Destination Food finds Cheese and Lamb

James visited award winning Mallow Organic lamb.

Last weekend we had the pleasure of a visit from James (Destination Food) and his family.  Check out his blog and twitter page or the pics below show a few of his foodie discoveries.

During his stay James cooked up a dish of succulent Mallow Organic Lamb in hay and tried blue cheese from the Granite Belt Dairy.

James commented - what a wonderful smell...and how good is Penicillium mold? Blue Cheese from Granite Belt Dairy

The source of great cheese

Foodies Guide to...the Granite Belt

Have you checked out the latest edition of the Foodies Guide to Brisbane 2012. Ok - it's called the Brisbane Guide but author Karen Reyment couldn't resist taking you on a journey of foodie discover through the Granite Belt (Stanthorpe) region. Below are some top quotes from the publication.

Quart Pot Bakery  - Award-winning Waygu and mushroom (pies) is our pick: 5 kilograms of Waygu and 6 kilograms of local mushrooms are cooled down to become all kinds of wonderful.

The Bramble Patch - If you're still thinking of the Bramble Patch as jam makers, think again. This family outputs sixity product lines...

Jamworks of Glen Aplin - Sue Ingall has won so many awards for jam that she's stopped entering and now sponsors the awards herself...(psst! don't miss Ingall's glorious zucchini relish)


LiraH - Lirah vinegars are of outstanding quality.

Strawberry Fields - Why are Strawberry Fields strawberries so good? Because they're picked as red and ripe as possible.

Sutton's Juice Factory, Cidery and Distillery  - Definitely the best apple pie we've tasted.

Sam's Summit Fruit - Owner Sam Giacca is a local legend and is loved by all.

Castle Glen Australia - Give Musk Stick liquor a try - it's a liquid version of the lolly.

Vivienne's Cottage Spice Shop - there's quite a following for her chutneys.


Get the book now from leading bookstores.

Granite Belt pumped at Good Food and Wine

Did you get to the Good Food and Wine Show in Brisbane on the weekend? It was certainly a show not to be missed.

But in case you didn't, we thought we would put up an image or two of the event - including the Riedel Wine Theatre where wine guru Rob Hicks presented Granite Belt wines. The below image is of Rob and Ewen of the award winning winery, Symphony Hill. To your right are keen wine punters catching up with Mark of Ravens Croft Wines.

The Granite Belt spent three days promoting the region's fantastic wine and food to thousands. And it seems the attendees had as much fun as we did.

As local tweeter and wine aficionado QWine said during the event,"The Granite Belt stand is pumping!"

Our image shows a sea of people in the Granite Belt section.

To those we had the pleasure of meeting - we hope to welcome you to the Granite Belt soon.

Taste Liftout Discovers the Wings of the Strange Bird Trail

Tuesday's Taste Liftout in the Courier Mail and other national newspapers discovered the wings of the Strange Bird.

The Strange Bird Alternative Wine Trail was applauded for its foresight and innovation - championing the alternative varieties that are growing in popularity every day.

Owner of Hidden Creek and one of the two founders of Strange Bird, Jim Barnes (pictured) said " Everyone has tasted Shiraz. This is pitched at a generation that likes to find new varieties and show what they've discovered to their friends."


The Liftout also included a special Top 100 Wines insert. Recommended wines from the Granite Belt included:

• Robert Channon 2011 Verdelho  - 91 points
• Symphony Hill Reserve 2010 Verdelho - 89 points
• Robert Channon 2011 Chardonnay - 90 points
• Ballandean Estate 2005 Late Harvest Sylvaner Gewurztraminer - 91 points

To discover the Strange Bird Alternative Wine Trail visit www.granitebeltwinecountry.com.au

Poppies Galore on Channel Ten

The Granite Belt is bursting with Spring blossoms, but by far the most beautiful and poignant is the Remembrance Field of poppies at Helwigs.

Faye Helwig is dedicated to recognising November's poppy month, the time of year when we remember those who sacrificed their lives in battle.

The Remembrance Field is open free of charge to anyone who wishes to drive in at 113 Mt. Stirling Road, Glen Aplin to view and photograph the poppies.

Feeling nostalgic - this month when you visit the Granite Belt take the Armistice Way Tourist Drive through the hamlets of Amiens, Messines, Bapaume, Passchendaele, Bullecourt, Pozieres and Fleurbaix, which are named after World War I battlefields and were initially solider settlements for returning heroes of World War I.

Check out Channel 10 tonight to learn more about the Remembrance Field and its owner Fay Helwig. Our images show their visit yesterday.

Azjure inducted into Hall of Fame

It doesn't get any higher in terms of state tourism awards than the Queensland Tourism Awards Hall of Fame.

Last week, Azjure Studio Retreat near Ballandean achieved such an accolade after winning the award for Deluxe Accommodation for the third time running.

Owners Cathryn and Ross are now getting ready for the Australian Tourism Awards. They were highly commended last year so watch this space!

Ultra-exclusive and luxurious, Azjure features just three very modern, stylish and fully self-contained eco-sensitive spa studios.

Spring is the perfect time to enjoy a stay at this award winning property as it is surrounded by a stunning field of flowers (check out our image above!).

For further information or to make a booking visit http://www.granitebeltwinecountry.com.au/

Spring into Raspberry Vinegar

Spring, particularly race week, is all about sparkling wine and sensational fresh food.

The perfect accompaniment for many Spring dishes is Bramble Patch's award winning Raspberry Vinegar (a couple of posts ago we mentioned their win at the Hobart and Melbourne Fine Food awards).

Our image today is of owner of Bramble Patch, Don Stirling bottling the next batch of this superb vinegar.

His daughter, Hayley Pfeiffer said the award wins were a result of their dedication to continuous improvement and product quality for their customers.

“We already have great support from our customers and distributors, but now they can be assured they are buying some of the best gourmet vinegar in Australia.”

“Following a Bronze at the 2010 Sydney Fine Food Awards we tweaked the recipe a little in 2011 which certainly paid off,” said Ms Pfieffer.

Made from fresh raspberries from the Bramble Patch farm, as well as sourced from other Granite Belt growers, the raspberry vinegar is perfect for the upcoming summer.

“Drizzle over a green leaf salad, serve with fresh salmon, use as a reduction with succulent BBQ Waygu beef, or you can even add it to soda water.”

Sounds good - visit our website to discover how to get your hands on a delectable bottle of Raspberry Vinegar or one of their other 60 gourmet products!