Dr Tim Jones, one of Australia's leading fermentation gurus, is attracting national attention for the artisan vinegars, syrups and tonics that he crafts in an old apple shed in Tasmania's Huon Valley.
His Wild Mother Tasmania brand was today was awarded a Champion Medal for its Raspberry Shrub (or drinking vinegar) in the Sydney Royal Fine Food Show.
Wild Mother won 10 medals all up; one champion, two gold, two sliver and five bronze. Every product Jones entered won a medal.
Wild Mother Tasmania products are curated at Ranelagh, just outside Huonville, just a short drive from Willie Smith's Cider, where Jones was previously chief cider maker and distiller.
Jones began his career as a scientist and has been nursery operations manager for Yalumba Wine Company in the Barossa Valley, cider maker at Hobart’s Cascade Brewery and then in 2014 he joined Willie Smith’s, where he spent six years developing award-winning ciders from heirloom organic English and French cider apple varieties.
Now his passions are quality food, using local ingredients and minimising waste. At Wild
Mother Tasmania he is fulfilling all three with his creations.
"We want to create honest products that are connected to earth with complexity in their flavour profiles and genuine health properties," he says.
"We do that by making the effort to go out to collect the fruit and bottle it within a day or two of being picked. Everything we do, whether it be wellness, condiments or beverages, stems from minimal input, production of delicious product, made from local ingredients.
“We are proud to be part of the Tasmanian artisan community who continue to punch above their weight on the national stage.
“We are proud to be part of the Tasmanian artisan community who continue to punch above their weight on the national stage.
"These show results, so early in the life of our business, help to cement that reputation.”
Wild Mother Tasmania makes tonics and barrel-aged condiments from quality cool-climate fruits it sources locally.
The champion Raspberry Shrub is a zero-alcohol aperitif syrup, while gold medal Black Cherry Vincotto vinegar is a sticky condiment made from fresh black cherries.
“Having worked in alcohol I was inspired to move to something more genuinely nourishing that improves people’s health and wellness," Jones says.
"Our vinegars are unfiltered and unpasteurised, no colouring, preservatives or imported concentrates are added, and they are bottled without dilution. This simple approach maintains the flavour profiles, and health-giving properties of the fruit.”
An essential element of the business is repurposing food destined for the waste stream and transforming it into premium quality product.
"Hundreds of tonnes of high-quality, cool-climate Tasmanian fruit goes to waste each year because of some type of ‘imperfection or its distance from market,” Jones says.
“We are passionate about reducing food waste and have structured our business to utilize this fruit wherever we can. Being based in the heart of the Huon Valley, where everything is so close, means we can process apples, cherries and berries when they are super fresh, shortly after being picked and graded.
"This way we maximise the health benefits and flavours while contributing to a circular economy.”
See www.wildmother.com.au
Image: Nat Mendham
Wild Mother Tasmania makes tonics and barrel-aged condiments from quality cool-climate fruits it sources locally.
The champion Raspberry Shrub is a zero-alcohol aperitif syrup, while gold medal Black Cherry Vincotto vinegar is a sticky condiment made from fresh black cherries.
“Having worked in alcohol I was inspired to move to something more genuinely nourishing that improves people’s health and wellness," Jones says.
"Our vinegars are unfiltered and unpasteurised, no colouring, preservatives or imported concentrates are added, and they are bottled without dilution. This simple approach maintains the flavour profiles, and health-giving properties of the fruit.”
An essential element of the business is repurposing food destined for the waste stream and transforming it into premium quality product.
"Hundreds of tonnes of high-quality, cool-climate Tasmanian fruit goes to waste each year because of some type of ‘imperfection or its distance from market,” Jones says.
“We are passionate about reducing food waste and have structured our business to utilize this fruit wherever we can. Being based in the heart of the Huon Valley, where everything is so close, means we can process apples, cherries and berries when they are super fresh, shortly after being picked and graded.
"This way we maximise the health benefits and flavours while contributing to a circular economy.”
See www.wildmother.com.au
Image: Nat Mendham
