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Hi there,
The last couple of weeks have been full-on for us with back-to-back trips north and south of Sydney – but more of that a little later on in this newsletter.
For now, heading into winter and the tourist ‘low season’ for many regions, when visitors may become thin on the ground, it’s time to think of ‘cunning plans’ as Baldrick in Blackadder would say.
Here are some that work:
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 Announce it’s Christmas in July (or June or August). Yulefest - a regular feature of winter in the Blue Mountains, NSW, pioneered this, but it can be done anywhere that has a nip in the air.
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Heat it up: mull the wine, light the open fire, make the biggest pot of soup (using your produce or the region’s, of course) and give every visitor a taste. In short, put comfort food back on the menu – anything that will warm your guests and make them want to stay longer. And return!
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Declare a festival. The Granite Belt in south-east Queensland has made its Brass Monkey Season from June to August (you can guess where the name came from!) so popular that it draws people from all over the state.
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Teach something. Do you make jams, cheese, bread, fruit wines, sausages? Can you or your staff fillet fish perfectly, open oysters in a flash, mix cocktails, shape wontons? Share the skills for five minutes as people pop in, or in longer classes. Or both.
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Go surfing. Yes, even if it’s freezing outside, you won’t need a wetsuit. Just fire up the Web and search to see what others are doing. Take advantage of quieter days to learn more about your industry, network with others, start a newsletter, do an information sheet to hand out to visitors, plan your advertising strategy for next season.
Oh, there’s so much to do, and not enough time. Before we know it, winter will be over!!
Keep warm – and busy,
Sally & Gordon
HOMEWORK
Did this fire you up? We want to warm to your ideas, too.
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Do you have a great Winter Wind-up that works in your business? Please let us know and we will share it with others in this newsletter.
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Tell us about the inspiring websites you know, blogs, newsletters, anything. Please help make this a vibrant information exchange.
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And don’t forget – we want your newsletters too. Best of all, your local event or news can now be featured on your own region’s page on the website making it easier for people to see exactly what is happening.
DID YOU KNOW? As soon as you take out your Premier Listing, then your special events can be added right on your listing. (Check out the UPDATE on Orange Regional Cookery School's listing to see how this works.)
 TASMANIA TOUCHES HEAVEN
Produce of Heaven they call it, and there could hardly be a better term for it. Clean, green Tasmania was looking absolutely pristine when we visited there last week, courtesy of an initiative that will see this tiny state outweighing many larger Australian states.
A consortium of more than 200 Tasmanian farmers and 55 producers in north-west Tasmania have joined together to promote the largest food and beverage area in Tasmania. Follow this link to view a GALLERY of our whirlwind visit.
 Already the strength of the group has helped regional producers to take advantage of export opportunities in India, Dubai, Taiwan and Hong Kong, and is part of a range of planned activities, which are expected to increase the annual value of agribusiness in the region from $445 to $578 million.
Key producers involved in this consortium headed up by director and well-known local businessman, Mark Baker, include Petuna Seafood, Ghost Rock Winery, Webster, Tasfresh and King Island Cloudjuice.
INFORMATION EXCHANGE
SEEING RED? Speak up about the red tape facing your business. At least it seems one state is trying to help small businesses.
“The NSW Government is committed to reducing red tape for small businesses and wants to hear about regulatory issues impacting your business, we are told in a newsletter. “Your ideas and opinions are important. A taskforce of government and business representatives considers all issues submitted and makes recommendations on how the Government can cut through red tape. Even if your sector is not under current review, your comments will be noted for future reviews or separate action.”
To comment on red tape issues impacting your business, contact the Small Business Regulation Review Unit in the NSW Department of State and Regional Development on: 02 9338 6674 or email sbregreview@business.nsw.gov.au To find out more about the reviews or to make online submissions go to: www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au
THIS IS YOUR NEWSLETTER TOO. If you know of other initiatives which help small business, please let us (and the rest of Australia) know.
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 QUIZ ANSWER
Of course, our quiz question last week related to the Hunter Valley’s annual Lovedale Long Lunch, held on the weekend of May 17 and 18. This year we attended for the first time. Now, I need to say we have been to a number of festivities like this – but even so we were totally unprepared for the huge numbers. I’m talking around twenty big buses parked at each of the seven wineries involved. We’ll give you more details next newsletter, but all you really need to know right now is that even though there were crowds of people, there was no mayhem, just a fabulous party-feel, great catering, and of course plenty of wine. Well done, all concerned.
MOST important: the winner of the wonderfully decadent Slainte liqueur, kindly donated by Lark Distillery in Hobart was freelance writer, editor and photographer, Saralinda Turner from Kensington, Victoria. As the Irish would say, Congratulations and Sláinte, Saralinda!
A TASTING JOURNEY
Our travels took us further north in NSW last week, slipping in a swift detour to Port Stephens, surely one of the state’s prettiest locations on the Central Coast & Hunter Valley regions. The mountain-flanked bay, port-of-call for dolphins and passing whales, is popular with humans too.
We stayed overnight at the Shoal Bay Resort & Spa, and realised quickly that a return visit would be in order. This trip was strictly a short R&R –restaurant and reconnaissance – trip. Next time it’s definitely thalassotherapy time in the spa! Or maybe the afternoon dessert buffet. Perhaps both.
 However our dinner that night was at a place which sounded so off-the-planet, we just had to investigate. Ritual Restaurant for just over a year has been exploring the very boundaries of cooking. Chef Carl Kenzler and his wife Kelie are Ferran Adrià acolytes.
In case you (like me, until not so many years ago) are not familiar with this chef, he is the Spanish pioneer and exponent of molecular gastronomy, a way-out branch of cookery that has both devotees and detractors. It has been called many things, and even the Kenzlers tend to simply term their fare Modern Australian.
 Sadly, there’s no room here to go into the 15-course, forty-flavours, tasting journey, with matched wines, delivered over three hours that evening. Let me just say, though, that Chef Kenzler can certainly cook. What’s more his command of techniques and flavours is bordering on genius. We savoured shapes and flavours and combinations I would never have expected (or, frankly, even wanted to try before – well, eucalyptus with blackcurrant; pear, parsnip and vanilla?) and marvelled at the almost-Japanese attention to detail of each dish’s placement on the plate.
A very recent change sees the word ‘Organics’ dropped from the restaurant’s name, even though the menu still relies heavily on locally-sourced organic and biodynamic produce.
Port Stephens is definitely worth a visit, and while there you should book a trip to eternity-and-back at this magical place.
GREAT PRIZE – TASMANIAN GOURMET SAUCE CO
What is it with Tasmanians? They must be the most generous people in the country! Yet again a Tassie producer has offered to send a hamper of their goodies as this week’s prize.
 Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company’s goodies are really good! Owners Tim & Julie Barbour have some great news, too. Yet again, their products have won gold at the 2007 Wrest Point Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards, confirming their place amongst Australia’s best. So, for the record, that’s GOLD for the Whisky Seville Marmalade; GOLD for the Boysenberry Sauce; GOLD for Horseradish Mustard; and GOLD for the Strawberry Chilli Sauce; with a SILVER for the Raspberry Jam. What a haul! Want more reason to try to win products from this company?
Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company, in Evandale, North-east Tasmania, just happen to also be the 2007 Winners - Small Business Champion Awards and 2007 Finalists - CGU Business Excellence Awards.
 How can you win? This is a big prize, so you need to tell us three things.
In which region is Scoop @ the Shed?
Who are its owners, and
When did it move to its current location. You don’t have to, but please read the amazing story of this venture. It is truly inspiring. Every region needs a Scoop!
Be the first to email us with the correct answers and Tasmanian Gourmet Sauce Company will ship your lovely prize!
ENTRY TO THIS COMPETITION IS FOR AUSTRALIAN RESIDENTS ONLY
NOTE: If your business would like to become involved in this way, by offering a prize, please let us know. Alternatively, you may want to advertise on the site, or offer discounts to anyone with a Premier Listing on the site.
POWER IN NUMBERS
Email us about how your local shire, regional group, consortium, or other body can arrange for Premium Listings of all their members. There are many benefits for groups and individuals and we would welcome a chance to discuss these with you.
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Some recipes become so much part of a family that it would be impossible to function without them. I was given this one many years ago when I first began cooking, and I have to say I never (well, almost never) make another pastry.