A little taste of Tasmania - in Melbourne

There’s a little taste of Tasmania to be found in a small side street in the Melbourne suburb of Hampton.

Homesick Tasmanians, or Melbourne gourmets, can stock up their pantry with eatherwood honey and scallop pies at the Tasmanian Grocer in the Bayside suburb.

 

Customers come in search of Tasmanian staples: cheeses, chutneys, raspberry jam, and cool-climate wines. They also demand quail eggs, salmon sausages, and abalone.

“I like to think of it as a sort of embassy for Tasmania,” owner Samuel Caccavo explains.

“Everything here is beautifully sourced from Tasmania. All the amazing spirits, all the amazing honey. It’s the taste of Tasmania, absolutely beautiful, and quintessentially Tasmanian.”

Now in its fifth year, the Tasmanian Grocer is also a family business.

It’s part of the extensive business dealings of an entrepreneurial Tasmanian clan, whose interests include construction, seafood, and artisan spirits.

With the Tasmanian Grocer, the Caccavo family has come full circle – back to where it all began.

Samuel’s grandfather, Ralph, at the tender age of 21, opened a small deli in Liverpool street, Hobart, before expanding his business to a fleet of trucks ferrying dried foods to restaurants across the city.

By the early 80s, Ralph had added supermarkets – his two well-known ‘Ralph's Super 7’ stores – to the business. Then, 20 years ago the family took a leap into the seafood industry, focusing on abalone exports to China.

While the Tasmanian Grocer is just a small part of the family’s business dealings, it provides a valuable outlet for their own products, which are sold alongside those of other boutique producers.

Brand Tasmania reports the shelves are stocked with hand-crafted spirits from the family’s Devil's Distillery, which was set up in 2015.

There is also the family’s olive oil on the shelves - sourced from an olive grove at Campania.

The Tasmanian Grocer is at 2 Willis Lane, Hampton VIC 3188. (03) 9521 8435.

Feel free to spray paint this hotel room

Spray painting on a hotel room wall would normally get you locked up.

Now, in an Australian first, Art Series Hotels is challenging its guests to grab a spray can, mask up and leave their mark on the walls of three of its properties.

From October 15 to December 30, a white-washed room at The Blackman and The Olsen hotels in Melbourne and The Johnson in Brisbane will be transformed into a collective canvas as part of a participatory art project.

The Colour Your Stay project will rely on guests to help create an ever-changing mural and become part of a shared experience.

 

The collaborative art project follows the award-winning No Robe campaign, which asked Art Series guests to strip nude and strike a pose, and the mischievous Steal Banksy that encouraged art theft.

A pioneer of the Australian street art and stencil movement, Luke Cornish (aka ELK) will lead the project for Art Series. In a nod to each of the hotels namesake artist, he will create a different artwork at each hotel; portraits of John Olsen, Charles Blackman and Michael Johnson, that guests are called on to complete.

On check-in hotel staff will share instructions and guests can register to participate. A mixture of spray cans and paint brushes, a gown, mask and gloves will be available for guests to use in the room, with each person given two minutes to unleash the artist within.

Challenging the "look but don’t touch" restriction of conventional gallery culture, the stark white interior will be transformed as hundreds of collaborators leave their mark.

Cornish says of his involvement in the campaign: "I’m thrilled to be working with Art Series Hotels on Colour Your Stay. Their dedication to supporting urban art and all of its wonderful satellite genres is a passion I share and I’m really excited to see what we create together with guests."

Director of Marketing Ryan Tuckerman says: “Supporting the arts and delivering unique art inspired experiences for our guests that are personal and bold sits at the core of the Art Series Hotels brand.

Luke Cornish was the first ever stencil artist to be named a finalist in both the Archibald Portrait Prize and Sulman Prize. He uses up to 85 layers of carefully hand-cut acetate in each work. He then sprays layer upon layer of aerosol paint until his images bear a striking photographic resemblance in a new form of hyper-realism.

Cornish uses the tools of a street artist to create his works.

Guests who share a photo on Instagram with the tag #colouryourstay will go in the draw to win a night on Art Series plus a signed ELK drawing.

To find out more visit www.artserieshotels.com.au/colouryourstay/ or call 1800 278 468. Colour Your Stay packages start from $189 per night.

One-stop tasting spot in Margaret River

Craft Beers? Tick. Wines? Tick. Spirits? Tick.

The home of Black Brewing in Wilyabrup, Margaret River, has a new name in Caves Road Collective and is a one-stop tasting shop.

The facility is home to Black Brewing Co, Dune Distilling and Ground to Cloud Wines and aims to quench thirst, hunger and the search for an authentic Margaret River experience.

While Black Brewing Co beer will continue to be brewed on site by the same team under the same brand name, the change of the overall site name to Caves Road Collective represents the broader appeal of the destination. 

West Australian owners Stewart Sampson, Kristin Kestell, Rob Johnston and James Paterson took over what was Duckstein Brewery in late 2015 and have steadily grown the product offering. 

“We're a passionate bunch of locals, driven to deliver uncompromising quality, and believe the new venue brand better reflects this,” said managing director Sampson. 

“Since taking over the amazing location on Caves Road we've steadily improved the venue and product offering with the intention of creating incredible memories.”

Visitors can drop in for a beer or wine tasting, a lunch by the fire or on the deck in summer, enjoy late-afternoon bar snacks, a sampling of gin from Dune Distilling, a few Black Brewing Co beers with mates in the beer garden, a game of pool, or a four-pack takeaway!

The Caves Road Collective experience now includes:

Caves Road Collective restaurant: the restaurant is headed by Chef Hayden Vink and features local seasonal ingredients. 

Black Brewing Co.: Brewers Shannon Grigg and Adam Brookes have a range that includes lager, IPA, Bao Bao Milk Stout and Fresh Ale. 

Dune Distilling: The first offering is a gin. More to follow with two new stills on the way from the Netherlands. 

Ground to Cloud Wines: A range of wines including chardonnay, a semillon sauvignon blanc blend, cabernet sauvignon/merlot, syrah, and rosé. They have not got their act together and their website is not operational. 

For more details see: https://cavesroadcollective.com.au/

Star Japanese chef signed for new culinary festival

The Curated Plate, a new four-day food festival is set to make its debut on the Sunshine Coast on August 8-11, 2019.

Aimed to be a celebration of the relationship between the chef and producer, the festival will bring together the region's finest produce with leading Australian and international chefs.

Local experiences - from food trails to farm tours - will feature in the program.

Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa

Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa (above) from the two Michelin-star restaurant, Den, in Tokyo, will join the festival in a collaboration with Sunshine Coast chef, Daniel Jarrett of The Tamarind.

Den was this year named the Best Restaurant in Japan and 17th in the world. 

Rising star Hasegawa is known for "Japanese cuisine with quality and creativity" (below).

The full festival program of events and talent line-up will be revealed in March, 2019.

"The Sunshine Coast has long been a home to some of Australia's greatest produce and some amazing restaurants," Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson said.

"This new event will be a fantastic way to showcase our region and profile our local award-winning food producers and restaurateurs.

"We look forward to welcoming guests to our beautiful part of the world and invite them to discover what makes us such a great destination for fantastic food.”

Simon Latchford, CEO of Visit Sunshine Coast, said: “The Sunshine Coast is one of Australia's premier regions for quality produce - it has more than 740 restaurants, 400 food tourism experiences, six dining precincts, 13 craft breweries, some of the best farmers markets in the country and provides much of Queensland's fish, seafood, fruit, vegetables and poultry exports.

“While our beaches and year-round attractive climate might be the primary reasons for visitors choosing the Sunshine Coast for their holiday, the fact that we can deliver such high-quality food from paddock to plate is becoming an increasingly significant attraction for discerning travellers.”

“We invest in local events because they deliver a strong economic return for the tourism industry”.

For Curated Plate event details and travel packages, visit www.thecuratedplate.com.au/

"Big" new beer project for boutique booze producers

Tasmania’s Moo Brew and Sydney’s Archie Rose Distilling Co. have joined forces to produce a Barrel-Aged Stout. 

The Moo Brew Imperial Stout has been aged in Archie Rose Single Malt Whisky and ex-Bourbon oak barrels, weighing in at an imposing 10.8% alcohol/vol.

“It’s big,” Moo Brew head brewer Dave Macgill said.

Thirty whisky barrels were sent straight from the distillery in Sydney to the brewery in Hobart. This quick turnaround, from draining to refill, ensured a sturdy dose of spirit was bestowed upon the brew.

Made in time for Sydney Beer Week, the Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout is expected to improve with age.

“We encourage people to enjoy this beer now, but those partial to cellaring will be rewarded” Macgill said.

“This stout has a rich, dense palate thanks to the ex-bourbon barrels and Archie Rose whisky, high residual sugar and specialty roasted malts.”  

“We love the opportunity to collaborate with brands that think like Moo Brew,” said Archie Rose Master Distiller Dave Withers.

“Innovation and experimentation is a huge part of what we do at Archie Rose, which is why we were thrilled to work on this project.” 

The Moo Brew x Archie Rose Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout will be launched at the Archie Rose Distillery on Wednesday, October 31, during Sydney Beer Week.

is will be available for public purchase from the Moo Brew/Moorilla cellar door from November 1. 

https://moorilla.com.au/shop/other-products/moo-brew

Paws for thought: Australian state wants you to take your furry friends on holiday

The Australian state of Victoria is launching a campaign to encourage visitors to bring their furry friends with them when they travel. 

  

Visit Victoria is putting short breaks in the paws of travellers' dogs with what it says is the world’s first tourism campaign optimised for dogs.

The campaign, developed by Clemenger BBDO, highlights how dogs love the quality experiences of regional Victoria as much as much as their pet owners and non-pet owners alike.

It is the first digital tourism campaign designed to stimulate dogs’ sight and sound, featuring content curated by local pet-fluencers. 

An extension of the recently launched Your Happy Space regional Victoria marketing campaign for humans, Your Dog’s Happy Space aims to get tails wagging with a short-break away.

Leading dog behaviourist and pet psychologist Dr Kate Mornement said that trip away together not only saves money on the costs of a kennel but can have positive wellbeing benefits for both human and pet.

“A short break away can have many of the same physical and mental health benefits for a dog as it would their owner,” Dr Mornement said.

“A new environment is not only stimulating and enriching for a dog but quality time together with a weekend away provides an opportunity for physical exercise, further develop social interaction, strengthen the bond and relieve stress.

“Just like humans, a holiday can be a really enjoyable experience for dogs.”

Dogs are widely considered as a barrier to experiencing a weekend away for the 65%t of Victorians who own a pet so the campaign will highlight the diverse range of quality pet-friendly experiences.

Regional Victoria’s natural beauty provides the backdrop to a host of accommodation, cafes, restaurants, pubs, wineries, breweries and activities that welcome fur babies and their owners.

Visit Victoria Chief Executive Officer Peter Bingeman said that Your Dog’s Happy Space will encourage even more locals to explore regional Victoria.

“Instead of putting their pets in an expensive pet hotel or arranging care, we know that the 65% of Victorians that do own a pet would love to travel in Victoria with their extended family," he said.

“Not only does pet friendly travel and accommodation make intrastate experiences more accessible, it’s also a great way to build awareness of the incredibly diverse offerings across the state.”

Visit http://yourhappyspace.com.au/dogs to research your next "pawfect" short break to regional Victoria.