The Good Life
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The perfect day for a burger on the main street By Vivienne Pearson Any day is a good day for a burger. If you need an extra excuse, use International Burger Day, officially scheduled for Sunday 28 May. Last year, the winner of The Echo’s ‘Burger Me’ People’s Choice award was the Main Street Burger Bar. As the name suggests, this restaurant is all about burgers (the main street in question is Jonson Street in Byron Bay).
Dan Hannaford A Main Street Burger Bar lineup – credit Kate Holmes
There are nine burgers to choose from, including a Classic 10 Buck, a Spiced Buttermilk Fried Chicken (the winner of last year’s competition), a Teriyaki Fish and a Vegan Jackfruit. There are, of course, chips – potato or sweet potato. There are also salads, including serious ones called Energy Bowls with your choice of protein (meat or vegan) for a full meal. Great if one of your group want to ‘shun the bun’ or is simply not in the mood for a burger (I’ve never experienced this myself, but understand it can happen).
The Three Blue Ducks crew in Byron is teaming up with JR’s Smokehouse and Stone & Wood to put on a barbecue dinner and help raise much needed funds for the community’s flood victims. There will be a feast of smoked meats and other dishes served with Stone & Wood beers and accompanied by the Dan Hannaford Band.
This is fast-food-style eating without the trappings of junk food. ‘It’s all about providing fast food with real produce, cooked by chefs,’ says Chris Wright, co-owner and one of the chefs at Main Street. These values extend to the drinks menu. No multinational megacorporation drinks here. Instead, you’ll find an amazing array The Main Street Burger Bar – credit Kate Holmes of sodas, all of which are handcrafted by local company Flavour Fountain. A shot of alcohol can be added to any of the sodas and a range of wines, cocktails, beers and ciders is available all day. As lure of junk burgers, swing into the brand-new second Main of very recently, you are welcome to enjoy a drink at Main Street without eating (I’m not sure I could be in a burger bar without eat- Street Burger Bar in Broadbeach (though admittedly, this one is ing a burger but, again, I understand this is theoretically possible). not on the main street, it’s in the Oasis Shopping Centre). The only question left is: ‘Why was 28 May chosen as International So what will Main Street Burger Bar be pulling out of their bun Burger Day?’ Despite extensive research, I have no answer. I even this International Burger Day? asked Professor Google. It seems that some things are best left The plans are so ‘under wraps’ that not even I am privy to details. unquestioned and simply enjoyed. Your best bet is to keep an eye on the Facebook page as informaMain St Burger Bar: 18 Jonson St, Byron Bay. Open 7 days, tion will be posted only a day or so before. 11.30am–late. Facebook and Instagram: @mainstreetIn case you find yourself on the Gold Coast hoping to avoid the burgerbar
Pastured egg farming The term free range is widely accepted as an ethical and sustainable way of farming, yet the definition of ‘free-range eggs’ and ‘free-range hens’ in Australia had no industry standard until this year, so the term was often misused. Unfortunately, despite the new standard introduced in March, the term free range continues to be misunderstood.
The free-range standard allows for a stocking rate of 10,000 hens per hectare. The standard also allows for poultry sheds to hold between 20,000 and 30,000 birds. There is no requirement for the hens to spend time outside; all they require is access to the outside through a small door that is 45cm high.
26 May 24, 2017 The Byron Shire Echo
The ticket price is just $55 and that gets you three courses and a beer on arrival – with all profits from the night going to the Mullumbimby & District Community Centre. More info: Sunday 28 May 5pm Location: Three Blue Ducks, Byron Bay Cost: $55 + bf, 3 course meal and a beer / kids under 14 are $14 (drink not included). Bookings: 02 6684 7795
point of difference but this is a significant when it comes to a hen’s quality of life.’ The 400 hens at The Farm are raised on fresh pasture and have a Chicken Caravan as their roost. Chicken Caravans are very popular in sustainable and ethical farming practices, and offer benefits to both hens and the environment. The caravan is rotated daily around The Farm and offers functions that ensure farmers do not disturb the hens when eggs are collected. Hens are also given access to fresh pasture to roam and the environment is given time to regenerate and absorb nutrients from the hens’ manure. In the hope of educating people about ethical and sustainable farming methods, The Farm runs Pastured-Egg Workshops. Lee McCosker who runs each course is a bold advocate for a better life for farmed animals and sustainable, profitable pasture-based production systems. Lee has spent the last eight years in the Humane Society with a focus on farm welfare and has spent six of those years heavily involved in definitions around free-range eggs. Lee is a trainer and assessor and has qualifications in agriculture, animal nutrition and sustainability. Lee has also conducted a number of studies on poultry production and poultry nutrition science.
Knowledge about the new industry standard among the wider public is low and consumers still remain confused about the definition of free range. Many consider free-range hens to be raised on green pastures where they are free to roam, but the reality is quite different.
Locally, hens at The Farm are ‘pasture raised’, a term that has been chosen to be both ethical and true to its name. According to The Farm, ‘The main point of difference between free-range
Flood charity dinner at Three Blue Ducks
hens and pasture-raised hens is that ours are not kept in sheds, our stocking rates are much lower, and our hens are free to roam and forage in green pastures. This may seem like a pretty small
There is a lot more to pasture-raised egg farming than meets the eye. Many believe that it is as simple as putting hens in a yard and collecting eggs. Farmers who chose to raise hens this way have much more labour-intensive and expensive systems. They also need to ensure they are educated about the industry’s licensing laws, codes of ethics and council permits required for pastureraised egg farming.
Byron Shire Echo archives: www.echo.net.au/byron-echo