It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

The carols are playing, the Christmas lights are twinkling, the Christmas tree is sparkling and it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas here at Taste Gourmet! So, to help you get the Christmas spirit:

You're invited to:

Taste Gourmet's

TASTE OF CHRISTMAS

TASTING, SHOPPING AND DINING

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY ALL DAY

Join us for a special tasting of our Christmas Cakes, Puddings, Mince Pies, Christmas Sauces, Hams and more, plus see our range of Christmas hampers and; gourmet gifts! Many of our Christmas goodies are in limited supply so shop early to make sure you don't miss out!

We'll have our special Christmas menu in the Cafe (our usual menu will also be available), Sam will be here with live music both days and we'll have tastings all day of our delicious Christmas foods. And if you buy (or get us to create for you) one of our stunning Christmas Gift Baskets (valued at $25 or more), we'll give you a $25 Cafe Gift Voucher which you can add to the hamper or use for yourself! (Did you know that we can create a hamper for you on the spot? You choose what you wish from our shelves and we put it together for you ON THE SPOT, in a lovely basket complete with ribbons and Christmas decorations! You pay for the products you choose plus a small cost usually $5.00 for the basket)

FROM OUR SHELVES TO YOU THIS CHRISTMAS!
We have literally dozens of new products for Christmas on the shelves and they are selling very quickly.
For Christmas we have a delicious range of hand made Christmas cakes from Taste Gourmet and from Emmaline's Country Kitchen. Also from our own range comes our traditional Christmas Puddings in three sizes, Rum Balls and three varieties of hand made Shortbread. We have really delicious Mince Pies, some gift packed and some in take home packs. And from West Gosford's own Limar Nougat, we have a gorgeous selection of French style Nougat in three flavours. We will have hand made White Christmas, White Chocolate Cranberry & Pistachio Fudge and much more. We have a range of nuts, nibbles and choc coated nuts perfect for Christmas entertaining and gift giving. For celebrating, we have some great suggestions. How about Nicholson Fine Foods Essence of Wild Hibiscus, or Kurrajong Foods Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup. Fancy a Christmas cocktail, try our new range of Kicks Cocktail Mixes - just add water, alcohol and freeze! From Emmaline’s Country Kitchen there is Rocky Road and Dark Chocolate Prunes and Rocky Road, as well as Milk Chocolate Ginger. We also have a new selection of the Belgian chocolates and truffles and a lovely range of gift boxed biscuits. We now have the full range of hand made jams from Alpine Berry Farm - there are more than a dozen flavours including marmalades. Plus there’s heaps more so drop in soon!

WE CAN MAKE YOUR ENTERTAINING EASY THIS CHRISTMAS
 We can make it easy for you to entertain effortlessly this Christmas.
We have great gourmet platters at great value prices, making your life easy. Just call ( you can order and pay by phone to make it even more convenient) or come in and we’ll have it all ready for you to pick up - freshly made with our best quality meats cheese and antipasto, taken directly from our own kitchen & pantry. But booking close off on December 15 so you need to talk with us soon.
Pick up a copy of our Taste Gourmet Platters brochure in store or check out our web site www.tastegourmet.com.au for platters details and pricing. Please don’t hesitate to ask our staff if you have any questions.

ALSO AVAILABLE NOW:

PICK UP OUR CHRISTMAS GOURMET FOOD & RECIPE GUIDE IN STORE FOR ALL THE DETAILS

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas;
Soon the bells will start,
And the thing that will make them ring is the carol that you sing
Right within your heart"

Brian and Michele

Eat like a Master Chef - we have Macarons!

Yes, you read that correctly. The most sought after food of the year - MACARONS - as seen on MasterChef, are now available every day at Taste Gourmet Grocer & Cafe to eat and take home!

We are really thrilled to tell you that we have a stunning range of MACARONS baked fresh for us in six flavours:
Pure Dark Chocolate
Rhubarb & Apple
Rose Water & Strawberry
Coffee
White Chocolate

Caramel

The MACARONS will be available to eat in the Cafe, or to take home, but be quick because we have a limited supply and they will not last.

Now in store we have lots of great ingredients you saw used on Master Chef:
Vine leaves, Truffle oil, Ghee (clarified butter), Vinocotto, Verjuice, Fenugreek seeds, Wasabi paste, Harissa pasta, Persian fairy floss (in 6 flavours), Red wine veal jus, quality stock, Sea salt flakes, Pomegranate Molasses, Rose Water, Orange Blossom Water, Mougrabieh (extra large) & Israeli Couscous, even spatchcock, duck breast, duck maryland and quail.

So, if you are stocking the pantry here's what else we've added to the shelves
Horseradish, Gelatine Sheets, Chestnuts, 00 Farina Flour (for pizza base), Semolina Flour (for pasta making), Callebaut Chocolate (milk & dark) and Duck Fat.
Billingtons English un-refined sugars including light molasses, dark muscavado and cane sugar
Wasabi Paste, Rice Wine Vinegar, Seaweed, Udon Noodles, Rice Paper, Nori Rice Seasoning, Palm Sugar, Soba Noodles, Rice Noodles, Black bean Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Honey Soy Marinade
Hot Chilli Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Plum Sauce, Sweet Soy Sauce, Sweet & Sour Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Cumquat Marmalade Rhubarb, Raspberry & Vanilla Jam, Bonne Maman Fig Jam, Quince Jam and Cherry Jam, Wild Rosella Jam, Cumquat Marmalade, Orange, Lemon & Mandarin Marmalade, Seville Orange & Whiskey Marmalade.
Spices and herbs including: Bay Leaves, Oregano Leaves, Italian Herbs, Green Cardamom Pods, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Habanero Chillies, Dried Thai Chillies, Chilli Flakes, Chilli Powder, Black Peppercorns Brown Cardamom Pods, Garam Masala, Mixed Spice, Mustard Seeds
(Remember, this isn’t all that we have, it’s just SOME of the NEW products now available)!

Do you need some warming up too?

As I am writing this on Friday night it is dropping down to 10 degrees outside, and I am glad to be warm and cosy here in the café. I’m also thinking about the lunch I have enjoyed of tender Butter Chicken Curry and fragrant moreish Thai Yellow Duck Curry, both of which are on our menu and part of our Take Home gourmet range.
We’ve got a big range of winter warmers such as curries, soups, tagines and slow cooked meals like lamb shanks, to enjoy here in the Café, or to take home and re-heat. Here's a "taste" of our selection: Italian Beef Lasagne, Pumpkin, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne, Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks with Red Wine and Mushroom Sauce, Butter Chicken Curry, Lamb Rogan Josh, Beef Madras Curry, Moroccan Chicken and Chickpeas, Thai Green Chicken Curry, Thai Red Beef Curry, Thai Yellow Curry with Roast Duck, Potato & Leek Soup, Roast Pumpkin Soup, Pea & Bacon Soup, Creamy Mushroom Sauce, Italian Beef Bolognaise Sauce, Classic Napoli Sauce, Chilli Beef Sauce and much more!
A special thanks for all the great feedback about our totally revamped gourmet grocer section with new layout and new shelves, and hundreds of new products. If you've been searching for some hard to get ingredients, make sure you pop in or call because most times we'll either have what you need or we can get it for you. We’ve been looking after a lot of budding Master Chef’s who are whipping up a storm at home in the kitchens.
By the way, speaking of MasterChef, we still have copies of our free 8 page Master Chef Food and Recipe Guide so make sure you pick up your copy and you can win in our $1500 Master Chef competition - enter soon! The show is down to the final ten and heading towards the climax so there are only a couple of weekes left to get your votes in and maybe win the great prize on offer.
And here's anothe great reason to come see us this week: Brian is feeling generous and he's handing out his End of Financial Year Reward which entitles you to a free meal. You need to make a purchase in the shop or cafe to get one, and he'll stop handing them out on Friday so be quick.
In the Café, we’ve had increasing requests for more low gluten options so we’re creating a special low gluten menu, which will be available on request from this coming Friday. And despite Australia's sad early exit, we're still excited about the World Cup, so our delicious Taste of the World Cup menu with food representing lots of the World Cup finalists countries is still available.
We’ll also be celebrating France’s Bastille Day on July 14 with a special French inspired menu.
We’ve again been nominated in two upcoming awards: the Food Channel’s national I LOVE FOOD Awards and the Central Coast Express Advocate Awards (We’ve twice won this award for Best Café). We’d love to have your vote - we’ll be emailing you details on how to vote as soon as voting opens.
And just a quick reminder that we are in the Entertainment Book for Central Coast and Hunter and that’s good news if you purchase a book from your local school or fundraiser. Using a voucher from the book gets you a free meal to the value of $30 when you buy and pay for a second meal.
Remember, it’s warm, cosy and friendly in here!
Cheers
Brian & Michele

COME ENJOY OUR NEW GOURMET RENOVATION

Hello,
Welcome to winter on the Coast.
Big news this month – we have totally revamped our gourmet grocer section with new layout and new shelves, and hundreds of new products.
With MasterChef on everyone’s lips, we’ve has a gourmet revolution so come in and see the new look and all the new products.
We’ve also got out free 8 page Master Chef Food and Recipe Guide so make sure you pick up a copy and you can win in our $1500 Master Chef competition - enter soon!
We also have lots of ideas to keep you warm and well fed this winter, beginning in June with our Winter Warmers Month in the Cafe
But before we tell you about June events, a really big thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate our very special 4th birthday during May. We have had a very busy month and we have been thrilled with all the good wishes.
Many of you who came in during the last week of May will have received our special $200 gift certificates gift or you may have envelopes from our Birthday Roulette - remember you have until 14 June to use your Birthday Roulette prizes (and even a few days after - we’ll be lenient about this)
It’s our Winter Warmers Month - as winter approaches, we are stocking the menus and the freezer with cosy comfort foods such as soups, casseroles and curries to eat in, take away and take home.
The Soccer World Cup kicks off in South Africa on June and we’ll be joining in the fun supporting the Socceroos with flags, balloons, our special Taste of World Menu and your Ticket to the World Cup promotion.
A reminder too, that we’ll be open all over the Long Weekend, with live music on Sunday and Monday, so make sure you come visit for a leisurely breakfast or lunch or late cake and coffee
Remember, it’s warm, cosy and friendly in here!

A Tribute to Mums

One of the most special celebrations for the year is Mother’s Day and Sunday 9 May will be a really special day in the Café. In fact, we think Mums are so special, we’ll be having Mum’s Weekend with a special Mum’s menu, free gifts and more. There’ll be live music both days from 12.30pm.

It Mum’s Weekend in the Café
We have a Special Mother’s Day menu
Every Mum gets a free Taste Gourmet gift certificate to the value of $25 plus a FREE ROSE (thanks to A Dozen Roses at East Gosford)


Things Mum Would Never Say
"How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?"
"Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too"
"Just leave all the lights on ... it makes the house look more cheery"
"Let me smell that shirt -- Yeah, it's good for another week"
"Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I'll be glad to feed and walk him every day"
"Well, if Rahul's mamma says it's OK, that's good enough for me."
"The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It's not like I'm running a prison around here."
"I don't have a tissue with me ... just use your sleeve"
"Don't bother wearing a jacket - the wind-chill is bound to improve"

Mother's Dictionary of Meanings
Dumbwaiter: One who asks if the kids would care to order dessert.
Feedback: The inevitable result when the baby doesn't appreciate the strained carrots.
Full Name: What you call your child when you're mad at him.
Grandparents: The people who think your children are wonderful even though they're sure you're not raising them right.
Independent: How we want our children to be for as long as they do everything we say.
Puddle: A small body of water that draws other small bodies wearing dry shoes into it.
Show Off: A child who is more talented than yours.
Sterilize: What you do to your first baby's pacifier by boiling it, and to your last baby's dummy by blowing on it and wiping it with saliva.
Top Bunk: Where you should never put a child wearing Superman jammies.
Whodunit: None of the kids that live in your house.

Dedicated to our Mums: Heather & Estelle

Very exciting April at Taste Gourmet

We started April with a very busy Easter and a fabulous response from all of you to our great new coffee from Toby’s Estate. It’s true: the Central Coast's coffee is now even better!
We’re giving our baristas even more training to make sure your coffee is the best it can be. We’re also enjoying a bigger, better and more beautiful coffee machine, a sleek black Italian beauty!

TASTE OF ITALY MONTH
We have lots happening this month, April is our Taste of Italy month - enjoy all gourmet things Italian! We feature special Italian dishes on our menu, and we’ll have tastings each weekend of all things Italian.

WIN A $1400 PRIZE FOR YOUR MUM!
We’ve put together a fabulous prize pack which you could win for your Mum this Mother’s Day. The prize includes a gourmet gift basket and lunch for 6 at Taste Gourmet, goodies from Magnolia Home & Gift, roses from A Dozen Roses, a makeover & photo shoot from Imagine Images, luxurious massage from Hair & Beauty Central, gym membership from Planet Fitness, hair cut & treatment from Celebrity Hair & Fitness and more! It all adds up to a total prize value of over over $1400! The prize will be drawn the Thursday before Mother’s Day!
Just tell us why YOUR MUM IS THE BEST and the best entry will win Enter in store right now!

MASTER CHEF 2010 - IT’S BACK
Speaking of great food, IT’S BACK! Master Chef returns with the 2010 season premiering on Channel 10 on April 19th. We are very excited and we know you will be too, because we are celebrating with a Master Chef competition with a prize so good you too will become a Master Chef! In fact, we’ll help you discover your inner Master Chef, just by entering the competition.

SCHOOL HOLIDAY FUN
It’s also school holidays during April and we have a special promotion for the kids.

ANZAC DAY
We will be opening from 9am - 5pm on ANZAC Day, Sunday 25 April. All veterans and serving Defence Force personnel will receive their coffees free on ANZAC Day.
We will open on Monday 26 April (which is the official Anzac Day Public Holiday but not the commemorative day) from 9am to 4pm.

COMING SOON
In May we’ll be celebrating our 4th birthday with lots of great activities including competitions, special menus and prize giveaways. And it’s Mother’s Day too, we’ll have special menus and free gifts for Mum during our special Mum's Week!

NEW UPDATED WEB SITE
We’ve been making our website easier to use, adding more information and menus so check it out: http://www.tastegourmet.com.au/

POPULAR FRIDAY NIGHTS
Many of you have been enjoying our fun Friday nights with dinner and live music, remember you can also just pop in for a coffee or takeaway too. There’s great food and coffee, relaxed comfortable atmosphere and the cool sounds of Sam Bannerman playing fabulous acoustic guitar and laid back blues, soul and pop.

EASTER AT TASTE GOURMET

OPEN FOR EASTER
Easter Thursday 8.30 - 5.30
Easter Friday CLOSED
Easter Saturday 8.30 - 4.00
Easter Sunday 8.30 - 5.00
Easter Monday 9.00 - 4.00

We love Easter, it's a great time to spend time with family and friends, to indulge in great food and fabulous company, to enjoy some great leisure time and, yes, OK, indulge in some chocolate without too much guilt! We're inviting to to spend some of your Easter with our Taste Gourmet family, our fabulous friendly staff, our lovely customers and oue special brand of food, coffee and live music.
We've got the Easter spirit, so please come celebrate your Easter with a visit to Taste Gourmet Grocer & Café. Bring your family and friends in for breakfast, brunch, lunch or coffee and enjoy our celebration of chocolate. We’ll have visits each day from the Easter Bunny, a special Easter menu with Easter Lamb, Easter seafood and our special Chocoholics Menu, Easter Eggs, free tastings, competitions where you could win a $50 Easter Gift Certificate and more and every child gets a free Easter Egg.
If you are travelling away this Easter please be safe. If you are staying in town, why not come in a join us, bring your family and friends and we’ll celebrate Easter together!
Here's what's happening over Easter!

CELEBRATE EASTER WITH US - We’ll be open over the Easter long weekend - Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday. We are closed Good Friday.

MEET THE EASTER BUNNY - The Easter Bunny will be here on Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday

ENJOY GREAT FOOD AND CHOCOLATE - We have a selection of Easter Chocolates, Easter Eggs and Bunnies in store and we’ve created some very special Easter Baskets, we also have our new Autumn menu and a special Easter menu with lamb, seafod and chocolate - see below for details.

TOBY'S ESTATE COFFEE - We are getting a great response to our Toby's Estate Coffee - we have had some great compliments and we really are trying hard to make the Coast's best coffee even better! We also have Toby's Estate Fairtrade Organic Coffee. And yes, you can buy the beans from us!

GREAT LIVE MUSIC ALL WEEKEND! - For your Easter entertainment, Sam Bannerman will be here making music with his guitar on Easter Saturday, Sunday and Monday afternoon. .

EASTER KIDS COLOURING COMPETITION - Fun Easter colouring in for the kids - and every kid over Easter gets a free Easter Egg!

Get all the details here Whats Happening

Inspiration from the Best!

I was fortunate in the past few days to spend some time with some of the best and most innovative restaurant owners and chefs in Australia. It was a great opportunity to find out what is happening on the broader food scene - and it is not often you get spend time with people of this calibre. In particular I was thrilled to meet and talk with people such as Sydney chef and restaurant owner Matt Kemp about his beautiful two-hat restaurant Restaurant Balzac in Randwick.
I've been a fan for quite a while now and I love Matt's approach - his restaurant philosophy is simple – sensational food at affordable prices packaged in a suburban location. His food and restaurant has attracted some of the best reviews I've read. Brian and I am looking forward to celebrating my approaching birthday with a visit to Restaurant Balzac for Matt's wonderful degustation menu and matching wines!
It is always exciting to spend time with people so very passionate about food and service and I came back very inspired by his committment to always giving his customers the best food and dining experience that he can. And although our food is more modest, that's what we work hard to do here as well.
It's not often that you get to be in the room with a two hat chef (actually there were several very highly acclaimed chefs in the room) and I found a whole new level of inspiration which I am applying to our new menu.
One of the biggst trends in dining now is share plates and tapas style food and although we have had share plates for a while now, our new menu will see a special share plates and modern tapas style section to offer you an even great choice of great food.

Also exciting for us is a recent review from the website http://www.urcaferulz.com/. Thanks guys - it was very nice to get such great feedback!

Taste was recently awarded the 2009 True Local Business Awards Café of year. So the question is, did they deserve to win? We decided to put them to the test on the day after boxing day and went boldly to have breakfast. First impressions of the ambiance etc were good. The shop is airy and well laid out and the whole gourmet grocer feel reminded of the Red Hill district in Brisbane. The feeling is one of a café/grocer the buzzes with exciting and unique food ideas. A big sign, hanging at the door invited us to take a seat, because they have table service, yay!! Bonus points there. We were greeted quickly by a waitress who was genuinely happy to be there and wanted to serve us. She took our order and even thanked us for it. The coffee arrived in timely fashion. The Amanti bean is not a very commonly used bean around here and I had come to think of it as second grade, however Taste managed to espress the flavour from the bean very well. While the flavour wasn’t bold, it was woody and different and satisfying. The food was delivered by a different waitress who was even more sincere and thanked us again, during the meal she returned to check that everything was good and after the dishes were cleared she came back to check if we wanted to order any thing else. Hallelujiah, real service at last, I hear the trumpets sounding!!! While we are discussing the food, the quality was great, the portions were just right and it was presented nicely, nothing flash, just nice and tidy. So it would appear that Taste Gourmet Grocer and Café deserves the award of Café of the Year 2009. In fact I would even vote for them myself. Congratulations Taste.You do it the way it should be done. 8.9 out of 10.

A reminder, our new menu will be happening in the next week or two - stay tuned for the launch!
Oh, and if you are inspired to visit Restaurant Balzac, check out their website complete with menus! www.restaurantbalzac.com.au

BOUTIQUE HAND MADE FARMHOUSE CHEESE - IS THERE ANYTHING BETTER?

The popularity of great hand made cheese is expanding rapidly. It’s a global demand for interesting cheeses with authentic flavour and character and there are now so many in the fridges it can be hard to choose.

Here at Taste Gourmet we select the best authentic artisan cheeses from Australia’s small but exciting farmhouse cheese makers. The cheeses we stock are created by wonderful traditional skills - we wanted you to meet a couple of the passionate and inspiring characters who make them.

We asked Woodside Dairies in South Australia and Binnorie Dairies in the Hunter Valley to tell us more about how their cheeses are made.

We'll feature Binnorie Dairies in this blog and Woodside Dairies in our next blog.

BINNORIE DAIRY
Binnorie is owned by Simon and Sally Gough, Simon set up the Dairy about seven years ago.
Binnorie is in the Pokolbin wine region, Hunter Valley. They specialise in fresh style cheeses made from both cow and goat milk.
Binnorie has a simple philosophy - do it well or not at all. Opened in 2003, there range of specialty cheeses are already considered a benchmark in the industry, combining textures and flavours rarely seen in the Australian food landscape. By focusing on fresh style products that can be used in a myriad of dishes, Binnorie products endeavour to inspire both chefs and home gourmets alike to new levels of creativity.
Simon Gough is the cheese maker and we asked him to share some secrets of cheese making with us.
Why did you start making these products?
When I first started making cheese around 15 years ago, it seemed to me that cheese platters were becoming less and less popular, so I concentrated on making cheeses that could be used in dishes rather than just at the end of the meal. We have a core range of around 20 to 25 products, but regularly have a bit of a play with other special orders.
What makes your products special?
The milk we use is the same as the milk that heads off to the large processors. Where our product differs is that we combine some technical expertise (I have a degree in Microbiology) with some very traditional recipes that I have picked up while working in factories in Europe (and backpacking through Syria). One other factor that I believe is important is to concentrate on textures - a small change in texture can make a major change to how the palate picks up flavours.
What is your favourite product?
I have a number of products I really enjoy, but it depends on what I am using them for. I would choose the Marinated Fetta to put through a salad, Duetto (a blend of Gorgonzola and Mascarpone) as a dessert style and the Washed Rind to sit down with some pate and a glass of wine.
What’s the best thing about being a cheese maker?
What I enjoy most is creating products that can be used as part of somebody's dish. It gives me a buzz to hear when people have used my cheeses as a base ingredient to create a new and different taste sensation - e.g I have had one chef stuff my Labna balls with an olive, cover in Japanese breadcrumbs and deep fry as a finger food, another use the duetto to make a blue cheese icecream and served this with poached pears. Whilst it is enjoyable to create new products, it is far more pleasing to me to help others in their creativity.

RECIPE - MARINATED FETTA WITH MUSHROOMS
Simon gave us this recipe; he says it is a simple dish, but the heat from the mushrooms slightly softens the fetta and really brings out the flavour. A great side dish or a really indulgent breakfast!

Ingredients
Binnorie Dairy Marinated Fetta
200 gms Field Mushrooms
2 teaspoons Garlic
50 gms Butter
Baby Spinach Leaves
Flat leaf Parsley

Method
De-stem the field mushrooms. Soften butter and mix with garlic. Top mushrooms with garlic butter
Place in oven or under the grill until soft . Top with chopped Marinated Fetta and some chopped continental parsley. Place on some baby spinach leaves and serve.

STORING YOUR CHEESE!
The average Aussie eats 12 kilograms of cheese a year, but imagine how much more we could get through if we didn't have to throw it out when it dries up or goes mouldy.
The best way to store hard cheeses, such as cheddar, is to wrap them loosely in plastic wrap.
Soft cheeses, such as brie and camembert, need to breathe, so wrap them in a damp cloth or greaseproof paper. If you're planning on using soft cheeses within a couple of days of purchasing them, you can store them in the paper or plastic wrap they came in.
Keep fresh unripened cheeses and stretched curd cheeses, such as ricotta and haloumi, in the brine or oil they're sold in.

HAVE YOU GOT YOUR TASTE GOURMET TICKET TO THE WINTER GAMES YET?

Australia has sent it’s biggest team ever to Vancouver for the Winter Olympic Games.

We’re having two weeks of celebrations to encourage you to support our Aussie team with some fun promotions and a great Canadian inspired menu! Our Winter Games promotion is now underway We want you to get right behind our Aussie athletes!

TO GET YOU PREPARED, we’re handing out the Taste Gourmet Winter Games Ticket.

Bring your ticket back in any time during the Winter Olympics and you will win a Gold, Silver or Bronze prize - guaranteed!

Each level has it’s own great prize - free goodies from our Canadian Menu which will be running throughout the Games:
WIN Gold: FREE main meal
WIN Silver: FREE sweet treat
WIN Bronze: FREE coffee

Our Taste of Canada Menu is now availabe with lots of great dishes!
So make sure you come in and collect your ticket NOW, so you are ready for the fun and games of the Vancouver Games, bring it back during the Games, and win great prizes.

NEW CATERING & PICNIC HAMPER MENU

This glorious summer weather is just perfect for a romantic picnic for two! And now, you don't have to worry about the food, or even the picnic hamper. We've got it all organized for you!

We’ve expanded our great catering menu and added a special new section - you can now order and enjoy a delightful picnic basket - we supply great fresh delicious food and you can even use our great new picnic sets.

Picnics can be prepared for Two or Four or more people.

USE OUR RETURNABLE PICNIC SET TO COMPLETE YOUR DAY!
All foods will be packed in our special Picnic Hamper Carry Basket. We also include our Deluxe Picnic Set with shoulder strap, stylish plates, cutlery, wine goblets, salt and pepper shakers and a wine/bottle opener. A deposit is required for use of our picnic carry basket and set, which fully refunded upon return.

OR We can also pack your food in re-useable insulated bags (which are yours to keep) and provide plastic plates, cutlery, napkins and glasses.

NEW BATCHES OF GREEN TOMATO PICKLES IN STORE

Just out of our production kitchen are new batches of Green Tomato Pickles, made with our own home grown tomatoes.

We've been growing a bumper crop of smaller tomatoes which we have been picking wheile still green and cooking right away to make our pickles.

This is my grandmother’s recipe from the 1920’s and is really fabulous. The only change we've made to the recipe is to reduce the somewhat extravagant amounts of salt, otherwise it's just like Nan made it.

Our green tomato pickles are bottled and sold under our own label and are available for tasting on our new tasting table in store from this week!

Serving suggestions: Fabulous teamed with ham off the bone, rare roast beef, corned beef, or chicken.
Try serving over warm chicken skewers or add sour cream for a moreish dip.
Serve as an accompaniment to barbecued or roasted poultry, meat or fish.

AVAILABLE FOR TASTING NOW IN STORE!