On the Spice Trail with Herbie

Herbie’s Spices is inviting Australians to join his virtual tour around the globe on “Herbie’s Spice Trail”.  After exploring Chettinad and Kerala in India earlier this year, spice enthusiasts will be transported to various global locations highlighting the culture and origins of spices of these gastronomic destinations.

 

“We often have a large number of enquiries regarding our spice mixes, the origins of the mix and the spices themselves, so together with the Herbie’s Spices team, we thought it would be a great idea to provide some education for our customers.  The ‘Spice Trail’ is the result,” says Ian Hemphill, Director of Herbie’s Spices.

 

The “Spice Trail” will visit locations with various cultural and culinary personalities in an effort to profile the global spread of spices.

 

“There’s a great misconception that spices only come from one corner of the globe. Our Herbie’s Spice Trail will highlight that in fact spices come from just about anywhere you’d like to mention,” adds Ian.

 

Recipes for each highlighted spice will also be revealed every month and “spice-trekkers” will be invited to share their own recipes, using the profiled spice, through Herbie’s Facebook – www.facebook.com/herbiesspices, Twitter – www.twitter.com/herbiesspices and Instagram www.instagram.com/herbiesspices accounts.

Vicinity Dining Alexandria Welcomes James Kidman & New Head Chef Erik Janssen to the Team

Vicinity Dining Alexandria is excited to announce the recent appointment of the talented Erik Janssen as the venues new Head Chef under the direction of visionary Food Industry Consultant James Kidman. The venue launched its new menu on Friday, 2 May 2014.

 

Janssen and Kidman will form a formidably fresh and talented partnership in the kitchen, bringing their innovative and creative approaches to Vicinity Dining.

 

Janssen joins with an impressive CV. Formally Executive Sous Chef at Waitan, Head Chef of Watsons Bay Boutique Hotel, Head Chef North Bondi Italian and Executive Sous Chef Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, Janssen brings with him over 20 years of experience in both the hospitality and restaurant industries and will oversee the restaurants entire food operations including the expansion of the bar menu.

 

Kidman, a revered industry visionary and expert, boasts an exceptional career holding former positions of Group Executive Chef at Doltone House and Head Chef at Otto Ristorante. Kidman will work closely with Janssen and Owner Rob Rubis to lead Vicinity Dining in a new and exciting direction.

 

Owner Rob Rubis felt Janssen was perfect for this position and appointed him to the role of Head Chef: “We’re thrilled to have Erik working in collaboration with James Kidman at Vicinity Dining,” states Rubis. “We look forward to inviting our guests and neighbours in to taste Erik’s inventive yet fun seasonal dishes and enjoy a true Sydney dining experience minus the expensive price tag.”

 

Janssen’s vision for the new menu is inspired by his travels both within Australia and around the globe. “As the new chef at Vicinity Dining, while respecting the palates of our customers and locals, the new menus will see a more seasonal change and “cleaner” look. Young chefs tends to add & add to the plate, while when you get older like me, you tend to take away from the plate instead and let the amazing produce we have here in Australia speak for itself. This is something that Maurice Terzini from Icebergs Dining Room and Bar always inspired me with,” states Janssen.

 

The new menu features fresh seasonal ingredients with big flavours. Succulent signature cuts of meat cooked over natural coal and wood kindling flame are sure to be favourites. Lamb Kofta Skewers served with Fresh Pomegranate and Mint will be featured. Other new additions include Rissoto of Sweet Corn, Farro and Basil; Wood Grilled Octopus, Smoked Romesco Sauce and Green Olives; and Vicinity Dining’s very own version of “Fish Fingers” Fried Salt Cod Fingers with Smoked Pepper Cream. The venue will also offer a multitude of light dining options such as Quinoa, Chia and Zucchini Salad with Haloumi and Slow Cooked Tomatoes. The end result is a diverse and unique menu designed for the individual or sharing. However, for those who have fallen in love with Vicinity’s Famous Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Tahini, Yoghurt, Lemon, Sumac and Sesame Seeds to share – don’t worry, it won’t be going anywhere!

 

Follow Vicinity Dining for the latest updates at:

http://vicinitysydney.com.au

https://www.facebook.com/VicinityDining

New Tourism Campaign Puts Focus On Food And Wine Experiences

Tourism Australia has unveiled the latest evolution of its global campaign – ‘There’s nothing like Australia’ – with exceptional food and wine experiences from around the country playing a starring role in an effort to convert the global appetite for Australia as a travel destination into more visits.

Launched today at Sydney’s award-winning Quay Restaurant, the new $10 million campaign is based on the idea of Australia being the world’s greatest restaurant, ‘Restaurant Australia’, and includes:

New advertising creative including broadcast ad (for TV, cinema and online) and print;A dedicated online hub (www.australia.com/restaurantaustralia) for Australian businesses to share their food and wine experiences with the world;A strong focus on using digital channels, social media and advocacy;Consumer promotions in a dozen key international markets;Attendance by 80 international media and key food and wine influencers at the ‘Invite the World to Dinner’ gala event at Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said the roll-out of the campaign would occur in stages, starting firstly with the ‘Rally Cry’ to encourage Australian operators with a food and wine focus to get involved ahead of ‘Ignite the World’ consumer promotions in international markets and culminating in a spectacular ‘Invite the World” gala dinner in Tasmania in November.

“Restaurant Australia is all about bringing together the incredible stories of our people, place and produce to demonstrate to the world that every day, unique and exceptional food and wine experiences are being served-up in remarkable locations, and then sharing these stories through the creation of rich and compelling content,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

Mr O’Sullivan said the best way to get the world to notice was by Australia’s tourism, food and wine businesses working together to tell the country’s stories, something that had never been done before.

“When we originally launched ‘There’s nothing like Australia’, we did it by asking Australians to talk about their ‘nothing like’ experiences. This time our rally cry is to industry, with Tourism Australia providing the platforms to help show the world Restaurant Australia.”

By submitting stories, businesses, operators or people directly involved in Australia’s food, wine, tourism and hospitality industries can be listed on the new campaign website – www.australia.com/restaurantaustralia for the world to see. Products or experiences can also be amplified through Tourism Australia’s social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) by using #restaurantaustralia.

Mr O’Sullivan said campaign activity would roll-out in 12 key international markets in the coming months with high profile events and consumer promotions. In addition, an international media familiarisation program will be hosted for ‘Restaurant Australia’ in partnership with all States and Territories in November this year.

“The ‘Restaurant Australia’ familiarisation will bring together up to 80 media and key influencers, who will travel to different parts of the country to cover the food and wine experiences on offer in every state and territory during a week-long visit and capture their experiences through their media and online networks internationally,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

“Their visit will conclude with all participants coming together for a special ‘Invite the World to Dinner’ gala event, which will see produce from around Australia prepared and served on-site at MONA in Tasmania on November 14.

“The word-of-mouth advocacy this familiarisation will generate internationally is aimed squarely at closing the gap on perceptions of Australia’s food and wine offering internationally and motivating people to travel here to indulge in our local cuisine. We want to win over their hearts, minds and their stomachs so that the dream of visiting Australia becomes reality,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

International visitors spent more than $4 billion enjoying Australia’s food, wine and culinary experiences in 2013.

Tourism Australia Chief Marketing Officer Nick Baker said the new campaign had been developed based on recent research which showed Australia was well placed to capitalise on growing demand amongst international travellers for local culinary experiences as part of their travel.

“The concept of ‘Restaurant Australia’ has been built based on consumer research which identified ‘food and wine’ as a key factor in holiday decision making and the most important emotive trigger, ahead of world class beauty, for influencing people’s destination choice,” Mr Baker said.

“For people who’ve never visited Australia awareness of our food and wine offering is low. However, once they visit, people realise the variety and quality of our food and wine experiences is world-class and Australia moves to the top of the rankings as a one of the world’s best culinary destinations.

“This perception gap presents a real opportunity to bring Australia’s culinary credentials to the fore by developing rich content through traditional and social media channels that highlights the array of exceptional produce, created and served by people with fresh thinking, in the most stunning locations in the world,” Mr Baker said.

Tourism Australia has developed the ‘Restaurant Australia’ campaign in consultation with its state tourism partners and industry along with its marketing partner, Wine Australia. The new creative has been developed by Tourism Australia’s global creative agency Clemenger BBDO, with Mark Toia directing the new food and wine ‘chapters’ of the broadcast ad. Digital elements of the campaign have been developed by DT Digital.

The campaign development is underpinned by research conducted by Tourism Australia in 2013, in 15 of Australia’s key tourism markets, which identified a significant gap in the perceptions of Australia’s food and wine offering. For people who have never visited Australia only 26 per cent associate the destination with a good food and wine offering.

But for those who have visited Australia ranks second in the world for its food and wine experiences (60%) after culinary giant France and ahead of Italy. For visitors who have previously visited from China, USA, France, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the UK, and South Korea, Australia is ranked number one in the world for having great food and wine.

To find out more visit www.australia.com/restaurantaustralia or www.tourism.australia.com.

THR1VE ‘Paleo-To- Go’ Opening in the new Emporium this Friday 9 May

 

World-wide scientific validation of the Paleo and Primal dietary protocols, also known as the ancestral health movement, is attracting the attention of people concerned about what they should eat to enhance their health, body composition, and performance.

In additional to the compelling empirical evidence supporting the principles underpinning the THR1VE menu, the anecdotal evidence provided by everyday customers and participants in the THR1VE 12 Week challenge is inspiring.  Indeed, the Swedish government has recently completely rewritten their dietary recommendations, aligned with the THR1VE menu and inspired by Paleo and Primal diets.

Why?  Because the Paleo and Primal lifestyle works!  And fast….

Blood markers of health consistently improve, and often dramatically.  Body composition improves as fat is shed and muscle gained, without tedious counting of calories, or constant weighing and measuring foods.  Energy is both enhanced, and more consistent throughout the day, as the sugar roller coaster is finally forgotten.

The delicious Paleo inspired menu from THR1VE is rich in quality sources of protein such as meat and fish, high in fresh and seasonal nutrient dense vegetables, utilises smart and low GI carbohydrates, is ALWAYS gluten free, and has absolutely no added sugar.

They are chef-designed and nutritionist approved to enhance the way people look, feel and perform, and are served within minutes.  THR1VE has eliminated the excuses for eating poorly on the go – delicious and nutritious, convenient and fast, satisfying and great value.  Breakfast and lunch options range from $6-13.

THR1VE Sydney, at MLC Food Court on Martin Place, has been a smash hit.
THR1VE Canberra has quickly won a loyal and passionate following.  THR1VE Melbourne opens at Emporium on May 9th, with another Sydney store at Westfield Pitt St opening in July, and Brisbane PO Square in September.

What may appear to be an instant success story results from combining the business expertise and personal passions of THR1VE’s founder and CEO, Josh Sparks.  Previously Josh was CEO for sass & bide, Thom Browne in New York, and a MD with Urban Outfitters Inc. in Philadelphia.

Josh says, “I believe the THRIVE Paleo-to-go concept is a world first.  Over 5 years ago I embraced Paleo and Primal as I searched for diet and exercise regimes to support a life lived to the full.  By eliminating processed foods, processed carbs and sugar, and gluten, I immediately noticed dramatic changes to the way I looked, felt and performed.  Inspired by a desire to bring this lifestyle to everyone, I founded THR1VE, and now our customers share similar stories with us every day.

THR1VE takes the guesswork out of having a healthy diet when you are on the go.”

Home Cook Hero Lyndey Milan Showcases the Best Australia has to Offer

Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Australia on 7TWO Sundays at 1.30pm (EST)
Australia’s much-loved food personality, Lyndey Milan has returned to television with a series close to her heart. Lyndey, who was recently awarded an OAM for services to the Australian food and wine industry, is once again on the hunt for the best food, wine and fun on offer – this time in her own backyard.
Over 14 episodes, Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Australia explores the characters, places and pastures which make up the backbone of Australia’s thriving culinary culture.
Lyndey, whose previous series have seen her travel to Greece and Ireland, has forged a career championing regional produce and this series sees the vivacious TV cook at her best as she unearths some of the finest Australian food, wine and producer stories.
“Australian food is so diverse that often people don’t know what we grow here. There are very few countries where you can visit a wagyu farm, hand milk salmon, ride a camel along the beach and then enjoy a fabulous meal accompanied by a glass of local wine,” says Lyndey.
“To me, it is this diversity which defines the Australian food industry and that’s what this series is all about,” adds Lyndey.
In addition to stunning backdrops and plates of lusciously tempting food, Lyndey also meets some familiar faces along her travels.
Rick Stein, Neil Perry, Maggie Beer, Pete Evans and Tetsuya Wakuda are just some of the faces that crop up throughout the program in addition to a plethora of food producers and wine-makers.
And while the series seeks to showcase some of the country’s hidden gems, it also pays homage to experiences that are true blue through and through such as wood chopping at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and boot scootin’ at the Tamworth Country Music Festival.
Whether fishing, foraging for mushrooms or snail farming, Lyndey’s passion for Australian food and produce is contagious. This 14 part series explores the best the sunburnt country has to offer from traditional, Aboriginal native foods to refined contemporary classics as seen through the eyes of an Aussie food legend.

Michelin-Starred Restaurant Protégé Jason Rodwell Heads Team At Albert St Food & Wine

Together Jason and Joey look forward to a fruitful future at Albert St Food & Wine, a standout eatery, restaurant and wine bar in Brunswick’s Sydney Road precinct.
Since moving into the position of Executive Chef at Albert St Food & Wine in January 2014, Jason Rodwell has been preserving the eatery’s position at the forefront of Melbourne’s dining landscape with a refreshed menu and a range of special dining events.
Jason has an impressive résumé, which includes stints at Michelin-starred restaurants Nahm and Royal Hospital Road in London as well as Auberge du Bon Laboureur in France’s Loire Valley.
Jason’s recent additions to the menu at Albert St Food & Wine include a main of grilled lamb belly with rice salad, smoked yoghurt and fresh mint sauce and a dessert of Brunswick figs, cheesecake ice-cream and chestnut crumble. The contemporary dishes make the most of local suppliers and fresh produce.
Throughout the year Albert St Food & Wine will host an array of exclusive events including an Oyster and Champagne afternoon, a collaboration with McLaren Vale Wines’ Kangarilla Road, a collaboration with Spinifex Wines, and a Normandy cider tasting with Eric Bordelet.
Jason has been a part of the team at Albert St Food & Wine since its inauguration in 2011. The team has received multiple accolades including two consecutive Chef Hats in the Good Food Guide, a position in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Top 100, and was awarded Best Dish at the past two TASTE of Melbourne events.
In between gaining exceptional work experience overseas Jason has trained at Pier Restaurant in Sydney and Atlantic Manuka in Canberra, before taking on the role of Head Chef at Chef Hatted Canberra restaurants Aubergine and Water’s Edge.
Joining Albert St Food & Wine’s team as Bar Manager is Joey Tai, previously of Brunswick Mess Hall and Golden Monkey and winner of a range of cocktail awards.