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Kingaroy Cheese And
Proteco Oils Get Gongs From Top Chefs
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 29th March 2004: If you read last Tuesday's Good
Life supplement in the Courier-Mail closely you would've seen that Kingaroy
Cheese and Proteco Oils (which are both manufactured at Kingaroy's
Stuart Range winery) have
just received major accolades from the State's top chefs. The Les Toques
Blanches Association - literally, the "white hat chefs" - met at Parliament
House at a function organised by the Department of State Development last
Monday to sample the best food products that Queensland can produce. They
also handed out their Association's coveted awards to the top contenders.
Kingaroy Cheese added to its rapidly-growing swag of medals by receiving
endorsements for its Triple Cream Brie, its Double Cream and
its cultured Crème Fraiche. And Proteco Oils - who only submitted
a small sample of their range - got gongs for every single thing they entered
(ie their macadamia oil, peanut oil and avocado oil).
Cheesemaker Chris Ganzer, who represented both companies on the evening,
said that he was "delighted" at the outcome. Endorsement means that both
firms can now use the Les Torques Blanches label to support their product
marketing if they wish. Endorsement is given for 12 months with an annual
review by the Association after that, and it's recognised by all the leading
chefs nation-wide as a mark of genuine food excellence. Nice to know that
all of these products are 100% South Burnett sourced and manufactured.
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Kingaroy's Meat for
Profit Day Draws a Sell-Out Crowd
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 26th March 2004: Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA)
held a Meat Profit Day at Kingaroy'Town Hall on Wednesday 24th March.
The event was themed as "Planning for Tomorrow…Today" and the day was
squarely focused on the future of beef production in our region - and indeed,
Australia's red meat industry as a whole. Some of the topics covered included
market trends and projections, the current and likely future state of the
domestic and export markets, pasture management, succession planning, genetics
and the latest developments in beef research. Jackie Kyte from the
DPI told me that a Meat Profit Day was best described as a cross between
a field day, a conference, a rural expo and a trade show. Keynote speakers
included MLA chairman David Crombie, Eagle Boys Pizza founder and
managing director Tom Potter and ANZ chief economist Saul Eslake.
The event was enormous and drew a sell-out crowd of more than 600 people
from far and wide: a strong indication that the South Burnett is a major
player in red meat production. My very own hospitality students (pictured
above) were on hand to assist in the catering and served up a morning
tea of pumpkin scones and a lunch that included - you guessed it! - roast
beef. Attendees that I spoke to on the day told me they felt they'd gained
greater insight into their industry's future goals in a globalised economy
and - as a happy bonus - took home a greater sense of optimism with them
as well. An MLA spokesperson said that it could be a decade or so before
this major national event makes its way back to the South Burnett.
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Copper Country Relaunches
With A New-Look Menu and Decor
-
 23rd March 2004: Late last year I broke the news that
Nanango's famous Copper Country Restaurant was changing hands (see
story 19th December 2003). The restaurant had just become one of only
three South Burnett eateries featured in the Courier-Mail's Good Life Restaurant
Guide and they wrote that while the food there was fabulous, the decor was
a little tired and could do with a makeover. Since then, it seems, no-one
has heard much of the place. But that's all about to change! New owner Frans
Staats will be relaunching Copper Country on Wednesday 7th April
with a bright new menu and pretty much a new overall look too. Frans
- who spent many years managing resorts throughout Indonesia and South East
Asia - has been spending the summer aesthetically altering the restaurant's
old English style into a fusion of East meets West. The menu's also undergone
a facelift with dishes such as a warm salad of ginger-scented pork with crispy
Asian noodles and pan-fried Bratwurst on creamy polenta served with grilled
mushrooms and caramelised onion added to the menu. Copper Country will also
now have a set dessert menu with decadent items like banana bread pudding
served with Southern Comfort caramel sauce and vanilla ice-cream and a retro
chocolate fondue with fresh seasonal fruit pieces. The restaurant still offers
a wide range of wines and beers at its lounge bar, but if you haven't visited
for awhile I think you'll be in for a very pleasant surprise! I know the
South Burnett Tourism Association will be: they're meeting there next month
to try out Frans' new style at first hand. If you want to go there yourself,
you can book direct on (07) 4163-1011. Photo above: Frans Staats
in Copper Country's new foyer with its airy, Asian-influenced
styling.
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New Owners at Kilkivan's
Bendele Farm
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 20th March
2004: Last year I wrote about Bendele Farm at Kilkivan and the
wide range of organic poultry they were producing there. I'm now pleased
to update that story by reporting that Organic Poultry of Australia (the
company that runs Bendele Farm) has new owners. Fred and Sarah
Sterns - formerly of Mount Isa - will be taking over the operation in
the next few weeks. Original owners John and Kristy Douglass will be taking
a back seat and well deserved break, but will be continuing in a mentoring
and advisory capacity to the new operators. Sarah explained to me that she
and Fred are "hitting the ground running" trying to keep up with the pace
set by the Douglass family and they have plans to expand the business even
further. First on the agenda is to build a new shed after Easter that will
house more birds and essentially double the farm's production capacity
(demand for Bendele Farm's organic poultry has well exceeded supply for some
time). The second item of business will be to market and promote the firm's
range of organic turkeys. "Plenty of Australian farms are producing
free-range turkeys, but Bendele Farm are Queensland's only organically certified
turkey producers," Sarah told me. "We hope that turkey can make the transition
from being a seasonal meat eaten at Christmas and Easter to a year-round
alternative to pork and beef". The organic industry has been taking great
strides in the South Burnett and making quite an impact around the country.
In fact, it's the world's fastest growing niche food market at the
present time. Makes you wonder why our country is experimenting with
"frankenfoods" like GM canola when - so obviously - the general public
don't want it.
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South Burnett Foods
Featured In "On The Land"
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 17th March 2004: Channel Seven's
On The Land TV program
visited the South Burnett recently to produce some up-coming segments for
its 2004 series. Executive producer Les Abel and cameraman Eric Martin travelled
from Sale in Victoria to take in the sights of our region and cover various
food-related stories for their program. First on the list was a visit to
well-known local farmer Rob Patch, who took the pair on a tour of his peanut
farm and then proudly introduced them to his nationally-famous tourism attraction
The Peanut Van. Next on
the agenda was a lesson in peanut production and new technology at the
Peanut Company of
Australia's $1.7 million Innovation and Technical Centre. PCA Marketing
Manager Juli Robertson said that the TV crew also took in a tour of
the silos and blanching plant. During the visit I had the privilege of filming
a cooking segment for the show's South Burnett cooking feature (where I'll
be seen making a delicious Spicy African Peanut Soup). During the pair's
three-day stopover, footage was also taken of local dairy production and
an additional segment was filmed at the award winning Kingaroy Cheese
factory with Master Cheesemaker Chris Ganzer. The show's editor told
me that the South Burnett feature will be broadcast in the next couple of
weeks and will be presenting a "Paddock to Plate" theme. On The Land can
be seen on the Seven Network on Sunday afternoons at 1.00pm (EST) or at midday
in regional Queensland.
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PCA Regional Cuisine
Cook-Off Draws Record Crowds
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 14th March 2004: The 3rd annual
PCA Regional Cuisine Culinary Competition held at the Tarong Mine
Wine & Food In The Park Festival in Kingaroy yesterday drew record crowds.
And if you stayed the full course, you would've found that Steve
Gudzinski from the Red Earth Restaurant took top honours in the competition
for the second year running for the Best Overall Dish; Paul Stoddart
from the Burning Beats Cafe won a gong for the best use of peanuts in a dish;
and Kaz Walsh from Stuart Range Winery won a gong for the best food
and wine match. But the real surprise winner of the day turned out to be
17-year-old Kylie Barron from Kingaroy State High School (see story
2nd March, below). She impressed judges Peter Howard and Alison
Alexander so much that they created a special prize just for her: an
Encouragement Award consisting of two days training with Queensland's top
chef David Pugh at Restaurant II in Brisbane (a prize Alison
arranged with a quick call on her mobile as the cook-off progressed). In
coming weeks I'll have more to say about this fabulous cooking competition
which is jointly sponsored by PCA, SQIT and Tarong Energy - but if you watch
WIN-TV news tonight you'll likely be able to see an interview
they conducted with a fairly stunned Kylie on Saturday (see picture
above). It's well worth watching.
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Bunya Nut Brittle
Debuts At Yarraman's Speckled Chook
-
 11th
March 2004: The Speckled Chook Country Craft Market in Yarraman opened
for business late last year and over the last few months has begun to build
up a wide range of South Burnett foodstuffs to complement its equally broad
range of hand made crafts. Right now the store sells well-known local food
products such as Proteco Extra Virgin Cold Pressed Oils, Fruit Wedges from
Kumbia and Spring Gully Olives. And much to my delight it's also just begun
stocking the exciting new Bunya Nut Brittle made by the Colonial Candy
Co. from Petrie (the candy company's chief confectionery cooks are two ex-locals
from Kingaroy!). The brittle is packaged with the Speckled Chook's logo and
I think it would make a great gift or a sweet South Burnett souvenir for
almost anyone. Other boutique products on the store's shelves include Jill's
Coffee from Caboolture and jams from Hampton (Hampton Blue). Speckled Chook's
owners Kerin Hall and Vanessa Hobbs tell me that they hope
to install a cold cabinet later this year so that the shop can also start
stocking Kingaroy Cheese's award-winning cheese range. Both women are also
keen to unearth other local food products they can stock - so if you're a
food producer you should make contact. The Speckled Chook Country Craft Market
is located in Margaret Street, Yarraman and is open on weekdays (except Tuesday)
from 9:00am to 4:00pm, weekends and most public holidays. You can phone them
on (07) 4163-8075.
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Wine Industry Steps
Up Marketing
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8th March
2004: One of the biggest problems that the South Burnett wine industry
faces at the moment is that the region is still less well known than
the Granite Belt (even though we're already a much bigger growing
area) and is still virtually unknown to the vast majority of the
wine-buying public. While most Australians are familiar with wine regions
like the Hunter, the Barossa, Margaret River and Coonawarra, any mention
of the South Burnett usually draws a blank. One the one hand this isn't
surprising: most of the famous Australian wine regions have been in production
in one form or another for most of the last century. This gives them a lot
of mindshare against the 8 years we've been producing wines here.
On the other hand, the South Burnett has the distinct advantage of starting
its life as a wine region with the most modern infrastructure and
the best scientific knowledge about Australian wine-making practices.
This is something most of the other regions only came to by trial and error
over the course of decades. All the same, it's become obvious that lifting
"brand recognition" for the South Burnett is fundamentally important if we're
going to increase wine sales. So over the last 9 months - in conjunction
with the South Burnett Tourism Association and the South Burnett Local Government
Association - the South Burnett Wine Industry Association has been
working hard to develop a regional branding logo for the South Burnett. The
public will finally get to see it this Saturday when it's officially launched
at the
Wine & Food In The Park
Festival in Kingaroy. And right now the SBWIA is also looking at
hiring an PR consultant for the next 12 months to lift the region's brand
recognition around the nation, which will involve all participating members
digging in their pocket on a monthly basis to fund the work. Both of
these moves are laudable and show that our local industry
really has its thinking cap on. Expect more news on this topic
in future!
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End Of Drought Hits
Local Wine Grape Growers Hard
-
 5th March 2004: Oh what a difference a few weeks and a bit
of rain can make to the fortunes of our agricultural producers! When I returned
to writing this column in late January the first white grapes were coming
off our region's vines and local winemakers were looking down the barrel
of their second bumper harvest in a row. But during the last 5 weeks a series
of explosive thunderstorms has dashed those hopes - especially as far as
red grapes are concerned - and many of our grape producers have taken a big
hit instead. The worst losses I've heard about (probably because they operate
the largest vineyards) were at Moffatdale's
Clovely Estates, who
sacrificed more than 450 tonnes of shiraz grapes when the drought
broke. And the most heart-breaking loss I've heard about is the one suffered
by Peter Eaton and Maryanne Pidcock at
Captain's Paddock near
Kingaroy, who saw their January expectations of a 30 tonne harvest
cut back to a slim 9 tonnes by February's driving rain. But my sources
tell me not one of our grape growers escaped from the drought-breaking rains
unscathed. And it seems they're not alone. Nationally the 2003 grape harvest
is projected to be down by 15% overall and the white grape harvest
in particular is down by 18%. In this latter area (at least) the South
Burnett will do well. Why? Because thanks to our hotter climate, South Burnett
white grapes come onstream much earlier than the southern States. This meant
that most of our region's white grape harvest was in the crushing bins before
the rains came. But reds? Console yourself with the superb 2002s (many of
which have yet to come onto the shelves). The drum is that 2003 reds will
be a lot fewer in number.
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Two Cooks Get Ready
To Mix It With The Best
-
 2nd
March 2004: Larry McPaul and Kylie Barron were born 26
years apart but they'll both be taking their first big step towards a hospitality
career together when they compete in the PCA Culinary Competition
on March 13th. The competition, co-sponsored by Tarong Energy, will be held
at the
Tarong Mine Wine and Wine in the
Park Festival at Kingaroy on March 13th. Their joint experience in
the kitchen pales in comparison to their fellow competitors but I think they
have the passion necessary to upset some of their more fancied rivals. Kylie
is a Year 12 Kingaroy State High School student who works at the Pioneer
Lodge as a kitchen hand and has excelled in the school's hospitality subjects.
Leanne Hixon, Kingaroy State High School's Head of Hospitality, told
me that Kylie had shown the most flair of her 85 students and the competition
experience would stand her in good stead. "I've given her some advice about
her recipe choices," Leanne said, "but it's really Kylie's baby". Larry,
43, is a former cook for oil-finding seismic teams in Western Queensland.
He'd also worked in various other jobs before coming to the Kingaroy campus
of the Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE to become a hospitality student.
Larry said he came to TAFE to do a Certificate III qualification because
he wanted to settle in the district and saw the potential for people with
culinary skills. "I'd been away from the area and when I came back I found
that all these wineries had popped up," he said. "I think the industry will
continue to grow here and I really love to cook". Photo: Larry
McPaul and Kylie Barron getting primed to compete in the PCA Culinary Competition
with their trainers - Jason Ford of the Kingaroy campus of the Southern
Queensland Institute of TAFE, and Leanne Hixon, Head of Hospitality at the
Kingaroy State High School.
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