EDITORIAL

NEWS

and Chairman's Report

MEMBER PROFILE
Udder Delights Cheese Cellar

NEW MEMBERS
six degrees @ Cafe Jazz

BARKING
Denise Manson
FIDO

CONTACTS

EVENTS

The Adelaide Hills Food Chain

October 2006

Adelaide Hills Food Guide launched

The Adelaide Hills Food Group's annual general meeting this year was also the launch of the Adelaide Hills Food Guide. At the launch were (pictured above) the group's Treasurer, Sean Bradshaw, Committee member Mary Fowler, Food Officer Denise Manson, and Muggleton's proprietor Hannah Eustice.

Editorial

Farmers Markets a great idea

On Monday 18 September, 45 members and friends met at Muggleton's in Hahndorf for a lively evening at the Adelaide Hills Food AGM. Once the main business was completed, Mary Fowler launched the new Adelaide Hills Food Guide to universal acclaim and Rob May spoke about this being the first step in really putting AHF on the map.

After an excellent dinner of largely regional produce, Zannie Flanagan, one of the founders of the Willunga Farmers’ Market and the brains behind the imminent Adelaide Showground Farmers’ Market, gave an inspiring talk about the development of these two markets.

The main focus of Zannie’s talk was on how the Willunga Farmers’ Market had made such an enormous contribution to the town of Willunga.

Far from competing with local businesses it had brought tangible benefits to them.

There were no longer any empty shops in the town, a community kitchen had been built, and in the first weekend that one of the banks installed the first ATM in the town, $25,000 was withdrawn.

She also talked about how closely the community owned the market. Membership was encouraged and rewarded with a discount card and the members were great advocates of the scheme and the market.

Zannie also talked about the new market at the Showground, opening as we go to press, and how the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society saw this as a return to their founding principles of 1839 when they started. It was in a sense ‘back to the future’.

She predicted that there could be great benefits for AHF if they initiated a Farmers’ Market and managed it. We were left with much to think about and a new sense of purpose in our commitment to the founding of our own market.

Denise Manson
Food Industry Development Officer
Adelaide Hills Food

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In the News

New guide distributed

Copies of the new Adelaide Hills Food Guide have been sent out to the food media contacts for future producer profiles and feature stories.

Among those sent copies are Adelaide Matters, Adelaide Messenger, Hills Messenger, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Australian Way Magazine (Qantas in flight), Dish (New Zealand Food and Wine), SA Life, Scoop Traveller (Perth Food, Wine and Travel), Sumptuous Magazine (SA Food and Wine), Sunday Mail, The Adelaide Review, The Advertiser, The Independent Weekly, The Mount Baker Courier, The South Australian Grower, The Stock Journal and Voyeur Magazine (Virgin Blue in flight).

Hills food features in weekend press

Adelaide Hills food was the subject of a feature in The Weekend Australian's Travel and Indulgence supplement for September 30-October 1 issue. The page five article, with a front-page pointer to it, was a feature sourced directly from the Adelaide Hills Food Guide.

Also appearing in Adelaide's Independent Weekly (published on Saturdays) was a prominent Adelaide Hills Food ad publicising the release of the guide with details on where to obtain copies.

The same issue featured a cover story headlined 'Narrow Choices' on Coles and Woolworths and how they have cornered four fifths of SA's estimated $3.5 billion checkout revenue.

Farmers Market idea proves successful in city

Willabrand's Willa Wauchope, and HQ Cuisine's Sean Bradshaw enjoyed a day of great success at the inaugural Adelaide Showground Farmer's Market.

Adelaide Hills Food has booked two stalls at the market for the next three months. Many of the available slots have been booked already but there are a few remaining. To secure a space to promote your business and sell produce, call Food Officer, Denise Manson, on 8131 0133 or 0417 085 684.

Chairman's Report

2005-2006

The current Executive Committee has achieved a number of significant developments during the past 12 months.

Having found our feet, we started regular Network Meetings, held bi-monthly at a Member's production facility. The Members provide a “walk & talk” tour of their site and discuss matter relevant to their industry. Food and wine are provided by Members and Members and Friends are encouraged to bring potential members or friends to gain some insight into the groups activities.

In August, a new FIDO was appointed to the region. Denise Manson is working through the SCACC’s Stirling office. Denise has been asked to assist AHF in a number of areas, including providing information and support to existing and new food businesses in the region. She will also be assisting with preparation of a feasibility study into the suitability of a Farmers Market in the Hills.

The Executive Committee believes that Farmers Markets in the Adelaide Hills would be well supported by their local communities and that they would provide excellent marketing and product development opportunities for Hills food producers. The feasibility study will be completed and distributed to Members for discussion in April 2007.

In addition to this newsletter, we are also in the process of upgrading and expanding the Website.

The release of the Hills Food Guide will be of real benefit to Members with approximately 25,000 units printed and distributed through visitor information centres, members retail outlets and 10,000 units mailed directly to consumers by the South Australian Tourism Commission enclosed in the Sumptuous Magazine.

Finally I would to thank the Executive Committee for the considerable time, expense and energy the members contribute to the on going development of Adelaide Hills Food.

Robert May
Chairman
Adelaide Hills Food Producers Inc.

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Member Profile

Udder Delights Cheese Cellar

Dine underground in the cellar or alfresco beneath the trees of Main Street, Hahndorf

After seven years of hand making cheese in Lobethal, Saul and Sheree Sullivan of Udder Delights Cheese Factory, are proud to announce the opening of their ‘Udder Delights Cheese Cellar’ at Hahndorf.

Udder Delights Cheese Cellar will be offering seven-day-a-week cheese tastings of their renowned goat and cow milk cheeses, and retailing an extensive range of local, national and international cheeses.

The Cellar café highlights the use of cheese and local produce in all its delicious menu items, and specializes in cool climate Adelaide Hills’ wines.

To further enhance their cheese experience, customers can choose to dine in the underground cellar, or dine alfresco under the Heritage listed trees lining the main street of Hahndorf.

Udder Delights will be hosting the new Adelaide Hills Cheese and Wine Trail partnering up Shaw and Smith, Nepenthe, Hahndorf Hills Winery and Bird in Hand to bring visitors an authentic and interactive food and wine experience in beautiful regional settings.

"The Cheese Cellar has been in the planning for more than 12 months and we can’t wait to unveil it on October 27 -- assuming the building continues to go to plan," said Sheree.

Sheree will manage the Cellar, while Saul will remain at the Cheese Factory overseeing the plant expansion and introduction of new products.

"We hope to see you all there!"

For more information call Sheree on 0412 650 594 or refer to www.udderdelights.com.au.

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New Members and Friends

six degrees @ Café Jazz

Fresh seasonal, regional produce cooked and served with integrity, style and passion.

“People love to eat good food, to enjoy a glass or two of wine, to be in each other’s company, to talk and to laugh and they love to be entertained – what better place for this pleasurable experience than the café!”
(Soozie Feutrill and Donna Evans,
proprietors, six degrees @ Café Jazz)

“The café is a tool for conviviality.”
(Ivan Illich, philosopher)

It was with these philosophies in mind that we developed the concept for six degrees @ Café Jazz…

Inspired by the idea of providing a dining experience in the manner of “families at table” that would illuminate the relationship of food and music to life, we regularly present live jazz music performances as an integral part of the café’s character.

We chose the name six degrees @ Café Jazz as it refers to the urban myth of “six degrees of separation” which suggests that we are all connected to everyone else on the planet by a trail of only six people.

To this we added our food philosophy: “Fresh seasonal, regional produce cooked and served with integrity, style and passion”.

At café jazz we utilise a wide range of regional products, supporting our local producers and showcasing the fresh quality produce from the Adelaide Hills and surrounding areas.

With its bi-fold doors and windows and “al fresco” dining areas, the sights, sounds and smells of Café Jazz spill out into the street, adding a vibrant splash of colour to the rich tapestry of places and events that attract tourists to Hahndorf and the Adelaide Hills.

We believe Hahndorf has enormous potential to be the “tourism hub” of the Adelaide Hills due to its proximity to Adelaide, the Barossa Valley and the Fleurieu Peninsula, and six degrees @ Café Jazz is excited about its convivial, musical and epicurean contribution to the Adelaide Hills tourist experience.

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Absolutely Barking

News from your FIDO

Denise Manson, Food Industry Development Officer

Hello everyone. I thought I would give you a brief update each month in the newsletter about some of the things that I have been doing that may be of interest to you.

Since the AHF guide was so successfully launched at the AGM on 18 September I have been getting out there to distribute it as widely as possible. Working closely with Katie Cameron of Adelaide Hills Wine we have purchased a batch of double brochure holders and are aiming to get the Food Guide and Cellar Door Guide sitting side by side at food outlets, wineries and visitor information centre.

They look really good together and we are hoping that this will encourage visitors to map out a trail including a mix of food and wine venues.

On 17 October I am going to a meeting of the Bed and Breakfast Association at the invitation of Jane Clarke to talk about the guide and to promote regional food to B&B hosts to be used in their breakfasts and the possibility of a ‘mini-hamper’ that can be made available to guests in their fridge.

As you may know an important part of my job is to investigate the options for starting a Farmers’ Market in the Adelaide Hills. After the AGM the next Executive Meeting the following morning took place at the Uraidla Showgrounds to consider its possibilities as a potential site for this.

Anton van Klopper, a local primary producer and Board member of Biodynamic Agriculture Australia, gave a very informative talk about the history, culture and cultivation of the area, and the daily challenges faced by fruit and vegetable growers in today’s market.

This is only one of a number of sites that I will be looking at and I welcome any suggestions as to potential sites. Absolute minimum needs are lots of parking space, toilets and an undercover area.

I have also been working closely with Bob Goreing, CEO of the Regional Development Board, developing business workshops with food businesses particularly in mind. I will keep you updated with these. Upcoming events are listed below.

Most important of all I have actually been managing to get around and meet some of you which I have really enjoyed, thanks for your hospitality. If I haven’t been in touch with you yet; I apologise - but you will be hearing from me!

I have information about a Food Safety Kit designed to assist Growers and Food Processors train staff in Food Safety. It consists of five easy-to-read manuals and other useful information and is priced at $495.

Please contact me if you would like more details about any of the above.

FIDO Funny

Definition of Flabbergasted: Appalled at how much weight you have put on

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Contacts

Drought Hotline

The South Australian Government has set up a drought hotline and web site to assist communities access information on support services, managing conditions etc.

The professional team of Networkers appointed by FarmBis in South Australia is there to help bridge the gap between training providers and primary producers.

Robert (Red) Hodge, Ceris Crosby and Annette Filby combine to offer a broad range of valuable experience in working with primary industries and regional communities across the State.

Red Hodge: Phone 08 8226 0375, Fax 08 8226 0333, Mobile 0417 230 072.
Ceris Crosby: Phone 08 8226 1449, Fax 08 8226 0333, Mobile 0428 106 269.
Annette Filby: Phone 08 8226 0378, Fax 08 8226 0333, Mobile 0428 104 625.

Events

To include your event in this calendar, email us.

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Administration

You are receiving this email because you opted to join the Adelaide Hills Food News list. If you were forwarded this email and would like to subscribe and have it delivered to your in-box each month click the Subscribe link at the end of this message. To unsubscribe to this list, select the Unsubscribe link. For other enquiries email ahf@adelaidehillsfood.com.au. For more information visit the Adelaide Hills Food web site at www.adelaidehillsfood.com.au