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 News
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Our web site
is always interested in news about developments in the South
Burnett's wine and food industries.
You're most welcome
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via email. Include
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You can find out more about the South Burnett on the following web sites:
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Barambah Ridge Bring
Wine Tastings To You!
-
 28th February 2003: Earlier this week I wrote that the best
way to buy South Burnett wine is right at the cellar door. Not only do you
get a much better deal (especially if you buy in bulk) but you
also get to enjoy the atmosphere of each particular venue -
and atmosphere plays a critical role in any wine or culinary experience.
However many of our wineries have identified that regardless of how short
the trip to their door might be, not everybody has the time or means to do
so. And this has brought about many initiatives such as satellite cellar
doors, mail order and online sales. Now
Barambah Ridge Winery
have taken the challenge one step further by inviting wine lovers and their
guests to a free wine tasting at any local venue of their choice. For a limited
time, groups of 20 or more can be introduced to the winery's large selection
of award winning wines wherever they want. And to add extra spice to the
offer, the winery will also offer a 15% discount off the retail price
of any case sales made at the tastings. Interested? Then contact Tom
McKenzie at Redgate on (07) 4168 4766 for more details. Residents
of Montville, Maleny and the Sunshine Coast can also get to enjoy the same
offer by contacting Dave Philip on (07) 5478 5566.
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New Autumn Menu For
Copper Country
-
 25th February
2003: Nanango's Copper Country Restaurant have just rolled out
their new Autumn menu. And after taking a New Year vacation in England and
discovering just how bad the general quality of food in the UK is,
Copper Country's chef Steve Winter says he's returned with an even
greater passion for Australia's abundance of high quality meats, seafood,
fruits and vegetables than ever. Steve said that the barrage of flamboyant
English celebrity chefs on TV and in our bookstores disguises the fact that
- in real life - the typical English menu is both tiresome and
expensive. "You could literally drive from one end of England to the
other, take menus from each establishment, shuffle before returning them
- and they wouldn't know they had a different menu", Steve said. "On top
of that, prices for an average main course - even in a pub - were up to
double the Australian equivalent. People don't realise just
how innovative, inexpensive and interesting Australian cuisine is now in
comparison to many other countries." This philosophy is reflected in Copper
Country's new menu, which is a celebration of fresh Queensland produce and
innovative high quality dining at an affordable price. The restaurant's baked
rack of lamb with braised lamb shanks on a warm root vegetable salad in garlic
and rosemary dressing is a dish that (I know) requires all the time and TLC
a chef can muster. And the char grilled meats selection is comprised of nothing
but the highest quality South Burnett pork and beef. Diners simply choose
the meat they want - Smoked Pork Loin Cutlet, Sirloin or Eye Fillet - and
it's served up with sweet potato fondant, mushrooms, tomato concasse and
their choice of sauce. Soups and fish dishes change daily, as do the desserts.
You can find a suitable matching red or white wine from Copper Country's
own label (there's a large selection of other brands available too) and select
a cheese from the restaurant's range of award-winning fresh Kingaroy Cheeses.
It's enough to make Jamie or Nigella emigrate....
| South
Burnett Restaurant Fast Facts |
Restaurant:
|
Copper
Country Restaurant |
Address:
|
D'Aguilar
Highway, Nanango |
Contact details:
|
Phone:
(07) 4163-1011
Fax: (07) 4163-1122
Email:
sw1@bigpond.com |
Open:
|
6:00pm
Mondays to Saturdays
(functions by arrangement) |
Average entree:
|
All
entrees $11.50 |
Average main:
|
All
mains $22.50 |
Average dessert:
|
All
desserts $7.50 |
Licensed?
|
Yes |
| Type of Cuisine: |
Fresh, locally
sourced South Burnett produce, prepared in an up market modern Australian
style. Generous portion sizes. The menu changes seasonally and there's always
a large selection of wines, including Copper Country's own label. Limited
foods are also available during the day to complement the cellar door. |
|
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2003 Wine Harvest
Likely To Set New Records
-
22nd February
2003: The South Burnett's 2003 wine harvest - which has been underway
for several weeks now - looks like setting new records for both grape
quality and quantity. While the drought hit most of the region's
traditional agricultural enterprises hard, the word I've heard from several
wine industry operators is that the baume (ie sugar content) in this
year's harvest is so high that the region is likely to score a swag of gold
medals when the 2003 vintage finally hits the shelves. Unfortunately,
though, these wines aren't likely to appear until much later this year and/or
2004. And this means we're going to continue being offered much earlier vintages
at wine tastings, local restaurants and bottle shops for some time yet.
Why is this? Well, one of the biggest problems the South Burnett
wine industry faces at the moment is that most cellars are still full of
product from 1997 through to 2000. There are some very drinkable wines in
this assortment that are still waiting to be sold - and until they are the
temptation for some winemakers is to simply their latest vintages to ferment
in the vats rather than roll them out. However - on the flip side - some
of the more dynamic wineries have decided to clear out their cellars ASAP.
And they're doing it by specialling these older wines. This means
that if you drop by their cellar doors right now you can pick up dozens of
their better releases for around $8.50 per bottle. To my mind, buying
by the dozen is the only smart way to buy South Burnett wines. It's also
unlikely that it will ever be cheaper than it is right now.
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Pumpkins Cafe To
Become A Weekend BYO Restaurant
-
 19th February 2003: Late-night dining in Kingaroy will get
another shot in the arm next week when Pumpkin's Cafe in Kingaroy
Shoppingworld begins opening on Friday and Saturday nights as a BYO a-la-carte
restaurant. The long-running cafe changed hands in November 2002 when
John and Nola Collins of Coolabunia purchased the business
from Doug Fogg and installed their daughter Nicole Wetherspoon as
manager. Nicole has 14 years experience in the hospitality industry and has
worked in a large variety of dining styles, and Kingaroy is about to see
the fruits of this. "Although many of our customers' favourite blackboard
items will remain on the cafe's daytime menu we're going to start offering
some new items such as Japanese sushi, an array of gourmet bagels and superb
Italian style coffee," Nicole said. But the biggest development will take
place shortly when Pumpkin's begins opening on Friday and Saturday
nights as a BYO restaurant with full a la carte table service. Chef
Aaron Bell (formerly of Barbella's and a winner in the 2002 South
Burnett Regional Cuisine Cook-Off Competition) will be commanding the kitchen
along with an apprentice chef, and patrons will be able to access Pumpkin's
through the café's external sidewalk entrance. The café will
also open for Sunday breakfast with a choice of continental or traditional
cooked breakfast dishes. "We believe there's a need for more dining
establishments in the South Burnett's booming food and wine market," John
said. "Especially establishments that value their customers' opinions and
try to meet high standards. We're really looking forward to this!"
| South
Burnett Restaurant Fast Facts |
Restaurant:
|
Pumpkin's
Cafe |
Address:
|
Kingaroy
Shoppingworld,
Cnr Youngman and Alford Sts, Kingaroy |
Contact details:
|
Phone:
(07) 4162-4611
Fax: (07) 4162-8418
Email:
jonola2@bigpond.com |
Open:
|
Cafe
from 8:00am to 5:30pm Monday-Friday
(plus late nights on Thursdays)
8:30am Sundays (as of mid-February 2003)
A la carte BYO: Fridays and Saturday nights until late
Corporate catering and functions by arrangement |
Average entree:
|
Cafe
- meals from $3.85
A la carte: $7.50 |
Average main:
|
Cafe
- meals from $3.85
A la carte: $15.00 |
Average dessert:
|
Cafe
- meals from $3.85
A la carte: $4.25 |
Licensed?
|
BYO |
| Type of Cuisine: |
Blackboard, limited
and full menus. Modern Australian café and restaurant cuisine for
a variety of tastes and budgets. Some innovative international dishes. Quality
Italian Style Coffee. |
|
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SB Food Service
Distributors Open Up Online
-
 16th February
2003: After 25 years, family owned and run
SB Food Service
Distributors (SBFSD) are joining the information age. Never shy of
new technology, owner Barry Randall made the decision to go online
to complement the recent expansion of his award-winning food distribution
business. Early in 2002 SBFSD invested more than $350,000 in a new
freezer and chiller complex sufficiently large to hold around 200 pallets.
"The expansion has given SBFSD increased buying power which has allowed us
to make significant savings - savings we can pass on to our customers in
food service businesses", Barry said."We've also recently completed a network
and computer system upgrade. And our focus on quality service and quality
products seems to be appreciated because we're now the largest food
service company in the South Burnett area". The company's new web site currently
contains a product list and a regularly updated specials page. It's anticipated
that future updated version of the site will facilitate online shopping,
a product search function and a product database.
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Goats: Meat Of The
Future.... No Kidding!
-
 13th
February 2003: Late last year I had the pleasure of working with TV's
celebrity chef Peter Howard conducting cooking demonstrations during
the
Peanut Festival. Mr Ern
Wilkinson - Director of
Queensland Domestic Goat
Meat (Q Goat) - asked if I could incorporate goat meat into the demos.
At the time I was unaware the South Burnett had such a thriving goat
meat industry, but the simple fact is that Queensland's leading goat meat
cooperative's headquarters is based here. I'd used the meat some years ago
but wasn't happy with the outcome. But since then I've done some extensive
research (particularly at the dinner table) and I'm now convinced that if
Australians learn how to cook goat meat correctly it can be a healthy
alternative to traditional red meats. Goat meat is commercially known as
Chevon and Capretto. It's been an important and traditional
source of meat for centuries in regions such as the Mediterranean, Africa,
India, the Middle East, Spain and the Caribbean. Many South Burnett farmers
have recognised the increased diversity of Australia's population and our
obsession with trying new things by developing a bumper domestic and export
market. So what does it taste like, you ask? It's similar to lamb
but a little sweeter. In fact, its structure is so similar to lamb that you
can buy the same cuts as lamb. Goat meat is also high in protein and
lower in fat and cholesterol than a lot of conventional red meats. If you
want to try it yourself, try the following local outlets: Gaedtke Bulk
Meat in Nanango; The Kingaroy Butchery in Haly Street, Kingaroy;
Shoppingworld Butchery, Kingaroy; Ryan's Butchery in Wondai
and Steele's Butchery in Murgon.
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Successful Hemp
Plantation Brings A Smile To The Dial
-
 10th February 2003: If you'd suggested to me a year ago that
I'd find myself standing in the middle of a 400-acre hemp field with a State
Minister, both of us smiling from ear to ear, I'd only have been able to
say it sounded like a pipe dream. But life is strange - and last Friday I
found myself standing alongside Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk
and a swarm of dignitaries as we observed Queensland's first industrial hemp
crop go under the blades. Ecofibre Industries used the South Burnett
as one of three trial planting areas for this amazingly useful crop and the
results they had here exceeded their wildest expectations. The company now
hope to put in a $7 million processing mill and extend their plantations
all the way from Murgon to Childers. Industrial hemp is used in literally
thousands of products throughout the world such as fibre, pulp,
textiles, fuel and (most interesting to me) food. Current Australian
legislation prohibits the ingestion of hemp food products even though the
seeds are not a drug and will be sterilised. But in many countries, hemp-based
food products such as hemp seed oil, shelled hemp seed nuts, muesli bars
and gluten free bakery products have been part of a healthy diet for many
years. As the demand for natural and healthy food products increases within
Australia the South Burnett could lead the way - or at least, as soon as
national legislative reforms take place. Gosh - what a coup! Photo
above: Queensland Primary Industries Minister Henry Palaszczuk and me
in the middle of Ecofibre's trial hemp field. Our smiles were not
chemically assisted!
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New Developments
In Peanuts
-
 7th February 2003:
The South Burnett is Australia's peanut capital. We produce most of
the nation's crop here and we've done so since about 1920. But few people
are aware that there are some exciting new initiatives being taken in this
industry that - if they're successful - could revolutionise Australian peanut
production in the space of the next few years. Right at the moment, trials
are being undertaken in the South Burnett to produce high oleic acid peanuts
and to create a benign aflatoxin fungus. High oleic nuts taste identical
to the peanuts we're used to but retain their freshness for about 9
months. And scientists believe that aflatoxin - which can cause liver
cancer and is responsible for the loss of tonnes of harvest every year -
can be rendered almost harmless by introducing a less toxic variety
into the local landscape which will compete (and beat!) its lethal rival
on the ground. Very soon, too, some growers will also be planting Indian
varieties of peanuts into their fields. These varieties deliver a harvest
in 75% the time that current harvests take. While we won't know the
results of these trials for awhile, if they all work out we could soon all
be eating fresher, safer peanuts than we've ever had and see production volumes
ramp up significantly. This may help South Burnett peanut farmers (who've
had wretched harvests over the last two years because of the drought) get
back on their feet faster than they ever have before.
-
Regional Cook-Off
Competition On Again!
-
4th February
2003: Further to my last story about the Tarong Coal Wine & Food
In The Park Festival (see below), I was delighted to hear today
that thanks to the generosity of the
Peanut Company of
Australia, the Kingaroy branch of DPI, TAFE and the South Burnett
Tourism Association, the Regional Culinary Cook-Off Competition that proved
such a smash hit at last year's Festival is on again!
This competition debuted last year and had crowds flocking in to watch it
all day as top South Burnett chefs tried to come up with sensational local
produce dishes that incorporated a skewer. The cook-off also
gave rise to this web site (the recipes we feature were last year's
winning entries). This year - thanks to PCA's sponsorship - the theme of
the cook-off will be recipes that not only make use of local produce but
in one way or another incorporate peanuts. The competition will also be renamed
the PCA Regional Culinary Competition. South Burnett chefs will be
invited to start composing their recipes in the next few days - but if you'd
like to take part yourself without waiting for an invitation,
email me directly for
more details. I know of at least half a dozen people who wanted to take part
in last year's cookoff but didn't hear about it until after the deadline.
Let's see if we can improve on that for 2003.
-
Excitement Building
For Wine & Food In The Park
-
 1st February 2003: The
5th Annual Tarong Coal Wine &
Food In The Park Festival will be held in Memorial Park on Saturday
22nd March this year. And interest in the event - which has steadily
grown to become one of the region's major annual events and its signature
Autumn wine festival - is already starting to build. Entertainers booked
for this year's Wine Food In The Park include Brisbane swing jazz legends
the Barbara Fordham Band (pictured at right), Midnight Syndicate,
Blind Dog and The Reverend and many others. Street theatre performers (who
proved such a hit with crowds at the 2002 Festival) will also be roving the
grounds during the day, adding to the colour and spectacle of the event.
This year Festival organisers hope to extend the licensed area to eliminate
the distinction between the wine tent and general bar that existed in 2002.
There'll also be a much wider array of high quality food stalls and an extensive
market area to cater to increased crowd numbers. An estimated 6,000
people attended last year's Wine & Food In The Park Festival. And
now that the event is just 7 weeks away, its web site is also being updated
over the next few days to provide continual briefings on the Festival as
it draws streadily closer.
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