PICK YOUR PERFECT PRODUCE Richard Cornish @foodcornish
Daylesford and Macedon Ranges are home to some of the most fertile soil in the country with a cool climate perfect for raising British breed beef cattle, free-range pigs, pome fruit such as apples and pears, olives, and vegetables, including our famous potatoes.
T
he region has a culture of small roadside stalls and purpose-built farm gates supported by local communities. So, pack the Esky and head to the hills to find yourself the freshest and tastiest local and seasonal produce in the country.
from his Speckle Park herd at the Hanging Rock Winery cellar door. The herd free range on the 190-acre farm. The Ellis family recommends the shin to make osso buco, slowly cooked with wine and herbs and washed down with a 2019 Hanging Rock Heathcote Shiraz.
to prepare the soil and nurture the plants to produce ripe boysenberries, spring radishes, fragrant herbs, and Asian greens and tomatoes in summer. His farm gate is open for order online - pickup only basis, but he sells his produce every Sunday at the Daylesford Market.
hangingrock.com.au
facebook.com/mtfranklinorganics
DAYLESFORD MEAT CO., DAYLESFORD
TUKI TROUT, SMEATON
BLAKE FAMILY GROCER, DAYLESFORD
Owner, Matt Layfield, has a farm near Malmsbury, raising his own sheep and cattle. You can buy the free-range lamb and beef from Daylesford Meat Co. butcher shop in the heart of town. His pork and chicken are also local and free-range. Look out for the team’s range of small goods, bacon, and the local specialty sausage, the Bull Boar made to a recipe dating back to the 1850s.
For decades the Jones family has raised rainbow trout in their cool deep dams on their beautiful property near Smeaton. Sit down at their on-farm restaurant and order a platter of farm produce, including smoked trout and their own sausages made from their Tukidale lamb. Catch a trout for yourself or buy a fresh, cleaned trout to cook at home.
This little corner store by the fountain in Daylesford is a specialty grocer stocking the best and freshest local produce. From vegetables grown by Captains Creek Organics to Inglewood Dairy milk to the award-winning small goods from Oakwood in Castlemaine, the team at Blake’s are focused on putting regional food on their shelves.
daylesfordmeatco.com.au
tuki.com.au
blakefamilygrocers.com.au
HANGING ROCK BEEF, HANGING ROCK
MOUNT FRANKLIN ORGANICS, MOUNT FRANKLIN
BROOKLANDS FREE RANGE FARMS, BLAMPIED
Legendary winemaker John Ellis makes excellent wine and grows great beef cattle. You can buy cuts of beef
Florian Hofinger grows some of the best organic vegetables in the region. The former chef knows how
Specialising in rare breed Berkshire pigs and British White cattle, Jono Hurst and Natalie Hardy are regenerative
Daylesford Macedon Life | 28
