F.O.O.D Reflections

Mt Conobolas overlooking Orange

It Takes a Community

I would like to acknowledge the people behind the scenes who influenced the establishment of Food Of Orange District and highlight some of the changes over the decades.

From little things…

Launching F.O.O.D in 1991, general use of computers was in its infancy with very few people having their own. Books, magazines and newspapers were the main source of information where specialist food and wine critics had enormous sway in the lifestyle stakes. Look at how the internet has democratised this information dissemination and the decimating effect that has had on publishing. magazines and newspapers. Now everyone can be a critic and influencer.

The modern food and wine scene was in its infancy in Orange 30 years ago, with the mandatory motel restaurants, Chinese and Greek restaurants.

Thea and Michael Grillis of Patmos Restaurant. via Paddock to Plate exhibit 2018

There were exceptions to the obligatory with neighbours Brian and Wendy Eggleton’s Bistro, the RSL dining room featuring the lovable eccentric Gordon Muir and Stan's fish and chips bar going strong. Orange pretty much featured all the same hotels as we have today and there were only three local wineries. Locals who were fond of fine dining drove to Sydney.

Now 30 years later, look at how the food and wine scene has expanded. See https://www.orange360.com.au/Places-to-go/FOOD/Restaurants

1992 - Produce sourced and arranged by Fem Hawke at Luxulyan. Photo by Joe Filsche which was published in the Australian Gourmet Traveller

2018 - Local produce displayed at De Salis Winery for the Paddock to Plate exhibit 2018. Photo by Kyle Manning

Local caterers started investing in cafes serving innovative food. Rachelle MacSmith moved from Molong’s Upstairs Downstairs to open her quirkily named Pet Shop Cafe in Orange, handed on to John Raymond, also Shakuntala Solanki's Cafe 48 in Sale Street, Helve Fung’s famous breakfasts at her Cafe in Summer St., and Millthorpe had their Old Mill Cafe. Josie Chapman began her legendary Lords Place Cafe and emphatically endorsed a new standard of fare for the region. Scott Turner of Delish Catering followed suit. Then orchardists, like Gaye and Borrie Gartrell of Borrodell, expanded their horticultural repertoire to include wine grapes and truffles. They added value at the farm gate, with accommodation, events and dining, sharing their scenic Towac Valley paradise.

Borrie with rejected cherries now made into Cherry Liquer

Established and celebrated Chefs moved into the Orange region starting with Michael Manners 56, who along with the aesthetic Josephine, weaved their culinary magic at Selkirks Restaurant.

Michael Manners at Selkirks stove

Returned locals like Simonn Hawke opened her revered and much loved Lolli Redini Restaurant while Tony and Nicole Worland took a well calculated chance on a fine diner appropriately called Tonic in the very beautiful village of Millthorpe.

Lolli Redini Restaurant

Simonn Hawke in Lolli Redini

Tony Worland at Tonic

Shaun and Willa Arantz added to our sophisticated country dining scene with their Racine Restaurant at winery La Colline with stunning views. Many weddings were held there and in 2012 they also opened their much appreciated Racine Bakery. (Lisa with Paul Wilderbeek an ex FOOD President and chef at Highland Heritage, had given our community their first taste of more creative bakery products but they closed and moved to sunnier Queensland.) The Racine Restaurant has sold and pivoted too but thankfully their Bakery and range of catering including weddings continue.

Racine Restaurant at La Colline Winery

Bed and Breakfasts proliferated and also offered local foods. Dee and Rob Napier of Bed of Roses then Black Sheep Inn; John and Kay Gransden’s The Magistrates House (conveniently located next door to Selkirks,); Josie and Jeffrey Chapman’s The Old Convent offering classic country food and entertainment while Annette and David Buckland of Arancia offered stunning accommodation and particularly opulent breakfasts. All formed a solid foundation indeed. And now the Byng St Hotel takes accommodation to a whole new level.

Black Sheep Inn

Josie Chapman catering at the 13th Annual Gastronomic Symposium, held for the first time in a rural location. Josie is serving the late Kenneth Dryland who also contributed much to F.O.O.D. WEEK

Next-generation of chefs like the talented Liam O'Brien of Charred and Rockpool trained Dom Aboud of the Schoolhouse Restaurant, Union Bank and Semin Jeon of Mr Lim soon followed contributing new and exciting approaches to this ever-enriching eating environment. But before this wave, a local home cook Kate Bracks added to Orange’s profile by winning a series of the Master Chef Challenge.

Kate Bracks’ catering desserts at F.O.O.D WEEK - photo by Not Quite Nigella

Recently, traditional motels have upgraded their kitchen offerings and dining rooms with Oriana’s Peacock Room and the Central Caleula's Zona leading the revival. Our hotels are providing multi-cultural offerings and our ever increasing impressive range of Cafes offer seriously good coffee (some roasting their own beans) accompanied by satisfyingly comforting food.

We are also graced by the presence of national wine writer Peter Bourne of Gourmet Traveller Magazine who visited Orange during F.O.O.D week a few years back and came away with the pick of our quality local produce and wine is food is it not? Peter married local Joanne. He is a fantastic asset to our expanded wine community's developing confidence. There are large and small cellar doors, all at different elevations growing a diverse range of wine styles that can all excel.

Ian Cook Wine Bloodwood’s Wine Merchant @ 5 Way Cellars PADDINGTON NSW and Peter Bourne The Wine Man, wine writer for Australian Gourmet Traveller

From the internationally acclaimed winemakers like Philip Shaw to the pioneering and now established locals, there is wonder in wine to be had everywhere. The Orange Region is capable of producing world class bubblies, dry whites, pinks, reds and dessert wines. If you don't have time to go to the source cellar doors, there are a couple of wine bars with food like Birdies and Ferment that can give you a quick introduction to wines of Orange. All of this has developed from a modest 3 wineries thirty years ago to what is now over 60 vineyards.. https://www.orange360.com.au/Wineries/Cellar-doors.

Our many wineries have been offering functions with gusto during F.O.O.D WEEK for years.

Stephen entertains Bloodwood customers at a F.O.O.D. WEEK function

Ross Hill's F.O.O.D. WEEK function

Stephen and I when we decided to buy the property that became Bloodwood Winery - photo by Wayne Harris

Wine beginnings

Stephen and I were the first to plant thousands of grapevines on Bloodwood in 1983 in order to establish Orange as the first truly cool-climate wine growing region in NSW.

Early Chardonnay and Cabernet plantings

At that time I asked Stephen as we were planting the Chardonnay when would be a good time to have our festival? Mudgee had theirs in Spring.

An early visitor to our Bloodwood shed was David Lowe of Lowe Wines in Mudgee. A marketing consultant to Orange City Council, tried to define Mudgee as Orange's competitor but I insisted that Mudgee winemakers were our colleagues and that Coles and Woolworths were our competitors to food and wine marketing.

David Lowe of Lowe Wines in Mudgee.

Without hesitation, Stephen offered Autumn because the produce is plentiful and his research had shown that autumn was the driest time of the year here. With this decision, I made sure that our wine scene and food were inextricably linked.

Bruce Auld's photo of his garden produce

Australian wine drinkers had been changing their view of which wines to drink from 4 penny darks (i.e. fortifieds in the 1950s), through to sweet, sparkling and dessert wines of the early 1960s. (Does anyone else still remember Barossa Pearl and Sparkling Star Wine?)

After the red boom of the late 60s, Rieslings, Gwertztraminers and the TR2 phenomenon of the 70s erupted on the scene. As Australian palates matured through the 80s, drier styles of Chardonnay fresher styles of Shiraz and Cabernet emerged. In the early 1990s, Australia was in the grip of an economic downturn with rapidly rising unemployment, so with my position as Manager of Social Security in Orange, I thought that by focusing on and promoting Orange's cool climate wines and fabulous food, we could create much needed job opportunities for the many locally unemployed. All businesses in Orange could benefit I thought, except the seafoods shop. Having recently seen the movie 6 Degrees of Separation together I felt we could gather the necessary contacts.

Internationally acclaimed wine maker Philip Shaw and his wife Diana moved here after investing in Koomooloo vineyard in 1989. We knew them well as Stephen found their vineyard site for them and they stayed with us on weekends while developing their business. Their presence was of immense value to Orange and lifted the profile of the developing Orange Region Vignerons' Association.

Newspaper article with Philip Shaw and Rosemount publicity

Philip and Di very kindly supported my initial idea of starting up an International Wine show at Orange which was not accepted by ORVA (the local industry body) at the time- something about the fellows wanting their Orange wines to win. Not interested in being able to guarantee that, I shifted my energies to a different project where both men and women could enjoy food and wine events together. (Orange had separate Clubs; the Men’s was called Beefsteak and Burgundy and the women’s, Chicken and Champagne. They combined efforts once a year at Christmas time.)

Indulgence: “Preparing to eat”. Orange Beefsteak and Burgundy Club

I asked Philip Shaw to fill in the wine gaps at the inaugural June 1990 “A Winter's Feast” where he was introduced to the community. Two years later at the Phillip Searle's F.O.O.D dinner, there was no local dessert wine so Philip used his sweet wine and also organised the International Chardonnay tasting event in the Orange Art Gallery.

Food hero and chef's chef Phillip Searle (then chef at the revered restaurant Oasis Seros), who was to cook our first F.O.O.D. WEEK Dinner

Philip Shaw, Robbie Robinson, Stephen and I at the Art Gallery International Tasting

(I still can see Di Shaw drying and polishing many glasses with Len Bennett as Di insisted they all had to be washed before the event as the glasses all smelt of cardboard from their storage boxes.) This was an early lesson in wine presentation for us all. Now their boys Damien and Daniel have taken on Philip Shaw Wines and Philip has his own euphonious label Hoosegg.

I want to acknowledge then ORVA members i.e. our neighbours Judy and Brian Nicholson for their enthusiastic help, Susan Sanders of Habitat vineyard for her tasty vine leaves which were devoured in minutes and Alison Crawford of Forest Edge vineyard for gathering her many friends to support the early dinners and collecting a modest entry fee for our first F.O.O.D AFFAIR.

Judy Nicholson Alison Crawford and myself

With these and many more wonderful women supporting the original concept of F.O.O.D as a community enriching event, Stephen reckons it should still stand for Females Organising Outrageous Dinners.

2nd Winter's Feast with Mudgee Winemaker Bob Roberts and Stephen and I at Cafe 48

The press - both national and local

Two magazines (Gourmet Traveller and Vogue Entertaining) as well as Good Living in the Tuesday Sydney Morning Herald were mandatory reading for this fledgling cook. Prominent food people from these magazines began visiting Orange and talking to the Committee when we were gathering support for our community project.

Sue Fairlie Cunninghame Food Editor of Vogue Entertaining introduced through Fem and Courtney Hawke.

Serge Dansereau of the Regent Hotel, by displaying hay bales in the Hotel's restaurant promoted the Milawa Region for Brown Brothers Winery in an article in Vogue Entertaining. "We could do this for Orange" I thought. The French and Italians celebrated their fine local produce and cuisine so why couldn’t we? Chefs such as Michael Manners 56 and Phillip Searle who curated and presented the first F.O.O.D Dinner were the earliest to assist.

Tthe vension with chestnuts course of the Phillip Searle FOOD Dinner

The late and much lamented Tony Bilson helped us launch the F.O.O.D concept. I can still see Tony eagerly following a tray of beautiful asparagus at the launch- he had desires to be satisfied with the big fat juicy pale local asparagus Robbie managed to obtain.

Fortunately for Orange, Michael Manners 56 and his partner Josephine Jagger moved here to establish Selkirks in 1997.

Before the first F.O.O.D WEEK, Fem and Courtney Hawke invited Food Editor of Vogue Entertaining, Sue Fairlie Cunninghame to lunch at their "Hawke's Nest" high on the slopes of Mt Canobolas to help nut out prior publicity and ideas.

Elise Pascoe , the Food Editor of the SMH Good Living got on board. And following these, Kathy Snowball, Food Editor of Australian Gourmet Traveller also visited Orange to check out food and wine developments and was so taken by the prospect that she moved here with her wine loving husband Peter soon after.

Kathy Snowball in SMH

I continued promoting local produce in the Central Western Daily with the enthusiastic support of the food and wine interested journalist, historian and author Lis Edwards.

Lis Edwards at launch of her and Yolanda's local cookbook

She and editor John Miller (also an Orange Councillor) convinced Stephen and I to voluntarily write a weekly food and wine column. We called it GLASSNOSH. My first "nosh" article referenced Serge Dansereau's poached peach in a fruit soup with berries and local produce recipes thereafter and Stephen entertained all with his almost completely free of wine reviews musings for the “glass.”

Soon after our "glassnosh" articles began, Elisabeth was excited to introduce me to Jacqueline George (an elderly English doctor who had lived in India ) and had recently moved to Orange. Jacqueline challenged me to write about the food of the world rather than local produce. My response was "why don't you?" Elizabeth made this happen and then there were two food columns for the CWD.

After a couple of years of drip feeding the community with recipes etc, there was a push from Council (through John Miller on Council's Tourism Sub Committee) to have a Gourmet Weekend in Orange. John and Elisabeth approached Jacqueline and myself as the resident CWD foodies to run with this.

Orange Mayor Tim Sullivan, Jacqueline George and myself in CWD article calling for interested persons

The idea was timely so we put an advertisement in the paper to gather interested persons to meet to start something. We were fortunate with the response and from there a wonderful dedicated and enthusiastic team of people was formed. Our meetings went late into the nights and we launched the F.O.O.D concept in November 1991.

The first FOOD Committee Members

Immediately before our first 10 day F.O.O.D WEEK Festival in autumn 1992 (start Friday and then you can include the 2 weekends,) we learned that Stephanie Alexander's TASTE AUSTRALIA was to be held at Werribee Park in Melbourne. Robbie and I managed get ourselves there with the help of Hazelton's Airline and friends. It was fantastic. Stephanie was on a stall selling flourless chocolate almond cake and pickled watermelon rind and I informed her that we were soon to start a smaller local Orange version in NSW.

Stephanie Alexander

The Orchardists

Bruce and Edna Williams loved the apple ice cream I made for them. Bruce was the National President of the Apple and Pear Association and helped us with our wine storage in the cool store which is now the Agrestic Grocer. Lovely long discussions with he and Edna helped ground me in marketing matters. Bruce was so proud that we all grew up with the aphorism "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" firmly ensconced in our national lexicon.

Max Davidson of Hillside was always very generous in donating his fruit for our functions. For “A Winter's Feast” our pre-FOOD dinner, Max agreed to dig out a dormant apple tree and tie apples onto its bare limbs with string topped by a bow to enter into the joy of things.

Wayne's drawing of the winter apple tree

More opportunities to donate followed with F.O.O.D WEEK and later the Community Kitchen where we shared fresh produce cooking skills with local families on low incomes. Max sold his excellent fruit as well as cherry and apple pies.

Max Davidson and enthusiastic promoter of Apple Day, Orange Farmers Markets its produce and F.O.O.D. Calendars Cath Thompson

At the first F.O.O.D. AFFAIR, we taste-tested apple chips intended for school lunches. Unfortunately too heavy a frying oil overpowered the thin strips of apple. In any case, Orange couldn't produce enough apples for the intended large international market.

David Ogilvy of "Brittlejacks" was the National President of the Chestnut Association, orchardist and chestnut grower who also supplied Robbie Robinson with produce. He produced a wonderful brochure of chestnut recipes and worked on easy-peel versions of chestnuts.

David Ogilvy taken from an article in the CWD

Providore - “The Market Cat”

Robbie Robinson was the person to contact if you wanted to use brook trout in your menu. I rang Robbie around June 1990 to source the smoked trout to be used with spinach in filo pastry for the inaugural “A Winter's Feast”. He collected and procured local produce and sold it to high-end restaurants in the Blue Mountains and Sydney. (eg seasonal fruits were cherries, strawberries including fragrant Alpine strawberries, raspberries, figs, chestnuts, trout, and those wondrous fat spears of pale and green asparagus devoured by Tony Bilson, but his speciality was exotic foraged forest mushrooms.)

Robbie Robinson and his foraged mushrooms with  FOOD Committee Member and good cook Kate Gray

The F.O.O.D. project was perfect for Robbie and vice versa. He knew the chefs and they were invited, he told wonderful stories to the food writers like John Newton of the Gourmet Traveller and he made a fabulous smoked trout pate for the F.O.O.D AFFAIR.

John Newton, author and freelance food journalist for the SMH, Gourmet Traveller and other publications reviewed the first FOOD WEEK Festival.

Now Robbie is back from wine marketing overseas and picked up "The Market Cat" where he left off. He still knows exactly where to find those exotic forest mushrooms.

Robbie Robinson with his beloved foraged mushrooms

His wife Nana is also a passionate food producer who dedicatedly follows Japanese traditions by slowly making, over a year, the best miso you'll taste this side of Hokkaido and painstakingly preserves beautiful autumnal persimmons.

TAFE Culinary Kitchen

Mr Heinz Rettenmund volunteered trainee service staff and all the crockery and cutlery for A Winter's Feast in 1990. TAFE later also hosted a lunch meeting for all eligible producers where I encouraged everyone to participate in the inaugural F.O.O.D AFFAIR. We all very much appreciated TAFE's participation for years.

Local heroes

Well known identities Fem and Courtney Hawke were both instigators of the Arts Festival for Orange which ended more than thirty years ago.

FOOD WEEK followed on from that festival and Fem and Courtney's experience and artistic ideals were very welcome in producing displays and emotive environments for many early FOOD dinners.

Fem's all white display for F.O.O.D. dinner with Simonn Hawke as chef

As an ex-orchardist, Courtney's contribution to the FOOD Committee was invaluable. And their love of food, travel and beauty encouraged similar interests in their daughters and Orange is the richer for their talents.

Orange Agricultural College

Stephen worked with Irene Finneran (Career's Advisor and PR) at the Orange Agricultural College. A generous and fun loving human, Orange enthusiast and raspberry lover, Irene organised highly successful open days for the College which featured local produce and kite flying. I saw how well received the warm spiced apple juice was on a coolish open day. Promoting local produce was a good idea that I also thank Irene for.

Irene Finneran wonderful human, entertainer and wag

We included talks from the horticulturists of OAC as well as Robbie Robinson in the first FOOD WEEK Programme. This included topics such as growing small vegetables for sale to restaurants.

Peter Hedberg Neil Jones and Business Enterprise Manager article for CWD

Venison Producer

A natural sceptic, Andrew Hansen our late vet, took some time to be convinced of the relevance of the F.O.O.D concept.

Andrew Hansen and his deer farm

In due course however, he came on board after a conversation we had one cold lunchtime in our main street when Andrew had his venison pie van parked outside the Royal Hotel. Andrew and his wife Judith engaged Elise Pascoe of the SMH to promote their venison. She designed an entree of tasty venison and spinach terrine on toast followed by a main of venison paired with pear, the finale was a knock-out cheesecake.

Elise Pascoe catering and Fem Hawke assisting at the Venison luncheon

(This is where I learned that Cabernet tannins and fruit weren't that compatible.) Fortunately the Hansens secured Elise's services to open F.O.O.D WEEK.

Andrew and Judith Hansen and Elise Pascoe

Then Andrew and Courtney Hawke conducted lunchtime venison cooking classes as “The Odd Couple”.

CWD article advertising the cooking classes

Eventually son Tim with his wife Sophie (who had International Slow Food credentials and Social Media marketing expertise) became nationally acknowledged for the quality of their venison and the quality of their marketing through Sophie’s State and National awards for Rural Woman of the Year.

The next generations of the Hansen Family, Ex-F.O.O.D President Tim and award-winning Sophie Hansen and their children.

Food Editor, Good Living and Sydney Morning Herald

The first lesson from Elise was how to pronounce her name. More like "Elizze."

The next lesson was "The people can wait for the food but the food can't wait for the people." She offered the observation that our first FOOD AFFAIR had "too many jams and not enough fruit tarts but then you know that already don’t you?- “Yes,” I agreed.

Some of the jams available at the FOOD AFFAIR. Wonderful support from Janet Dunlop raising funds for the good works undertaken by the Friends of the Botanic Gardens.

Overall Elise was very happy with the event and its attendance. She included Orange locations in her forthcoming Australia the Beautiful Cookbook and also recommended holding an Orange regional dinner at the Regent Hotel to chef Serge.

One of a number of Orange vistas Elise Pascoe included in her "Australia The Beautiful Cookbook

CWA

It was the year of the potato in 1992 and the event at the centrally located CWA Hall in Robertson Park just across the road from the Council building showcased a wide variety of potato recipes at the tail end of the first FOOD WEEK. Yes, there was potato bread and scones but what I particularly remember were the potato chocolate cake and the potato coconut ice. You just wouldn't be able to guess that ingredient if it were a mystery challenge. The CWA generously provided their hall for cooking classes for children during subsequent FOOD Weeks.

Designer and Artist

I have left my most important supporter and friend Wayne Harris until last.

Wayne listened to my endless questions over whether or not this F.O.O.D idea could work.

When my CWD advertisement for a designer failed to attract a suitable logo drawn by a local artist (there were even entries with bananas and pineapples in the competition,) I asked our dear friend Wayne to come up with a design quickly for the launch. Wayne had provided a drawing for each of the earlier dinners including “A Winter's Feast” cooked by Robin Alderton and Shakuntala Solanki at Cafe 48.

It is a testament to Wayne's consummate skill as a designer that the F.O.O.D logo still looks as fresh and relevant now as it did way back then. Thank you Wayne for your perceptive artwork and generous humanity. Together with your patient belief in me, Orange has benefited significantly from your iconic images and so have we (especially as you came up with the strong and memorable Australian name for our winery and painted our wonderful mural).

Wayne's illustration of remnant trees on Bloodwood

And, finally, thank you to all the producers, chefs, caterers and wine growers of Orange, locals and tree changer locals who have helped create a deep appreciation of the abundance of our region over the last thirty years. (I was told by a committee member that the FOOD Festival would only last 3 years then fizzle out.)

Subsequent F.O.O.D. Presidents and Committee Members

The inaugural FOOD Committee photo by CWD

And a big thank you to everyone behind the scenes who have contributed much effort and energy to help grow and sustain our food and wine community. Stayers like Edwina Mitchell, Jane Arnott, James Sweetapple (thanks also for the highly successful Forage and environmental and sustainability focus) and Len Bennett deserve warm applause for their 30 years of dedicated service.

Jane Arnott and Len Bennett winning a Gourmet Traveller Tourism award

James Sweetapple, longest-serving President of F.O.O.D. and instigator of the highly successful Forage event

Addition to the FOOD Week programme- a 3.5 k walk across orchards and vineyards of Orange with eating and tasting stops

It’s so wonderful that Orange has developed culturally. There is a strong musical scene here, an active theatre and a fantastic Regional Art Gallery. All combine to reinforce a healthy and vibrant community.

Music teacher Mrs Christine Mickle and her School orchestra performing at FOOD week

The fantastic Regional Art Gallery

Big Things Grow

Now we have official marketers. Brand Orange (BO) thankfully morphed into Taste Orange was established through State Government funds commandeered by Peter Robson of Ross Hill Wines. Their first CEO was the indefatigable caterer, food and wine events organiser Kim Currie. Under Kim's guidance, the region strengthened its base of authentic and innovative food and wine offerings. She started up a monthly Farmer's Market and instigated popular Night Markets during festival times.,

Events like the Stew and Shiraz in the Shed were enjoyed by visitors and locals, events at the Nashdale Hall (incorporating the newly built wood-fired oven) engendered greater community camaraderie around food and wine. Families on low incomes were not forgotten. Regular cooking classes were held where meals were prepared from fresh Orange produce by the families participating with the assistance of a few volunteer cooks. Kim and I began this Community Kitchen project and it continued for more than a decade, brought to a halt by COVID. Kim also initiated the transition from importing big-name chefs to using Orange chefs for the significant promotional F.O.O. Dinners.

These and other changes attracted a number of prestigious food and rural accolades for her along the way.

Kim Currie, SMH photo in recognition of being a regional food pioneer

Rhonda Sear (with a NSW Tourism background) followed and now the marketing addition to our Council’s Tourism component has been restructured as Orange 360 (degrees) with Caddie Marshall with her solid marketing background is charged with greater promotion for our area and neighbouring Councils. Industry big players form most of the Board.

Orange City Council Tourism Glenn Mickle and Orange 360 Caddie Marshall

Orange Cuisine?

We still haven't developed an Orange cuisine and that’s not an important goal. Cuisines generally develop from the ground up because of limitations like poverty or problems such as isolation. The F.O.O.D. concept has been an imposed top-down implementation. Still in the 30 years we have been fortunate to use sensational fresh in-season ingredients to enjoy with accompanying local wines. Valuable lessons have been learned and we are still assessing how long our cool climate wines can last.

Stephen sniffing wine at the first FOOD International Winetasting at the supportive Orange Regional Art Gallery. "Pick the Orange Chardonnay amongst these International Chardonnays."

Birthday Cake?

Now what cake should we make for the 30th? Could Sophie Hansen's hazelnut, oil and fig cake become our go-to celebration cake (refer to “Local is Lovely” recipes) or should it be an apple or upside down pear cake with red wine caramel? Tell me what'd be your favourite?

Sophie’s fig, hazelnut with caramel cake for the 25th anniversary of FOOD

Fingers crossed the pandemic doesn't stop this year's celebrations this week. (It didn’t but only ticketed events were allowed).

Given 30 years of F.O.O.D. it is now over to the next generation of local chefs and cooks and the new President Michael Sobota operating in very tricky times given COVID.

Enjoy the journey and cheers

Rhonda Doyle
Bloodwood Wines
Ph 02 63625631
rhonda.bloodwood@gmail.com

PS. What's next? We would like to know more about the indigenous foods that grew here and sustained our first nation’s people.

Native seeds found in this area courtesy of Sandra McEwan of the Paddock to Plate exhibition @ Orange Museum in 2018

Fortunately, Orange now has Gerald Power of Indigenous Cultural Adventures to help guide us in that journey.

CWD photo of Gerald Power and co-worker with sign for his Indigenous Cultural Tours

CWD photo of Gerald Power explaining bush tucker produce to his tour participants.