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Hello again,
Close observers of the news page of the Australian Regional Food Guide website might have suspected, due to the lack of new items in the last couple of weeks, that we had taken our hands off the wheel for a little while.
A few would have harumphed that we were most likely off on some jaunt or other, somewhere around the country.
Those who know us very well might have guessed we could even be OUT of Australia, sniffing around food in some other places around the world. And they would have been totally correct.
 Fact is, I was incredibly lucky to be invited to visit Taste of London, an annual event which showcases London’s top restaurants and the best of UK producers. One of 25 food writers from around the world invited by British Airways, a major sponsor of the event, I found just meeting these other participants was a huge thrill in itself.
 However we also visited the British Airways facility at Heathrow and heard about the airline’s Culinary Council, a consultant team of top chefs from around the world, which is responsible for the development of in-flight meals. I interviewed one member, Liam Tomlin (right), who Sydney-siders will remember from his days at Banc Restaurant. He has gone on to top-level consultancy and catering work in Cape Town and plans to open a restaurant there in October.
Taste of London was held with typical British optimism, outdoors in tents and marquees at Regents Park to the north of the city. It was rewarded with stunning sunny weather the day we visited – one of the few hot days we experienced in two weeks. Like many of these food festivals, we were able to buy vouchers that could be exchanged for plates of food from one of the forty or so restaurants.
 Gordon Ramsay wasn’t there of course because he was ‘downunder’ at the time at the Good Food Show in Sydney. However Antony Worrall Thompson and Michel Roux (pictured)and a number of other well-known names, including David Thompson, formerly of Darley Street Thai in Sydney, more than made up for that.
The range of produce and various products was mind-boggling too, and showed that the English are keen to use organic and biodynamic foods wherever possible. We talked for a while to some homesick Australians at the McGuigan’s Wine stand, one of the very few with any connection to Australia.
Just as it is here, regional food is also enjoying popularity in the UK. Taste of London is just one of a slew of similar festivals planned for the northern summer. Next comes Taste of Bath, then Birmingham, Edinburgh and Leeds. In fact as we travelled to Edinburgh and a little around England, it was apparent that local, regional food is all the go. Sadly we never quite coincided with a farmers’ market but we saw evidence of them in newspapers and on billboards.
 At the Acorn Inn in the tiny western English village of Evershot, Dorset, where we ate one night, the menu proudly announced that almost all the produce used was sourced from within 25 miles of the restaurant. Needless to say it was terrific too.
Even at a motorway services complex in Cumbria we found a farm shop – one of a chain – where local hams and butter and cheeses and breads (as well as many other products and fruit and vegetables) were displayed provedore-style.
That evening I met the editor of an attractive magazine, Flavour of Bath, which she hopes will be the flagship publication of a range of Flavours of…. around the country.
Of course the various people we met were most interested to hear of what Australia is doing too, and I was so proud to be able to tell them about this site as well as the fledgling truffle industry, our sensational wines and cheeses, and the courage of so many people in various parts of the country who are redefining their properties and diversifying into other areas.
Then there are the tree-changers (and cheese-changers and bee-changers) who are leaving their secure day jobs to follow a dream.
So, for all of you, wherever you are facing enormous challenges, here is a lovely quote:
“Man is so made that whenever anything fires his soul, impossibilities
vanish.” -- Jean de la Fontaine (17th-century French poet and author)
Have a great week and please enjoy this newsletter,
Sally & Gordon
(click on thumbnails and above images to view enlargements of Taste of London)
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WOULD YOU LIKE TO ADVERTISE ON THIS SITE AND IN THE NEWSLETTER
Email us for the link to the Media page and very attractive advertising rates.
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WHAT WE HAVE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR – AND THE WINNER IS . . . Nobody!
Last newsletter we offered a stunning hamper valued at $59.95 from Taste of the Region, VIC but our strange fruit was too much for you. Or maybe it was the rather tricky clue.
 If you knew it was Buddha’s Hand you could have used the search function to discover that Tranquil Hills – the House of Marmalade and Memories in Cobram, Victoria grows these very strange fruit. Owners Bev and Noel Fisher, say that they make a Buddha’s Hands and Lime Marmalade, as well as using the dried peel in a citrus salt, and candying the peel.
In case you’re interested in knowing more, Wikipedia tells us that “Buddha's Hand, Buddha's Hand citron, or Fingered citron (Citrus medica var. sarcodactylus) is a fragrant citrus fruit. It grows on a shrub or small tree with long, irregular branches covered in thorns. Its large, oblong leaves are pale green and grow about four to six inches. Its flowers are white or purplish and grow in fragrant clusters.
The fruit itself is a type of citron and is often described as lemon-like or lemon-esque. The fruit is segmented into finger-like sections. It has a thick peel and a small amount of acidic flesh and is seedless and juiceless. It is very fragrant and is used predominantly by the Chinese and Japanese for perfuming rooms and personal items, such as clothing.”
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BUT WAIT , THE PRIZE HAS JACKPOTTED (in a way)!
 We love it when people share their good news with us.
Peter Caird from Victorian Olive Groves www.victorianolivegroves.com dropped us an email last week to say his unique Smoked Hickory Infused extra virgin olive oil had just scored a GOLD medal at the LA International Olive Oil Competition 2008
www.laoliveoilcomp.com. What’s more it’s the only one in the world, he tells us and THEN he offered a bottle as a prize!
Get your thinking caps on because we have the Taste of the Region hamper for the FIRST correct answer and a bottle of the prizewinning Victorian Olive Groves olive oil for the SECOND correct answer.
AND THE QUESTION IS . . .
With Bastille Day so close this seems a topical question. A bed and breakfast with a Premier Listing on the website is run by a charming French couple. What is the name of the B&B accommodation, where is it located, and who are the owners? Email us with the correct answer
This quiz is only open to residents of Australia, and as the hamper contains a bottle of wine, entrants must be over 18 years of age.
Good luck!
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Helping you create better images.
This edition of the Newsletter :
ACCESSORIES – three tools that will give you a professional-looking images.
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PROFESSIONAL HELP – these have come across our desk in the past week and may be useful to someone.
Touch & Taste 'Down Under" (13-14 September 2008)
 Take part in this unique exhibition for Australian exporters planning to access the Czech and Central European markets.
Touch & Taste 'Down Under' is based on the extremely successful Touch & Taste Australia event organised in Prague in 2006 which included 50 exhibitors, approximately 3,000 visitors and saw the initiation of 11 successful business partnerships.
Both Australian and New Zealand products will be featured at this exhibition, with an emphasis on wine, food and cosmeceuticals. Visitors will be able to touch, taste and buy displayed products as well as familiarise themselves with Australian and New Zealand lifestyle and culture.
Apply online at www.austrade.gov.au/TTPrague08 to see if this exhibition offers opportunities that are well-matched to your business. If your application is successful, you will be sent an Event Participation Kit.
To discuss your options further, please contact petr.vodvarka@austrade.gov.au or call 13 28 78.
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Trade Mission to Malaysia (10-14 November 2008)
Senior women executives from export-ready NSW companies are invited to participate in an upcoming women's trade mission to Malaysia from 10-14 November.
Participants will have the opportunity to assess their company's prospects and meet relevant business contacts in Malaysia.
Malaysia continues to be a significant export market for Australian goods and services. Malaysia is Australia's 12th largest export market and the 10th largest export market for NSW. The trade relationship is dominated by merchandise trade, but the role of services especially in education and consultancy is becoming more significant.
For further information, please contact Sharon Foster on 02 4340 8700 or Crista Bracamonte on 02 9338 6652. Register your interest by 31 July 2008
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 IFE India 2008 2-4 December 2008
IFE is India's leading exhibition for the food, drink and hospitality industry. IFE India 2008 will be held from 2-4 December in New Delhi, India and is a showcase for manufacturers, distributors and suppliers from around the world representing all of the key sectors within the food and hospitality trade:
* sauces and condiments
* biscuits and cookies
* preserves and jams
* cereals
* pasta
* confectionary
* seafood
* canned foods
* health supplements
* wines
* fresh produce
India is the world's 2nd fastest growing economy. Imports in the food and drink industry are growing at an average of 15 percent a year. The growth of processed foods is projected to rise by 7.3 percent per annum over the next five years and food accounts for 49 percent of consumers' total expenditure.
To register your interest and view the exhibitor package, please visit www.austrade.gov.au/IFEIndia2008 or call 13 28 78.
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