Tiger Tales

Paradise Regained

Queensland’s fresh food industry has risen again and the proof has arrived in the form of the many offerings at the 2011 Brisbane Good Food and Wine Festival, which runs from 4-6 November.

The Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) is sponsoring a “Celebrate the Taste of Queensland” pavilion to mark the industry’s recovery from South-East Queensland’s January floods and cyclone that hit north Queensland in February. The pavilion, set up at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, consists of 60 stalls from producers and regional councils.

It’s good news for growers and great news for visitors, who are among the first beneficiaries of the region’s plans to demonstrate that a full recovery has been made.

Strutting their stuff at the show from the Lockyer Valley are premium organic potato and carrot growers Bauer’s Organic Farm, boutique butchers Schulte’s Meat Tavern, goat cheese and gelato maker Emmos Fine Foods, Seaton Fire chilli chocolate, heritage pork producer Rare Breed Piggery and Mulgowie Olives.

Lockyer Valley Regional Council Mayor Steve Jones maintains that the floods had a silver lining. “Underground water supplies have filled up for the first time in 15 years and the Laidley, Lockyer and Tenthill Creeks continue to flow, even without rain, a phenomenon not seen here in decades,” he says.

Another unexpected post- flood bonus for water-logged Ballandean Estate Wines in the Granite Belt is the release of a premier 2011 vintage. “We are proudly releasing our 2011 Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc at the show and it’s an absolute stunner,” says the winemaker’s Leanne Gangemi. “Despite the difficulties in the vineyard, the small amount of grapes that were picked were of very good quality and this has resulted in some amazing wines.”

Clovely Estate Winery’s chief winemaker Luke Fitzpatrick says the South Burnett vineyard lost about 80% of its crop, with a 40% loss in the olive groves.

“Ironically, floods that caused so much pain for the 2011 vintage might be the cause of our best vintages to come,” he says.

The floods inundated another exhibitor, Barambah Organics at Oxley in Brisbane. “We were unable to supply many product lines such as our cheeses for months following the floods but are now back to selling our full range,” says the dairy product specialist’s Ryhannon Browne.

Elton Miller of DEEDI’s Food and Agribusiness Division says everyone from growers and processors through to restaurants were hard hit. “Many saw disrupted supply, lost product and damage to equipment and premises,” he says. “But Queensland’s food industry is back in business.”

OVERVIEW

Whether your passion is cooking or just finding new treats for your taste buds, the Good Food and Wine Show is the place to gather recipes, sip local wines, buy produce and discover new kitchen tools, all while supporting local farms and manufacturers

• Meet celebrity chefs Manu Feildel, Matt Moran, George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan and Tobie Puttock

• Visit the Riedel Decanter Bar to savour speciality wines, draw on the wisdom of a panel of wine experts and master the art of wine and food matching

• Compile a step-by-step guide to cheese tasting courtesy of experts and learn how to find the right cheese to match your favourite wine or beer

• Learn to create perfect pasta at the Barilla Pasta Class and get tips from the Sunbeam Academy on the art and science of coffee-and cupcake-making

Good Food and Wine Show, 4–6 November, Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Cnr Merivale & Glenelg Sts, South Bank, ww.goodfoodshow.com.au