After almost 40 years, Peppermint Ridge Farm is an extraordinary display garden, café, education centre, native bush foods plant nursery, and place to exchange ideas. “To grow bush foods commercially, we need to replicate natural systems, and learn from the chaos of nature,” Anthony says.
Read MoreTara and Ross Cheesewright grow good apples. They grow apples that taste like real apples. Old-fashioned apple varieties like Granny Smith, Greenstein and Golden Delicious. Amongst their 800 or so trees on their orchard at Bunyip on the Princes Highway 70km east of Melbourne in West Gippsland. What sets Sherwood Park Orchard apart from other orchards in this apple-growing region is that customers bring their own bags and boxes, picnics and picnic rugs, pick their own apples and picnic under the trees.
Read MoreThere has been a reinvigoration in rural agricultural shows. The focus has moved from the rides and fairy floss to good old-fashioned fun and fierce competition to see who can grow the largest zucchini. One of the state’s longest-running is the Bunyip Show which handed out its first blue ribbon in 1900. It is held in the sprawling recreation reserve in the West Gippsland town of Bunyip, a short walk from the V Line train station.
Read MoreThis Sunday, March 5 sees the historic town of Garfield come alive with the West Gippsland Railtown Food and Wine Festival. It’s the brainchild of the local community who want to see more visitors make the most of the West Gippsland towns serviced by V Line trains.
Next Sunday’s festival sees grassy common behind the Garfield Hotel taken over by the best local food and wine.
Read MoreCannibal Creek Vineyard is one of the best winery experiences in Victoria, but it's just 20 minutes past the eastern edge of Melbourne. You'll find Cannibal Creek winery on a bend of a treelined lane, a short drive off the Princes Highway. This is the place for a long quiet lunch or a structured wine tasting with food to match
Read MoreOver a century ago, almost 70 tonnes of bricks and steel were assembled in the West Gippsland town of Garfield, 80km east of Melbourne, to form the town’s wood-fired oven. It was similar to hundreds across the state. Today it is one of a handful left standing and one of even fewer fully operational.
Read MoreIn the seaside town Flinders on the Mornington Peninsula, fisher Steve Cooper holds an oyster bigger than the palm of his hand. The founder of Flinders Oyster Company, Cooper is striving to develop an aquaculture business growing 20 million native angasi oysters a year and employing more than 100 people at the southern end of Western Port Bay.
Read MoreGippsland chef Shalem Raj makes good ghee. It is so good, fellow Indian expats have been driving hours to the country town of Drouin just to get some of his clarified butter.
Read MoreThe curry pie sits at about 100 on the Scoville scale so slightly less spicy than a curried egg sandwich (also available).
Read MoreImmerse yourself in the craft of food writing during this two-day interactive masterclass hosted by Richard Cornish
Thursday 29th - Friday 30th July 2021
Read MoreThe sensational beef rendang pie at My Asian Neighbour, Reservoir
Read MoreOur love affair with Mortadella.
Read MoreUnder David Willcocks, The Surly Goat has retained all its intimate charm and hospitality.
Read MoreIt is perhaps the best air-dried ham made in Australia and it tastes almost exactly like some of Spain’s best jamón serrano – if not better.
Read MoreDebra Doering is the custodian of Australia’s most important food relic. But she doesn’t know it.
Read MoreThe Wimmera quietly meanders through the river red gum forest a block behind the main street of town. In drought, this river becomes a string of ponds.
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