Check here to find out more about Provenance.

Stefano’s Cantina

Mildura #fourhoursout 

Stefano de Pieri Stefano's Cantina Restaurant Mildura“Mildura went quiet,” says Stefano de Pieri from Stefano’s Cantina at the Grand Hotel, Mildura. “The city went eerily quiet during lockdown. But we were ringed by a hive of activity because the farming never stopped. COVID or no COVID, Australian agriculture never stops. The trucks kept on taking food down to Melbourne,” he says with his usual energy.

Stefano spent a lot of his lockdown walking along the locks of the Murray River. “It is so beautiful, so tranquil, there are so many birds. It all helps me to contemplate where I am in my life. I realised I will be 80 in 15 years! I can not think of that many chefs still behind the stove at my age,” he says. “So I raged against the ‘dimming of the light’ by renovating the dining rooms,” says Stefano with a laugh. He also successfully campaigned to become a Mildura City councilor, hosted the Australian Alternative Varieties Wine Show, made 22 Youtube episodes of a children’s cooking show, and shot a ten-part food television series with SBS. “So, as you can see, I have not been idle,” says Stefano.

He has also been working on his menu, freshening it up, putting on more seafood and vegetable dishes. “What I cook reflects what is grown here as much as possible. So this has been the season for asparagus and artichokes. We have been making our own ricotta, which I use with bullhorn peppers stuffed with smoked eggplant.” Stefano has also got his hands on some locally made ‘nduja, which he is serving with baby calamari. “It is 35°C outside each day,” says Stefano. “We need to serve food that reflects the climate, not just the season.” 

Visit Stefano’s here.

Yarra Valley Garden Party

Words by Amanda Kennedy Images supplied 

As we get closer and closer to being able to travel again, businesses of the Yarra Valley have been working away, getting the valley ready to welcome you back for a visit and we’re almost there. Until then you are officially invited to the Yarra Valley Garden Party virtual event October 2-4.  All you need to do is order the Garden Party Pack and create a spring garden party in your own home with family/friends/bubble buddy. 

So what’s in the pack?

Six of the region’s best wines, recipe cards to inspire your party, a Spotify soundtrack to reflect the valley in Spring, Diggers Club sweet pea seeds, iso-craft garland supplies and a list of spots throughout the region to pimp your Instagram (tulips bulbs to come in January.) With only a couple of clicks, support regional businesses and get it delivered to your door thanks to The Regional Pantry.

Whether it’s a succulent’s workshop, a guided wine tasting or a Four Pillars gin cocktail class, the Yarra Valley Garden Party has got you covered. With the entire event to be live-streamed online via visityarravalley.com.au as well as through the Facebook page, the Yarra Valley never been so accessible.

Saturday morning with yoga at Alowyn Gardens

Start your weekend off on the right note with a live-streamed yoga class from the picturesque Alowyn Gardens located in Yarra Glen. Restore balance and harmony to your day with an uplifting class designed for all age and fitness levels. Whether it’s the Parterre or the Edible garden that catches your eye, ‘downward dog’ will have you planning your next visit.

Sourdough skills – more than just an iso-hobby

Next up, it’s time to put on the Spotify soundtrack and get ready to flex your kneading skills. You’ve seen others get their sourdough game on during recent stay-at-home times; we’ve got all the tips and tricks for you to step up yours. This timeless bread-making technique fits in seamlessly to a modern lifestyle, especially if working from home. Wherever you are on your sourdough journey, there’s something in this session for you.

Dylan McMahon and Phillip Johnson at Seville Estate

4pm is officially wine o’clock so join Seville Estate winemaker, Dylan McMahon, and landscape designer, Phillip Johnson, as they wander the gardens of Seville Estate while talking all things wine and garden. Dylan’s dedication to low-intervention wine-making is reflected in the same approach to the estate’s garden program. In the months to come, the friendly winery staff will shift from pruning the vines to serving guests at their cellar door, restaurant and accommodation.

For now, all you need to do is grab the glasses and pour a glass of their barrel-fermented 2017 Estate Riesling, which Dylan describes as a textural wine, well-balanced by acidity and notes of lime. It ticks a lot of boxes for ardent Riesling fans while also being a great entry point for those just discovering the varietal.

Pencil this one into your calendar.

Wake up and discover flavour with Silva Coffee

Okay, it’s Sunday morning and by now you need a coffee. Local roasters, Silva Coffee, will help demystify your morning brew with their Coffee Tasting class. Experience four coffees from different regions, each with their unique flavours and aromas. Cleo and Wayne began roasting coffee from their Wesburn home in 2010. Graduating from farmers markets to now supplying a raft of venues and homes across Victoria, they’ve not wavered from their dedication to community and sustainability. Byo boiling water.

Yarra Valley Pasta’s Lisa Giffard with cook and author Julia Busuttil Nishimura 

Join Lisa and Julia in casual conversation as they discuss subjects dear to all our hearts – food, family and cooking. These two accomplished home cooks will draw on their robust family heritage to weave together stories and tips for simple, seasonal dishes.

With unfussy recipes from quick pastas to generous baked treats, it’s easy to see why Julia’s popular cookbooks have inspired so many. You’ll soon be drafting the menu for those long, leisurely lunches with family and friends we all miss.

Bringing together two of the valley’s foremost producers, Buxton Trout Farm and Yarra Valley Dairy, Lisa will prepare Yarra Valley Pasta’s smoked trout and goats cheese ravioli. Looks like it might be time to crack the Mac Forbes EB52 Rose.

This relaxing Sunday afternoon session is the ideal antidote for those dreaming of a plane ticket to Italy.

Not quite tiptoeing through the tulips

You’ve just finished the live guided tasting with Jess Nguyen, so settle back and enjoy the sounds of the Yarra Valley Opera Festival set to the visual spectacular of Tesselaar Tulips’ fabulous fields of blooms. And lucky you, your party pack bulbs will arrive in January. 

Flick through the tempting recipe cards created by Caroline Gray or be inspired by the winemakers’ favourite dishes, both perfect Sunday evening activities. Whatever you choose, sit back and toast your wise decision to celebrate Spring in the valley without ever leaving your armchair.


THE DETAILS:

WHAT: Yarra Valley Garden Party
WHERE: At home
WHEN: October 2-4
MORE INFO: Yarra Valley Garden Party

OHO in ISO: Mauro Callegari from The Independent, Gembrook

Images supplied

At The Independent Gembrook, Mauro has designed a modern Argentinian menu. He honed his skills working world-wide in kitchens in Melbourne, London and Buenos Aires and was part of the opening team of Conran’s Almeida Restaurant in London. Closer to home he’s worked in the kitchens of some of Melbourne’s most respected chefs including Marcus Moore at Sofitel and Raymond Capaldi at Fenix.

What is happening with the restaurant at this stage?

At this stage, the restaurant is selling ‘Ready to Heat at Home Meals’. We are delivering to local suburbs, Thursday to Sunday, and to some surrounding suburbs on alternating days. People can also arrange to collect from the restaurant Thursday to Sunday 11am-4pm. We are currently working on launching ‘Ready to Eat Meals’ on the weekend, where customers can pick up our dishes hot or receive them by delivery if they are local. 

How are your staff going?

Our staff are all well. Whilst remaining positive and in good spirits, we are all concerned about the current situation and what the future will look like. 

There are twelve staff involved in the restaurant operation at the moment. Together we are prepping, packing and delivering meals as far as Beaconsfield and Belgrave and most suburbs in between. 

I am keeping in contact with staff through our Facebook staff group page. I also check in with them by phoning them, sending text messages and having meetings at the restaurant. 

What’s the feeling around Gembrook at the moment?

From the very beginning we were all concerned about how we are all going to come out on the other side of this. This situation has placed so much strain on our business. It has affected us personally and emotionally but the community is sticking together. They are popping in to say hello, that in itself is support. They are buying our products, sharing our posts on social media and spreading the word that we are now trading with our ‘Ready to Heat at Home Meals’ available to purchase online. 

The week we closed our landlord contacted us and offered their help. Neighbours, suppliers, local groups, staff and our families are all working with us to support us. 

What changes are you considering for the business once restrictions are downgraded?

We are currently making a lot of changes in regards to service and our offerings. We review our profit and loss statement daily to see where we can cut unnecessary costs. We are also working towards a new marketing plan. Everyone is also involved in doing small projects that are difficult to do when the restaurant is in operation such as maintenance, filing, cleaning and gardening. 

What have you been watching or reading in lockdown?

I’ve been reading a book called ‘Where Dreams Come From’. I’ve also been spending my time cooking at home and going for walks with my son. I’ve been watching ‘That 70’s Show’, it’s a good laugh when you need to relax. 


THE DETAILS:

The Independent Gembrook
79  Main Street, Gembrook

Pierrepoint Wines

Andrew and Jenny are the kind of family hosts you expect from a little cellar door on a private property. They love what they do, though like most growers and makers, they question their own sanity. We didn’t have any further questions after sampling the wines, though. They’re all a perfect education in terroir – that fancy French word for the intangible combination of place, climate, season, and ‘vibe’ that makes wines taste the way they do. Regular music gigs held at the venue make it worth signing up to the newsletter.

These little places are why we leave the city for a long weekend.

Bridge Road Brewers

Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth is one of those classic ‘Back Shed to Big-ish Business’ stories. Ben started brewing in his dad’s shed over a decade ago. Actually, there’s a lot of shed about the vibe at this Beechworth venue, and we love it. All of this is by-the-by, really, because the beer is awesome, and the food is casual and fun. It’s a great place to hang with a few friends making short work of a range of beers and pizzas. Tomato, taleggio, thyme, mushrooms and capers. These had a happy home on my pizza, washed down with a Bling India Pale. Delicious.

Tasting boards are a great way to try a few beers before committing to a whole pint or, if you’re like us, choosing which six-packs to take home. And if you like to get your beer-geek on, then every Saturday at 11am there’s a chance to tour the inner sanctum of the brewery with a tasting.

Buxton Trout and Salmon Farm

If you’re new to fishing, impatient, or really you’re just interested in a BBQ with fresh fish you caught yourself, then this place is ideal. The gear is supplied by the farm, you catch the fish, the friendly staff help you with the rest. Then, et voila, you have the freshest fish right there for your BBQ in the park-like surrounds of the farm.

There are several different areas of waterway on the farm, so if you’re impatient for lunch and just need fish now,  there’s a more densely populated pond where your plate-sized fish will volunteer fairly readily. If you’ve got more time and patience, and are happy to get a little more lost in the serenity, then there is a more challenging area with less fish for you too.

The BBQ area is substantial and well equipped, and the expansive grass area is perfect for throwing a rug down under a tree.

Tastes of Rutherglen: Wine, food, fun.

Words by Richard Cornish 
Images by Phoebe Powell

This Labour Day long weekend, head to Rutherglen and explore this beautiful 160-year-old wine region on the Murray River. Winemakers of Rutherglen are urging people to put this fun two-day event in their diary to help businesses that were affected by bushfire and smoke this summer. That said, the fires stayed well away from Rutherglen and recent heavy rains have cleared the smoke and brought a green tinge to the countryside. 

This celebration sees this much-respected and welcoming wine community open up their vineyards and wineries like never before. Eighteen wineries are taking part, offering behind the scenes vintage tours, wine masterclasses, art and wine tours, lakeside picnics, live music, food and wine matching masterclasses, even a morning vineyard yoga session at Scion. “We look forward to welcoming everyone with warm smiles on this special long weekend,” says Sally Brown from Scion. “It’s been a challenging summer for our region and your support will go a long way.”

Tastes of Rutherglen sees the wineries pouring their delicious wines for tasting as usual, so visitors can experience the ethereal Rieslings, powerful Durifs, full-bodied Shiraz and Rutherglen’s globally recognised fortified wines. Added to this, wineries are teaming up with local chefs who have created special dishes from regional produce to match back with the wines. At the castle-like All Saints Estate, you can try a plate of charcoal-grilled sardines with a crisp Riesling. Or you could be enjoying a plate of crisp local pork, cooked by award-winning chef Briony Bradford at Jones Winery & Vineyard with a glass of their Jimmy’s Block. Or perhaps sit by the river, watching the turtles at Pfeiffer Wines with a glass of Tempranillo and a plate of spicy lamb tagine. Meanwhile, at the historic cellars of DeBortoli Rutherglen Estate, they will be serving a rich chicken and pork terrine matched with Fiano, prepared by the chef of their award-winning restaurant Tuileries. All wineries are offering between two and four different food and wine matches. “Rutherglen is becoming recognised for the excellent food we serve alongside our wines,” says Mandy Jones of Jones Winery & Restaurant. “We really take pride in what we grow locally and we are fiercely proud to put that produce on the plate in our restaurants.”   

Running between the wineries all day Saturday and Sunday is a non-stop bus shuttle that also stops in the heart of Rutherglen. Book a room, leave the car and let someone else drive you around. There are also buses servicing the towns of the region from Beechworth to Albury to Wangaratta. 

Each day the wineries are offering rare insights into the culture and traditions, some seven generations old, behind the winemaking process. It could be a tour of Warrabilla Wines as they crush and ferment grapes to make their big bold reds, or an insight into the luscious fortified wines Rutherglen is synonymous with at Chambers Rosewood Winery, or even a sneak preview of the new exclusive range at Cofield Wines.

What you will understand when you come to Rutherglen is that this is not just a wine region; it is a wine community. It’s a place of mostly small family-owned wineries, some of them generations old, where you can still meet the winemakers and learn from them face to face.

That is what Rutherglen is about. On the Friday night before the big weekend drop by Scion just outside the Rutherglen township and kick back with cocktails and handmade wines with young winemaker Rowly Milhinch. (He makes a really delicate Durif in the French style). That same night Anton Thirkildsen from Valhalla Wines will be spinning discs from his vinyl collection and pouring wines from his collection.

While the festivities wrap up on Sunday afternoon, Rutherglen’s cellar doors will be open for business for more tasting and sales on Monday, Labour Day. Rutherglen is also home to some iconic pubs with sprawling verandahs, wine bars such as Thousand Pound, and the sensational pie shop Parker Pies. This is a dining destination with the award-winning restaurant at Jones Winery, The Terrace at All Saints Estate, Taste at Rutherglen a la carte restaurant as well as some exceptional atmospheric dining at the wineries throughout the year. With brilliant accommodation from farmstay to five stars, this long weekend is a great time to fall in love, or re-unite the romance with Rutherglen. 

#getbacktohighcountry


THE DETAILS:

WHAT: Tastes of Rutherglen
WHERE: Rutherglen
WHEN: 7th-8th March
MORE INFO & TICKETS: tastesofrutherglen.com.au

Dive into art and culture at Upstream Festival

Words by Penny Cordner 
Images supplied

Four days, two cities, one festival. Immerse yourself in some of the best local and national art and cultural experiences this March at Albury-Wodonga’s ‘Upstream – Festival of Art + Culture’ (March 6-9). 

This family-friendly festival is a celebration of collaboration and connection, with Wodonga Council and AlburyCity coming together to celebrate their shared diversity and creativity. With everything from jazz music and one-of-a-kind dance troupes to art installations and circus performers, these four days promise to surprise and delight at every turn.  

Wodonga Mayor Cr Anna Speedie is excited for the wider community to embrace all the festival has to offer.

“The great thing about this festival is that it is for everyone – families, art lovers, visitors, locals. Everyone will find something to enjoy,” says Speedie. 

The festival opens at Noreuil Park foreshore on Friday night (March 6). Catch a set from the energetic Shirazz Jazz Band, be awed by the twists and tumbles of the Flying Fruit Fly Circus and keep an eye out for the laser show along the banks of the Murray River. Take part in a giant game of chess, and then head to one of the food trucks or dessert stations to refuel. 

“Kicking off the festival on our beautiful foreshore with music, acrobatic feats, food trucks and an amazing laser show over the river will truly set the scene for the four days,” says Albury City Mayor Cr Kevin Mack.

Kicking off the festival on our beautiful foreshore with music, acrobatic feats, food trucks and an amazing laser show over the river will truly set the scene for the four days.

Another not-to-be-missed event is the family-friendly Messy Arty Party (Saturday 7 March). This action-packed session will tire kids of all ages. Join in the Colour Run – where you’ll be covered in a rainbow of chalk from head to toe as you complete various challenges, or keep cool at Water Works – a mobile water structure. Embrace your inner musician by signing up to make your very own percussion instruments, get creative and take part in Clay Play, or challenge someone at Waterbomb Volleyball. Whichever way you go, there is fun for the whole family. 

In the afternoon, head to the Cube Chill-out Session where you will enjoy a range of local performers including resident company PROJECTion Dance. There will also be complimentary nibbles, giant games and you can grab a drink at the pop-up bar.

In the evening, it’s all about the Upstream Street Party with many performances to choose from. Make sure you catch one of three shows from The Three Belles – a whirlwind of dance perched atop five-metre sway poles in Richardson Park (Saturday 5.15pm, 6.40pm and 8.05pm). 

Art-lovers should immerse themselves in the swirling droplets of Flow States – an installation inspired by the Murray River, which has been made from hundreds of droplets of tissue paper, or enter the Neon Forest and navigate through a kaleidoscope of treetops to uncover hidden objects. 

There’s even an eight-minute puppet experience, ‘Nightmare,’ which is performed inside a horse float to an audience of just eight.

Sunday, March 8 brings a Market of Curious Things, with beautiful handmade trinkets and keepsakes, as well as performances of Mexican and Latin American music and the local Murray Riverina Jazz Orchestra. 

“We have a fantastic arts and cultural industry here on the border and this will be a great opportunity for local and visitors alike to experience it all including our public art trails and galleries,” says Mack. 

The festival name is inspired by the natural landmark of the Murray River (the meeting point of the two cities) and the idea that to ‘go upstream’ is to go against the current, encouraging you to try new and unexpected experiences. 

#getbacktohighcountry


THE DETAILS:

WHAT: Upstream – Festival of Art + Culture
WHERE: Albury/Wodonga
WHEN: 6th – 9th March
MORE INFO: upstream.org.au

Gippsland gears up for Farm World 2020

Words by Penny Cordner 
Images supplied

PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

Gippsland is gearing up for its largest annual agricultural and lifestyle event of the year: Farm World. This four-day show (26-29 March), running at Lardner Park will have everything from DIY passions and agri-tech zones to an animal nursery, cooking demonstrations and live music. 

A haven for the farming community and anyone with a passion for the great outdoors, Farm World provides visitors with the opportunity to chat with experts in the field, learn all there is to know about farm animals, and purchase products directly from the makers and suppliers. 

Joanne Kingwill, Lardner Park – Marketing & Communications Manager says there are regular exhibitors who have attended every Farm World since inception (1963), plus new exhibitors that bring exciting additions to the event.   

Whether you are a farmer, hobbyist, city dweller or just a kid – there are exhibits and activations that will appeal to everyone, including state of the art tractors and farm machinery, plants and garden items, livestock, food and drink, clothing, cars and boats.

Lardner Park, 120 hectares of farmland only minutes from Warragul and Drouin and just over an hour from Melbourne CBD, welcomes more than 50,000 visitors through the gates over four days. Farmers travel from all over the country for the show, plus there are bus groups and day-trippers who make the annual pilgrimage.

Joanne says that this success is due to the fact that Farm World is ever-changing but retains the authenticity of a true field day. 

“Many exhibitors are thinking outside the box and making their stands engaging, innovative and with a huge focus on the entire customer experience,” she says. 

This year, Farmer Darryl will be returning with more than 100 animals for the whole family to meet and greet. Get up-close with sheep, lambs, goats, piglets, ducks, geese, hens and chickens, and listen to Darryl’s tales about Polly the Lorikeet and how she found her sparkle. Kids can join in with bottle feeding the calves, put their hand up to feed and brush some of the more cuddly animals or learn to walk an alpaca. 

Another favourite for many attendees, and Joanne’s personal highlight, is The Telstra Women in AG lunch (Thursday 26 March) – a celebration of women who are making real impacts in their businesses and communities. 

“It’s an afternoon for fabulous networking in a casual and charismatic environment over a delicious lunch and a glass of wine,” she says. 

Attendees will also have the chance to hear first-hand from three inspirational speakers: Frauke Bolten-Boshammer from Kimberley Fine Diamonds, Megan Williams from The Camel Milk Co. and Sophie Stewart from Got You Girl

On Saturday and Sunday only, the Events Centre will come alive as Farm World’s Market Place.  Here you can stock up on everything from honey products and vegan breakfast cereals to preserves, wooden chopping boards and native flowers. 

Home cooks or foodies should check out one of the live cooking demonstrations on the main stage and then wander to the exhibit from local Gippsland store, String + Salt – where there will be an enormous display of quality cookware and goods to peruse.  

And when it comes to fuel for the day, there will be more than enough to choose from. Sweet-tooths can enjoy donuts, milkshakes, coffee, meringues, cakes and chocolates, while those looking for something a little more substantial can pick from paella, pizza, dumplings, calamari and more. There will also be craft beers, gin, vodka, rum and wine on offer, to keep you going all day.

Looking for a challenge? Enter Farm World’s Fittest Farmer, which will take place in the Entertainment Arena on Sunday, or simply come along and watch as they battle it out for the title. 

#getbacktogippsland


THE DETAILS

PLEASE NOTE: DUE TO THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH COVID-19, THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED

MORE INFO: http://lardnerpark.com.au/farm-world/

Hogget Kitchen

When a chef and two winemakers conspire, it’s usually a good thing. It usually means food+wine=good. Hogget Kitchen is no different. In the winery, Bill Downie and Patrick O’Sullivan. You might recognise those Reg Mombassa labels Bill is famous for. In the kitchen, Trevor Perkins with brother Steve.

Trev is quietly spoken, passionate about food and provenance, but in a way that just gets the job done. No fanfare. Just, “Oh, I picked the tomatoes from Mum’s garden”, and “Yeah, we grew up cooking, hunting for meat, that sort of thing”,  and “Yeah, I built the hot smoker from scratch, to get one I liked.”

The food is a simple, beautiful, produce-driven style, not overly presented, and it’s all from around here. We had Trev’s mum’s heirloom tomato salad, (best tomatoes ever), flathead and Dobsons potatoes (perfect), Bresaola and radishes (sublime, cured in-house), and a simple little dish Trev called “Steak and chips.” OK, it was a steak and potato chips, but what you need to know is that the beef is dry-aged in the cabinet at the front of the open kitchen. It’s cooked carefully in the pan to get that golden crust on the outside and be gloriously soft and pink on the inside. It’s finished with Trev’s mum’s own Worcestershire sauce, and served with the crispiest golden potato chips ever.  O. M. G.