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The Adelaide Hills Food Chain

UK celebrity chef visits the Hills

UK celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott took a few days out from his whirlwind tour of the eastern states to fly into Adelaide and spend a few days in Adelaide with Mt Lofty House chef Justin Markos (back left).

Twelve months after traveling to Europe courtesy of Australia's richest hospitality scholarship, South Aussie chef Justin Markos is still reaping the rewards of what he describes as "the greatest opportunity of my career".

In 2006 Justin became the first chef to win the Dan Pontifex Memorial Scholarship, which saw him heading overseas for a three month stint in some of London's finest restaurants. He has since returned to his role as Executive Chef at Mt Lofty House, bringing home a wealth of knowledge, some brilliant new recipes - and one pretty impressive new mate!

Last week, UK celebrity chef Ainsley Harriott took a few days out from his whirlwind tour of the eastern states to fly into Adelaide and spend a few days in Adelaide with chef pal Justin.

"We met last year when I was in London - I was invited to spend a day in a corporate box at Lord's Cricket Ground with a group of the most incredible chefs and foodies, and he was there," Justin says.

"We talked about food and wine, and hit it off straight away. We've managed to stay in touch since, so when he found out he was coming to Oz we organised a few days for him here in Adelaide."

It was Ainsley's first trip to South Australia, so Justin had a ball taking him on an orientation tour of some of his own favourite food spots.

"We hung out at the Central Markets, had a coffee at Cibo and indulged in some Adelaide Hills wine and cheese," Justin says.

"I loved showing off SA's fantastic local produce. We had some mates over for a wood oven feast at our place one night, and of course my team at Mt Lofty did their best to impress with a brilliant 10-course degustation menu.

Ainsley is now keen to return the favour, inviting Justin and his wife to stay with him on their next trip to London.

"I knew winning the scholarship would open doors, but I never imagined I'd make friends with someone like Ainsley, or have the chance to show off my home town. It's been awesome!"

In the News

Edith's cheese a champion

Woodside Cheese Wrights' Edith's cheese - a fresh matured cheese that is ripened by white mould and rolled in ash - has been awarded Champion Cheese of Show at the Brisbane Cheese Awards in Brisbane.

This is the 2nd consecutive year that Woodside Cheese Wrights has been awarded the top prize of Champion Cheese of Show. In 2006 Woodside Vigneron won this prize.

Judges commented the Edith was a stand out cheese amongst the 200 entries. Well balanced salt with perfect curd structure and a hint of blue at the end of the palate.

Edith is celebrating her 13th birthday this year. A cheese much loved in its home town of Adelaide but also nationally recognised as an icon Australian specialty cheese. The cheese is made using traditional methods where every cheese is crafted by hand.

Woodside produces around 1200 rounds of Edith a week and still does not meet demand. In 1999 an average of 120 rounds were made per week. It is a favourite of all Woodside Staff.

For further information please call Kris Lloyd 0403 057 702 or email kris@cheesewrights.com.au

Bird in Hand qualifies for Wimbledon

After a successful passage through the rigorous qualification rounds, Bird in Hand Rosé will be served at this year’s Wimbledon Championships.

Martin Guntrip, President of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club endorsed the selection at a dinner in London’s swanky Mayfair to launch this year’s event.

Bird in Hand’s Andrew Nugent attended the dinner and was thrilled with the reception the Rosé and also the stunning 2007 Bird in Hand Sauvignon Blanc received from the guests.

“I think strawberries and cream will go perfectly with a glass of Bird in Hand Adelaide Hills Rosé,” Nugent said.

Bird in Hand have celebrated many successes in recent months including Winestate Magazine Wine of the Year 2006 (2005 Shiraz), Winestate Magazine Merlot of the Year (2005 Merlot) and Best Wine of Show at the 2006 Brisbane Wine Festival (2004 Nest Egg Cabernet).

The success across such a range of wine styles is a testament to the diversity of the Adelaide Hills as a premium wine growing region, and the commitment of the talented Bird in Hand team. “We are really pleased with the recognition we are receiving for wines across our entire range” Nugent said.

“For our Rosé to receive this sort of acknowledgment is fantastic and something all of us are really proud of”.

Strawberries & cream will be served at the Bird in Hand Cellar Door from 25th of June to 8th July to celebrate the Wimbledon fortnight.

For details please contact Andrew Nugent, Bird in Hand Winery, Tel. 08 8389 9488 or email andrew@birdinhand.com.au.

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Committee Notes

Stepping Down

For Adelaide Hills Food, I feel this is a very exciting time - the group has a high profile, a fantastic committee has been built, there are momentous projects underway and the spotlight is on food in the Hills.

One of the Hills most notable chefs, Justin Markos of Mt Lofty House and Hills entrant in the Tasting Australia Culinary Competition is joining the committee, we have the 2007 reprint of the Adelaide Hills Food Guide underway, we are in the process of designing and launching some fabulous food trails that showcase some of our finest food producers, and we have a media tour planned for the Tasting Australia Festival on which a large group of national and international journalists will experience some of the best and most unique flavours and stories from the region.

However, with the funding having been pulled from the FIDO programme, there will no longer be a link between Government initiatives and the food group, or a person dedicated to driving food in the Hills. We will all miss Denise's brilliant but too brief input.

It will now be up to the group to look at how to manage the projects and opportunities that benefit individual members and for members to actively seek out those benefits that can be gained from government organisations and from being a member of their industry group.

Members of the food industry in the Hills really need to take advantage of the opportunities opening up for them and, in order to do so, really put some effort into working together as a group and supporting Adelaide Hills Food.

It is for this reason that I have chosen to step down as Chair of Adelaide Hills Food, so that I can devote the time necessary to implementing those projects the group has been working on that will put Adelaide Hills Food on the map and into the mouths of the gourmet food-hungry public.

I wish to thank all of the hard working Executive, ex-FIDO Denise Manson, Adelaide Hills Tourism, Adelaide Hills Regional Development, South Central Area Consultative Committee, Adelaide Hills Food Chain editor Andrew Kelleher and each individual member of Adelaide Hills Food for all you have contributed to making Adelaide Hills Food so tasty.

All the best,

Mary.

2007 Food Guide

Magazine publisher Adbourne has been appointed by Adelaide Hills Food to produce this year's Food Guide, which will be bigger and better than last year with an even wider distribution.

The Food Guide will again by distributed with Sumptuous, SA's leading food, wine and travel magazine, at top hotels and bed and breakfast accommodation in Adelaide and the Hills, at local and interstate visitor information centres and, of course, at all member businesses and wine region cellar doors.

So, when you get a call from Adbourne requesting information or offering fantastic advertising opportunities, don't forget that the Adelaide Hills Food Guide, that was so successful last year, is a brilliant member benefit and the perfect chance to promote your businesses to a highly targeted foodie audience.

Advertising

Adelaide Hills Food Chain newsletter offers excellent exposure

The Adelaide Hills Food Chain is a great place for members and associated businesses to advertise products, services, opportunities and events - in fact, anything that relates to our food industry.

Reaching Adelaide Hills Food Members and Friends, local and interstate food media, Adelaide Hills Tourism Marketing Committee members and members of the Adelaide Hills Wine Region, advertising in the Adelaide Hills Food Chain represents fantastic value at $40 plus GST per standard supplied ad.

If you would like to advertise in the next issue of the Adelaide Hills Food Chain visit www.adelaidehillsfood.com.au/news/advert/ or contact Marc Dobson on 08 8388 7512.

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Absolutely Barking

Denise Manson

Adelaide Hills Food Industry Development Officer

Sadly this will be my last column for the Adelaide Hills Food Chain as FIDO and I want to take this opportunity to say what a great nine months, and nine newsletters, it has been.

However I am very pleased to be staying in the area as I will be taking up a new post as Executive Officer for Adelaide Hills Wine Region from 12 July.

The newsletter will become bi-monthly from now on and will be put together by Mary Fowler and Marc Dobson. Please email them with articles.

Without doubt the very best part of the job has been getting to know you all as producers and seeing the amazing goodwill and cooperation that exists between everyone, and the passion that people feel for their products. I love the way that as soon as there are two or more producers in a room you are working out how to use each other's products, and the strong links that have been built between food service and producers.

I believe that the Adelaide Hills is on the cusp of a wave of interest in regional food and our climate, environmental credibility and proximity to the city will all help to grow this region's reputation for excellence. The focus that the South Australian Tourism Commission are now putting on food, and the opportunity for more wineries to open cellar doors in the Hills following the lifting of the PAR, will highlight our region as one of premium produce. We are also very fortunate to have Marc Dobson as a member of our Executive having direct input into tourism policy through the new Minister's round table, which is meeting for the first time as I write this.

Although not everyone has a retail outlet here in the Hills, everyone will benefit from a greater interest in the region and that should create pull for all our products through the system. As Andrew Nugent of Bird in Hand says on their website 'A high tide lifts all the boats in the bay'.

Many thanks to the Executive of Adelaide Hills Food for all the time they have put in and to say what a pleasure it has been to work with them on your behalf. I would also like to thank South Central Area Consultative Committee who by hosting and co-funding the FIDO position have made all that we have managed to achieve possible.

Finally, one of the things that I feel passionately about is the way in which the two major food retailers in this country have such a stranglehold on the supply chain, shaping both livelihood and landscape through the way they buy from growers.

With this in mind I highly recommend reading the Corporate and Social Responsibility Report of Waitrose, considered to be the most ethical supermarket in the UK. Of all the reading I have done in this job, and it has been a lot, this is the most inspiring and shows a way that we could still maintain convenience while encouraging a better food culture.

Download the Waitrose Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2006 [PDF 2.4mb]

Curtain opens on decade of Food Awards

The South Australian food industry have been set a challenge, to step forward and be recognised in this year's tenth anniversary Premier's Food Awards.

Launching the awards at a breakfast function on 5 June 2007, Agriculture, Food and Fisheries Minister Rory McEwen says the awards are a perfect opportunity to recognise and showcase the talent behind the state's burgeoning food sector. This year's theme demonstrates that there really is "no business like food business" in our State.

All South Australian food and beverage businesses are eligible to enter the Premier's Food Awards, from producers, processors and manufacturers through to businesses that provide goods and services to the industry. Entries close Wednesday 14 August 2007. Visit www.safoodawards.com for everything you need to know about the Awards.
Categories for the 2007 Premier's Food Awards are:

• Coopers Brewery Hall of Fame
• KPMG Young Leader Award
• Peats Soil & Garden Supplies Environmental Sustainability Award
• NAB Export Award
• Finished Food Award (Small, Medium or Large)
• SARDI Innovation Award
• San Remo Pasta New Product Award
• Rural Solutions SA Services to Industry Award
• Food and Beverage Development Fund SA Inc Workforce Development Award

Want to know more?

Sue Rogers, Food South Australia
Phone: 08 8226 0468 or email: rogers.suem@saugov.sa.gov.au

Tourism News

The South Australian Tourism Commission Budget Report 2007-08: "delivers ongoing funding for tourism infrastructure and product development in key areas of food, wine and nature-based tourism. These investments will deliver immediate and long-term benefits for the industry and South Australia’s economy."

Download the Minister's full report [PDF 370kb]

Business Matters

If any of you have queries about business matters, grants, workshops etc once I have left, please contact John Koutsikas of AHRDB on 8391 1374 or Jim Emmett of SCACC on 8131 0077.

During my short time in this job I would say that the two issues that limit growth in the case of many business are distribution and inefficiencies in manufacturing. Often when I ring producers they are in the car delivering produce themselves, all time out of the business. I have been working with a number of producers and AH Regional Development Board on these issues, particularly looking at consolidation, saving you time and money. John Koutsikas will carry this work forward so expect to hear something soon and if you receive an invitation to a distribution workshop; COME!!!!. It will be well worth your while.

Terena Blanton has instigated Lean Manufacturing at Cocolat's kitchen in Balhannah which has really improved efficiencies and freed up staff time. She has promised to write an article about this in a later edition. In the meantime, anyone interested in a free site visit and consultation contact: Tom Hubbard at tom.hubbard@sacentreforinnovation.org.au or call 8201 7525.

GRANTS

Useful grant links

http://www.grantslink.gov.au/ This site gives a useful listing of Australian Government grants by category.
http://www.grants.ord.sa.gov.au/ This site is useful as a reminder due to its automated email listing. Care should be taken as occasionally some information referring to third party sources is out of date.
http://www.ausindustry.gov.au/ Lists Ausindustry's extensivesuite of innovation grant programs along with contact information for regional offices.
http://www.regionalpartnerships.gov.au/ Link to DOTARS key regional community development grant programs.

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SMILE :)

So you think you have distribution problems? #3

Fido Funny

Adamant .......... The very first insect.

Events

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Calendar

Visit our on-line calendar for the latest dates

Please send information about upcoming events to food@southcentralacc.com if you would like them to be included in the next newsletter.

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Contacts

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. To read this newsletter with your web-browser click here. For other enquiries email ahf@adelaidehillsfood.com.au. For more information visit the Adelaide Hills Food web site at www.adelaidehillsfood.com.au