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The Adelaide Hills Food Chain

Deanna Tilker of Fresh Temptations in Balhannah.

Deanna's dream comes true

Adelaide Hills food personality Deanna Tilker will realise a dream this month when she and her young trainee travel to Sydney to compete on September 25th in the National Pizza Finals at the Fine Food Australia event.

After intense training from Deanna, 19 year-old Regency food student, Sera Childs, beat experienced chefs in July to take home the title of South Australia's top traditional pizza-maker in the Dairy Farmers "Best of the Best Pizza Challenge".

The victory confirmed to Deanna that her philosophy of using only the freshest and finest products available in the Adelaide Hills is taking her and her Balhannah pizza business, "Fresh Temptations", in the right direction.

"Winning has been a real boost for us but it's also demonstrated that pizza can be a healthy meal," says Deanna. "After all, in a pizza you have the three basic food groups - protein, carbohydrates and vegetables.

"The Adelaide Hills is similar to Italy in that you have a fantastic range of produce to select from. All the cheese, flour, oil, olives and vegetables in my pizzas come entirely from the Adelaide Hills and all of it is top quality."

Deanna's whole life is dedicated to food - in addition to her successful pizza business she also runs a city espresso bar called "Double Shot", and she acts as the Amanti coffee representative for South Australia. She also finds the time to run a food consultancy and wholesale business to cafes and cellar doors called "Adelaide Hills Gourmet Foods", which has mentored some of the Hills' most awarded wineries.

The secret to her amazing success? "Having an excellent team and a very loving and supportive partner and family."
At "Fresh Temptations" Deanna is attempting to create a "haven for foodies who love slow food and who understand that food rich in flavour cannot be made in a rush".

The atmosphere at "Fresh Temptations" is warm and cosy with a European provincial feel derived from the red chequered table-cloths, the thriving plants and the eclectic collection of artworks.

Here Deanna also specialises in gluten-free food and she provides possibly the most comprehensive range of gluten-free meals to be found anywhere in South Australia. She points out that one in 250 Australians is gluten-intolerant.

"All our deep-fried foods and desserts are not only gluten free, they are also dairy-free and contain no MSG," she says proudly.

In the News

The new Food Trails covers
Featuring paintings by Adelaide Hills artist Stephen Trebilcock,
courtesy of Hill-Smith Fine Art Gallery, 113 Pirie Street, Adelaide. Tel 08 8223 6558.

New food trails brochure on track

The concepts for Adelaide Hills Food's three new food trails: The Yummy Adelaide Hills Food Trail for Kids, The Taste Adelaide Hills Food Trail and Experience Adelaide Hills Food were well-received by the Minister for Education, Jane Lomax-Smith and the new South Australian Tourism Commission CEO Andrew McEvoy who were touring the Adelaide Hills recently.

While food trails are not a new tourism product to the state, Ms Lomax-Smith said she was particularly excited about the idea of a food trail that involves children by familiarising them with locally-made produce and the educational benefits that they will receive by knowing where the food comes from and how it is made.

Food Trails Co-ordinator Mary Fowler said that strengthening the Adelaide Hills brand and each individual producer's brand in the consumer's minds will be another direct benefit of the food trails.

"If fast food chains are targeting children with brand-building, why shouldn't small businesses producing healthy locally-produced foods put their hands up too?"

Food Trails participants will be Adelaide Hills Food members who have the facilities to provide complimentary tastings of their product to people on the trails, or winery cellar doors who are offering food tastings in partnership with another local food producer. Restaurants, cafes and cellar doors from the Adelaide Hills that feature local produce on their menus will also be promoted as part of the Food Trails brochure.

The Food Trails brochure will be launched during the Tasting Australia Festival, embargoed until the Adelaide Hills Food-Tasting Australia Media Famil (tour) when the national and international media in attendance will be the first to receive public information about the trails.

The Adelaide Hills Food trails project has been generously supported by Adelaide Hills Tourism, the Adelaide Hills Development Board and the South Central Area Consultative Committee.

As with all Adelaide Hills Food promotional projects,
only fully-paid up members will be included.

Those members that haven't paid their current subscription by September 7th will have to be excluded from the project.
For payment contact Adelaide Hills Food Accountant Andrew Beattie on 08-8388 7084.

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Winery jewels join Adelaide Hills Food

Some of the most glittering, innovative and exciting wineries of the Adelaide Hills region are now signed-up members of Adelaide Hills Food.

Adelaide Hills Food Trails co-ordinator Mary Fowler said she was thrilled by the response of Adelaide Hills wineries to her invitation for them to become members of Adelaide Hills Food and participate in the new Hills' food trails, due to be launched in October during Tasting Australia.

Mary said the wineries had seen the wisdom of capitalising on the public's growing demand for a combined food and wine tourism experience.

"Regional food is the new buzzword and people want to unwind at wineries and enjoy excellent food and wine linked directly to where they are," she said.

Long-standing members of Adelaide Hills Food are the Bird in Hand and Longview Vineyard wineries, both of which have achieved huge success with their outstanding red wines.

Petaluma's internationally-renowned Bridgewater Mill is also a member, as is the boutique Hahndorf Hill Winery which is in the Tourism Hall of Fame.

In the line-up of new members are Nepenthe and also Shaw + Smith, two brands whose names are synonymous with world-class Sauvignon Blanc.

The trailblazing The Lane Vineyard, multi-awarding winning Chain of Ponds Wines, and the distinctive Tilbrook Estate have also recently joined.

Exciting new wineries which have chosen to join Adelaide Hills Food include Abbey Rock in Balhannah, Howard Vineyard in Nairne, the environmentally-conscious Sinclair's Gully in Norton Summit, and Lloyd Brothers Wines (The Olive Grove from Hahndorf).

Another new member is the hip micro-brewery, Lobethal Bierhaus.

"Most of the best wineries in the Hills are now represented on the Adelaide Hills Food membership base," said Mary.

"Adelaide Hills Food will work in tandem with these wineries to promote our region as the most desirable destination in South Australia for food and wine experiences."

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Huge turnout for media famil

There has been an excellent response from national and international journalists booking into the Adelaide Hills Food media famil (tour) as part of the Tasting Australia Festival in October, presenting many opportunities for members to promote their products to a global audience.

Approximately 30 journalists travelling from as far as Europe, the US, Asia, the UK, Canada and even India have seen the exciting programme and potential story opportunities offered by Adelaide Hills Food and chosen the region from among many other food producing areas.

On October 15, the group of visiting journalists will be transported to the Adelaide Hills for a day of hands-on workshops that will introduce them to the unique and innovative products and producers of our region.

The programme includes honey extraction at Buzz Honey, chocolate making at Cocolat, cheese making at Udder Delights, venison sausage making at Hahndorf Venison and Olive and Vine Tip bread making at Millie's Bakery. The group will break for lunch
at Hahndorf Hill Winery where local chef, Sean Bradshaw of HQ Cuisine will present delicious dishes inspired by the abundance of Adelaide Hills Food members' produce.

Journalists representing US Better Homes and Gardens, the New York Times, Cuisine Asia, Taste Magazine, Woman's Day, Dish Magazine, the Irish Times, the West Australian, The Sydney Morning Herald and the Sunday Tasmanian have booked into the Adelaide Hills Food famil, including well-known UK food writer Elisabeth Luard.

Each of the 30 journalists will be supplied with a media kit, including information about individual Adelaide Hills Food producers and their products. This information must be supplied by members and there is also an opportunity to include product samples in the media kits.

Any member wishing to supply product information and samples must contact Media Famil Co-ordinator (mary_fowler@bigpond.com or 08-8390 0415/0408-882 623) by Friday, September 7.

The Adelaide Hills Food-Tasting Australia Media Famil has been generously supported by the Adelaide Hills Regional Development Board, Adelaide Hills Tourism and the South Central Area Consultative Committee.

Dairy over the moon with grant

The Adelaide Hills family-owned dairy, Tweedvale Milk, is the delighted recipient of a Food Processing Regional Australia grant worth $148, 215.

The grant will allow Tweedvale Milk, which is based in Lobethal, to upgrade its milk processing facility enabling the business to increase production capacity and introduce skim milk and cream to its product range.

Carlo Lorenzetti said he and his parents, Giuliano and Rita, were absolutely thrilled to be receiving the grant.

"We wouldn't have been able to upgrade our facilities without it and what it means is that we can now provide our customers with a full range of services," he said.

Tweedvale Milk has been in business since 1974 and specialises in high-quality milk. In its early days the business managed its own herd of cows but today it has grown sufficiently to source milk from other farmers.

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Cookies that are truly good for you

Millie's Bakery has introduced a range of delicious cookies that are selenium enriched and so contribute to your physical wellbeing.

Selenium is a micronutrient that is crucial for proper cell function as it facilitates the regeneration of cells. While selenium can be found in many foods, its quantity in these foods is diminishing - particularly since the soil in Australia is selenium deficient.

However, when selenium is spread on to soil in which wheat is grown, the plants become naturally bio-fortified with the nutrient and this enables the flour known as Golden Wholemeal to be produced.

David Faehrmann, head baker at Millie's, said the bakery already produces bread and rolls from Golden Wholemeal flour.

"Just two to three slices of this bread a day will provide you with enough selenium for your daily requirements," he said.

Now David has developed a range of cookies using selenium-enriched Golden Wholemeal flour as a base for the cookie mixture, to which he's added Adelaide Hills extra virgin olive oil, vegetable margarine with no trans-fatty acids, fruit and nuts.

"Since there are no trans-fatty acids in these cookies, or in any of the product range at Millie's, you get a delicious, clean-tasting bakery product," said David.

Millie's selenium-enriched cookies are produced in chocolate chip, pecan and fruit medley flavours, and will be available in bulk quantities soon.

Exciting new restaurant calls for Hills' produce and products

An exciting new restaurant is due to open in Stirling in early October and is calling for Hills' farm gate and food producers with fresh produce or value-added products to get in touch soon.

The restaurant, which will specialise in regional food and wine, is to be called "The Locavore" (loca-vore equals a local eater) and will be situated in the premises formerly known as "Bistro 49".

New owner Chris March said the name "locavore" derives from a project initiated in California on World Environment Day in 2005 when people were asked to consume only local produce for a month. Local was defined as being anything grown or produced within a 100 mile/ 160 km radius.

"The Locavore" is to be run by Chris and his business partner, Nathan Crudden. While it will focus primarily on Adelaide Hills produce, it will extend its search for excellent produce to a 160km radius within South Australia during the variable seasons.

Chris has been involved for the past 14 years with the successful catering company, Are you being served, and is to continue his involvement there. He is delighted to be opening up a restaurant in the Adelaide Hills.

"I think the Hills is the best place in all of Australia to run a restaurant purely because there is such a fantastic depth and range of high quality produce and products here," he said.

You can contact Chris by calling him at "The Locavore" on 8339 4416 or by emailing him at chris@areyoubeingserved.com.au

Want a stall at the Meadows Country Fair?

This year is the 25th anniversary of the celebrated Meadows Country Fair, which will be held on Sunday, October 21st.

The fair this year will be bigger and better than ever before, and will incorporate the inaugural Battunga Field Day which will be held adjacent to the main oval.

The fair's organisers are inviting applicants to apply for a stall where they can sell their antiques, collectables, crafts or approved home produce.

All stall holders must have public liability insurance and applications must be received by September 21st.

If you're interested in applying, contact the Stalls Co-ordinator, Keryn Corr, at 8388 3368 or email her at: meadowscountryfair@fastmail.com.au

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Expect the unexpected
at the Adelaide Hills annual dinner

Those Adelaide Hills Food members savvy enough to book seats for the Adelaide Hills annual dinner and AGM, are in for a culinary treat par excellence.

At the dinner to be held at the Grand Mercure Mt. Lofty House on September 12th, head chef Justin Markos and his team will treat the assembled guests to the launch of their gourmet menu for the Tasting Australia Culinary Competition.

Justin's team will be representing the Adelaide Hills region in the 2007 LifeStyle FOOD Channel Australian Regional Culinary Competition, where they will be up against 32 of the finest food teams from across Australia and New Zealand.

At the AGM dinner Adelaide Hills Food members will have the opportunity to "road-test" this menu and see why Justin is definitely in with a chance!

The five-course feast that Justin and his team will present at the AGM is - bar one dish - exactly what they will present to the judges on the day of the competition.

To tantalise your tastebuds in anticipation of the AGM evening, we asked Justin to describe what you will experience on your plate when you enjoy his dessert choice - "The Assiette of apple".

This dessert highlights Lenswood's famous apples, and Justin said he gained inspiration from the fact that the Adelaide Hills is known primarily for two foods - apples and cherries. Given the timing of the event, he opted for apples.

"It's a standard fruit but I wanted to highlight its outstanding versatility," he said.

Gracing your plate will be Justin's four witty interpretations of apple dessert.

You'll enjoy a miniature toffee apple on a stick, and an apple and cognac-soaked raisin ravioli served with cinnamon anglaise. There will also be Pink Lady granita as well as Millefeuille - small layers of pastry filled with poached apple and custard. And the selection would not be complete without apple and champagne jelly - intense apple juice verved up by the Bird in Hand "Joy" sparkling.

As for the rest of the menu, Justin says: "You can expect some of your old favourites prepared in unexpected ways. I like taking familiar standards and making them quirky - that's my cooking style."

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New Member

Sinclair's Gully Vineyard

Two of our new members, Sue and Sean Delaney have recently opened Sinclair's Gully Vineyard and Cellar Door to the public at Norton Summit in the Adelaide Hills.

Sinclair's Gully specialises in handcrafted, estate grown, cool climate Adelaide Hills wines, producing award winning Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay wines.

James Halliday (Australian Wine Companion (2007) rated the 2005 Sauvignon Blanc 92 points, the 2006 Sauvignon Blanc 90 points and the 2003 Wooded Chardonnay 90 points.

The Delaneys' commitment to sustainable viticulture practices ensures the highest quality grapes and wine are produced. All vines are meticulously tended by hand, with Sue and Sean Delaney individually cane-pruning each vine over winter. Grapes are handpicked at optimum maturity in early autumn.

Their passion for excellence flows through to their ongoing commitment to the restoration and protection of the 20 acres of pristine bushland on their property, which has over 150 species of plants and 66 species of birds, many being threatened or rare.

Sue and Sean's dedication to their bushland was recently recognised with the award of Winner of the 2007 Rural Landholder Award for the Protection of a Threatened Species or Ecosystem for the Adelaide and Mt Lofty Ranges Region.

The Delaney's obvious love of the lifestyle they have created with their winery and native environment are part of the relaxed, family-friendly Sinclair's Gully experience. Children are welcome, with a grassed area and play equipment adjacent to the tasting room and courtyard.

The Cellar Door offers visitors an opportunity to experience this beautiful and rare ecosystem while enjoying a glass of the very best Adelaide Hills cool climate wine and a regional platter.

Sean and Sean will be running wildflower and vineyard walks during spring, with walks planned on the following days (other times by appointment);

September 16th (Sunday) @ 2.30pm Wildflower Walk and Tasting ($15 per head)

October 21st (Sunday) @ 2.30pm Wildflower Walk and Tasting ($15 per head)

November 18th (Sunday) @ 2.30pm Vineyard Walk and Tasting ($15 per head)

Sinclair's Gully Winery Open Wed to Sun and public holidays 12 - 4pm.

Other times by appointment. Specialising in private functions, property and spring wild flower walks, and twilight tastings for small groups.

For more information please contact:
Sue and Sean Delaney, Lot 3 Colonial Drive, Norton Summit. Ph: 83901995
Web www.sinclairsgully.com
Email wine@sinclairsgully.com

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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Statewide

Solupak links

Flavour SA, in conjunction with the Centre for Innovation and Food South Australia recently hosted Solupak 2007. Two of the seminar presentations were recorded and can be viewed using the following links.

Food distribution issues - Barcoding & RFID - GS1:
http://login.alumni.net.au/em/forms/subscribe.php?db=83069&s=12676&u=10420&k=262c38a

Lean manufacturing - food industry case study Cocolat:
http://login.alumni.net.au/em/forms/subscribe.php?db=83070&s=12680&u=10420&k=41d57c0

Amendments to the FSANZ Act

On 1 July 2007, a number of amendments to the Food Standards Australia New Zealand Act 1991 were proclaimed. Amendments relating to changes to FSANZ's assessment processes were a key part of these amendments and will take effect on 1 October 2007. This means that all applications received and proposals prepared after 1 October 2007 will be considered under the new arrangements. Applications received or proposals prepared prior to date of effect continue to be progressed under all the current Act arrangements.

New and stricter timeframes for dealing with applications are an integral part of the latest reform measures. As a counterbalance, applicants will be required to provide supporting information at the start of the process - to facilitate more efficient and expeditious handling of applications.

The changes will improve the assessment and consultation procedures for applications and proposals, make the regulation process more efficient, whilst improving consultation with stakeholders. The new arrangements recognise the changing environment for food safety and food innovation.

Please use this address
http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/standardsdevelopment/newamendmentstothefsanzact/index.cfm to access information on these changes.

Innovative glass bottles for food producers

Producers who use glass bottles for their food products may be keen to learn of an innovative glass printing technology supplied by the glass specialist company, Glass Craft Print.

This high-tech technology enables customised, durable ink to be printed directly onto glass bottles and glassware, providing a trendy, refreshing look to the product.

Managing director Bronte Hough said this would be of great interest to all olive oil companies or those producers whose products utilise oil.

"An ordinary paper label will stain when oil runs down the side of the bottle, but with our glass products this problem is eliminated," he said.

Another big advantage of the new technology is that it also eliminates unnecessary costs and reduces wastage by printing on bottles that are already filled.

"This makes our product a real winner, as you only need to label what is needed for a specific order," said Bronte.

For more information, you can contact Bronte Hough at 1300 765 540.

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Look towards the East

A Chinese importer is calling for expressions of interest from Adelaide Hills food producers who are interested in exporting to China.

Michael Yam is a director of Beijing Fanz Ltd, which describes itself as a premium food and wine company and is wholly owned by NEO Fine Food which operates from Glenelg in South Australia.

Mr Yam said his company was particularly interested in dehydrated, pre-packaged foods, and he was very impressed with the overall quality of Adelaide Hills food.

If you're interested in tapping into the bustling, thriving economy of China, you can contact Michael Yam at (08) 8379 6555 or reach him on his mobile (+86) 1343 974 2323.

Adelaide Hills shines at ICONS store

Next time you are jetting off or collecting someone who's flying in, do take time to visit the new ICONS flagship gourmet store at Adelaide Airport.

The smart and contemporary-looking store features a food and wine tasting bar and sleek shelves resplendent with the finest fare to be found in South Australia.

The store's prominent position on the airport concourse means local producers have the potential to expose their brands to about six million travellers a year.

Beerenberg, Bird in Hand, Tumbeela, Willabrand Figs, Buzz Honey, Shaw + Smith, and Hahndorf Hill Winery are just some of the range of Hills' food and wine producers whose products are featured in the new store. [Read more.] [PDF 244kb]

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.

Grants that can help your business grow

If you work in an innovative agribusiness, or have a new agribusiness product, service or technology you are seeking to commercialise, then the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry may be able to assist you with a grant.

Round 16 of the New Industries Development Program, Pilot Commercialisation projects is open and will close on September 26, 2007.

The NIDP helps agricultural, processed food, fisheries and forestry businesses to grow by providing grants and scholarships to take new products, services or technologies to market.

Grants of between $35,000 to $120,000 are available on a competitive-based process. You must have established the research and development stage, have "proof of concept", developed a supply chain and established market potential.

Funding for the pilot commercialisation projects is provided on a matched dollar for dollar basis with the applicant. You need to demonstrate the project's potential for market success and therefore you will need to have completed the initial market assessment and the research and development stage of the project.

For more information on these grants and other resources, please contact a NIDP Project Officer on freecall: 1300 884 588.

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AAA Farmbis now national managed by DAFF

In the new Farmbis, focus is strongly on business management courses - we have pamphlets for advisors / producers and a generic pamphlet and can send them out.

AAA Agfund - grants to $50,000 that help industry at the local level [Word doc 40kb]

Food Innovation Grants managed by DAFF (ie not NFIS) - first round now open.

Food Innovation Grants Programme

Preliminary Applications for Round 1 of the new Food Innovation Grants Programme are now open. The Food Innovation Grants Programme provides grants on a competitive basis to Australian-based food businesses to invest in research and development and innovative projects. Visit www.daff.gov.au/agriculture-food/food/foodinnovation

DAFF Roadshow factsheet [Word doc 328kb]

New grants for Australia's food industry

Australia's food industries will become even more globally competitive through a range of projects that will promote new innovations in the sector [Read more].

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SMILE :)

So you think you have distribution problems? #4

Daffynition

Trolley: an abundance of trolls.

Events

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Calendar

Visit our on-line calendar for the latest dates

Please send information about upcoming events to newsletter@adelaidehillsfood.com.au 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