Sydney Eat Street: Support local food producers during Aussie Artisan Week
Whether it’s creamy butter or handmade chocolate, there’s someone out there that is passionate about making it. Celebrate and support these devoted producers throughout Aussie Artisan Week, which runs from August 16 to 22.
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Pepe Saya Buttery + Aussie Artisan Week
From bread baking to candle-making, the past 18 months have given rise to the home hobbyist. For some, it’s a productive way to pass the time, but for others, it became a passion.
What began as a simple DIY sourdough starter kit may have led to (online) courses, chat rooms and hours on Instagram chasing tips, tricks and pretty pics. Welcome to the world of artisan producers, people that become so attuned to the nuances of their craft that it becomes a veritable artform.
Those people and their products are celebrated during the second annual Aussie Artisan Week, August 16-20, an initiative spearheaded last year in part with renowned butter-baron Pierre Issa, of Pepe Saya.
“Different people have different interpretations,” co-owner and Pierre’s wife, Melissa Altman (aka Mrs Pepe Saya), says.
“Essentially, an artisan is somebody that has a great deal of passion for what they do, enough so that they spend ages developing those skills and working with the variables of nature – not against them.
“Artisan products have a lot of soul, and there is always a story to tell.”
Altman says that part of the narrative includes educating people about those variables such as how weather fluctuations affect grass, which affects what cows eat, which affects their milk and ultimately, Pepe Saya butter.
“Artisans try not to fight the natural processes but embrace them,” she says.
An ideal location to find such specialised products is at your local farmers markets; although most markets are still trading, it’s an in-and-out shop scenario, so there’s no browsing.
And while you can still pick up Pepe Saya products on-site, check out their online shop, which features collaborations with other artisan producers, including Crumpets by Merna, Dan’s Pasta, Country Valley milk, and Three Mills Butterscotch Rye cookie dough, as well as individual items from Cornersmith, Pecora Dairy and even kitchen items like handcrafted Blackwood rolling pins. So now you have a way to justify that extra slather of butter. You’re welcome.
— pepesaya.com.au; (Carriageworks Farmers Market, The Beaches Market)
Your Food Collective
During lockdown, it’s hard enough keeping up with the ever-changing rules and guidelines, much less figuring out the day of the week and what’s for dinner.
It’s not surprising then, with all that angst, barely a thought may be given to the source of our food, only that it’s available. That’s where entities such as Your Food Collective (YFC) come into play.
“We work with over 100 amazing local farmers and producers and get excited about telling their stories and sharing their food,” says YFC’s CEO Lauren Branson.
“100 per cent of your food tastes better when you know where it was grown, how it was grown and who it was grown by. Think local, seasonal veggies.”
Featured on the site are such products like Baked Uprising’s single-origin sourdough, The Udder Farm’s Jersey milk, Scotch fillets from Morpeth Butchery and hand-rolled buffalo mozzarella made with milk from water buffalo raised on the lush subtropical pastures, surrounded by the fresh waters of Myall Lakes. There’s even beeswax food wrap from Regal Wraps in Lake Macquarie.
In addition to individual grocery items, produce boxes, and party platters, YFC also offers meal kits such as a Mexican beef dinner ($47.49, serves four) designed by their in-house Michelin-trained chef.
As well as working with passionate producers, Branson notes YFC is equally concerned with environmental and social impact and takes that into consideration when choosing its partners. “The feel-good part is when you pair it all back like we’re forced to at the moment; it’s a powerful opportunity to add more meaning to the simple things in life,” Branson says.
“Try something new and pay it forward when you do the groceries this week — it’s so rewarding to be supporting family farms, passionate producers and driving positive environmental outcomes.”
YFC delivers to Newcastle, Sydney and surrounds, five days a week. Free delivery for orders over $100, otherwise $9.95 flat rate. (Check online for specific times, days, delivery locations and pick-up options.)
One.More
The very name says it all: One.More. That’s not so much a suggestion as it is a fact, and after a mere taste of the silky-smooth chocolate morsels, it’ll become clear.
From the traditional truffles and pralines to the more exotic hemispheres, these bite-sized bits of couverture chocolate (a premium quality chocolate that gets its creamier flavour from its higher cocoa butter content) are the work of João Cadete, a 20-year veteran pastry chef from Portugal.
As a chocolatier, Cadete emphasises the dynamic balance between the taste of single batch ingredients, its texture and even appearance.
“It’s not just a recipe; it’s the artisan’s approach to that recipe,” Cadete says.
“Our job is to continue to source and blend couverture chocolate from artisan chocolate makers, to create our own unique chocolate products that also reflect the passion of Portuguese culture.”
— 89-97 New Canterbury Rd, Petersham; onemorechocolate.shop
Beesbucha
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, or if you’re a beekeeper and mixologist with access to plenty of honey like Giacomo Franceschi, founder of Beesbucha, you make bees mead, or more precisely, Beesbucha, a non-alcoholic “wine” made from naturally fermented Sydney honey.
To make this drink, honey and water are mixed with a fermenting agent, in this case, organic bananas from Queensland.
In addition to the hives, he keeps at the rooftop garden at Charlie Parker’s (where he usually works as head bartender), Franceschi also sources honey from Ku-ring-gai National Park and Huntley’s Peninsula.
Each location has different nectars and seasonal variations, so each batch of Beesbucha is unique and limited to 900 x 275ml bottles. ($30 for four bottles, order online, free delivery throughout Sydney Metro area.)
Crumpets by Merna
It may not have been planned, but there’s no denying that Merna Taouk and her small-batch sourdough crumpet business, Crumpets by Merna, have become a tour de force in the baking community. Interestingly, her first step on this culinary adventure started with a stall at Carriageworks Farmers Market selling sweets and other baked goods.
“I had a presence there and just decided I wanted to make crumpets and sell those as well,” Taouk says.
“When I first started making them I was using white flour (but) I realised after tasting it, it was everything I didn’t want it to be. I already used a lot of wholemeal flour in my baking, so I gave that a try.
“After working on it a few months, trying different things, I came in to get the crumpets approved. It wasn’t quite there yet, but I wanted to get the process started – and they told me I needed to start selling them on Saturday. This was on a Wednesday.”
Taouk continues to sell her light and fluffy crumpets at the markets, but you’ll also spot them on cafe and restaurant menus, at five-star hotels, and even in Business class on Qantas Airways.
“When you eat our crumpets, you can taste the fermentation; you can taste the buttermilk.”
Head online for the latest information on stockist and other retail locations (including markets) or just order from the website’s shop where you’ll find everything from a standard six-pack of plain crumpets ($15) to bundles created in conjunction with other local artisans such as the limited edition Breakfast Box ($35) – six crumpets, Pepe Saya butter 15g portions x6, Pepe Saya crème Fraiche 200ml and Lemon curd; or the PB & J ($35) – six crumpets, their housemade raspberry jam and a jar of Chunky Dave’s Peanut Butter. (Delivery available throughout Sydney, ships Australia-wise).
Country Valley
Safe to say, as a second generation dairy farmer, John Fairly has heard (herd) enough cow puns to last through two more generations, but when you’re as passionate about the intricacies that go into making Country Valley dairy products, it’s utterly understandable.
Fairly even has a way of making stories about “dirt” interesting. Dirt is actually the layman’s term for microbes in the soil, which ultimately leads to the nutrients that will grow in the grass of the family’s 300 acre dairy farm.
“The soil is the basis for everything,” Fairly says, explaining that the bottled milk we taste is the result of many factors, particularly weather.
“For example, rain and warm soil produce fresh sprigs which result in a sweeter milk.”
It’s those nuances that make all the difference, and it’s a delicious difference you can taste. Available at major supermarkets, groceries, farmers markets, and many other retail outlets throughout NSW and the ACT. For the latest list of stockists and outlets offering online ordering, visit Country Valley’s website.
Kurrawong Organics
Lesley and Quentin Bland have been selling premium fruit and vegetables to market-goers for over 12 years, and during last year’s lockdown, those loyal customers reached out hoping for a way in which they could continue to purchase their produce.
The result was implementing pre-ordered veggie boxes ($25/$50) that can be picked up at their regular market location. The initiative was so successful they’ve kept it going, and while you can still head to the market and select your own produce, it’s kind of nice having the farmers themselves pick out the best bits just for you.
— Carriageworks Farmers Market; organicveggiebox.com.au
Chunky Dave’s Peanut Butter
On a quest for nutrient-dense diet-friendly peanut butter, Dave Hemming, formerly a record producer and software engineer, failed to find anything other than the overly-processed products on supermarket shelves.
So rather than give up, he went straight to the source, the peanut farmers themselves, and began making his own peanut butter: smooth, chunky, and chilli.
While times they are a-changing, Hemming’s product line hasn’t – it’s still the same three options, fortunately, though, you don’t have to wait till market day to pick up a jar (or three) as Chunky Dave’s Peanut Butter is also available at several independent food retailers and online. ($10/300g, $20/1 litre. Ships nationwide for a flat fee of $12 or free with orders over $100).
Zokoko Artisan Chocolates
When Dean and Michelle Morgan took off to Central America to source coffee beans for his roasting business, Morgan’s Coffee, little did she know that she’d find her own calling – on the side of the road.
That’s where she first noticed the cocoa beans. From there, Michelle’s chocolate discovery tour took her around the world, undertaking studies at renowned culinary schools, till finally returning home, recipes in hand, to Emu Plains.
That whole adventure started in 2004, and she’s been racking up international awards for her chocolates ever since.
Zokoko also has a cafe, which is attached to the factory. They sell cakes, sweets and, of course, delectable chocolate and Morgan’s Coffee. However, if Emu Plains is out of your 10km radius, Zokoko also ships Australia-wide via Express Post or Courier.
— 3/90/84 Old Bathurst Rd, Emu Heights; zokoko.com
Cornersmith
To Cornersmith owner Alex Elliott-Howery, pickling is more than a passion; it’s the by-product of her family’s sustainable approach to wholesome and ethically produced food.
“It’s just about being resourceful and keeping things from getting thrown out,” she says, be it veggies in your own garden or the fruit-laden tree in the neighbour’s yard.
While she was first making pickles and preserves for her family, soon friends and strangers began bringing over their surplus produce, till eventually, she and her husband James opened a cafe in Marrickville before moving to Annandale.
Although you can’t take a seat inside at the moment, you can still rock up for takeaway or head to their online shop for popular items such as peach and lime jam, chai-spiced breakfast prunes and zucchini pickles with chilli and mint, as well as cookbooks, Alex’s online course and all the equipment you’d need to start your own pickling process.
— 88 View St, Annandale; cornersmith.com.au
WHAT’S FRESH
Lit Canteen
Devout fans of that lunchtime staple, Banh Mi, would travel to the city limits during rush hour for a French-Vietnamese fusion sandwich.
Yet, when it comes to making one at home, many a devotee would be at a loss as to where to start — after all, there are multiple portions of meat involved, and that’s before you get to the julienned vegetables and chillies.
Fortunately, Lit Canteen in Alexandria has a solution: DIY OG Banh Mi Box ($45).
Made fresh daily, each box serves up to four people and includes three crisp, bakery-fresh bread rolls, one croissant, a selection of Vietnamese hams, BBQ pork patties, chicken, pickled carrots and daikon, and housemade mayo, pâté and soy sauce.
There’s also a vegetarian option that substitutes the meat products for ‘soy-mate’ tofu, panko-crumbed mushrooms and vegan mayo, pâté and sauce.
“We also offer the boxes to be personalised with a message (up to 30 characters),” says Lit Canteen co-founder Ly Dan.
“As Vietnamese culture is all about coming together to share food with loved ones, it’s been so heartwarming to see our boxes being used as care packages during lockdown. This is the sole reason why we started these boxes – so we can still share that emotional connection with others, even if we are separated physically.”
(Available for pick-up or delivery within 30km radius, delivery fees vary).
— 11 Mitchell Rd, Alexandria; facebook.com/LitCanteen
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Originally published as Sydney Eat Street: Support local food producers during Aussie Artisan Week
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