Winter Newsletter 2022
From Annie’s Desk
It seems like ages since we sent out a newsletter, perhaps it is a knock-on effect from readjusting to a post lockdown life. Needless to say, we have been very busy - a quick trip to South Australia for the Tasting Australia festival, which was a real blast, a couple of big dinners down in Melbourne at The McKinnon Hotel and Bleakhouse Hotel, trips here and there for writing festivals - it’s good to be out and about and busy!
Also had a great photoshoot with Simon James Photography.
Work at Babbington Park continues. The renovation of the shearing shed is nearing completion which is incredibly exciting. The garden is being put to bed for the Winter, and whilst the pressure has eased from the massive planting and picking cycle that consumes us late Summer and Autumn - it’s only a few more weeks until we roll out the heat mats to start sowing seeds for our summer plants again.
I am delighted to say that ‘Recipe for a Kinder Life’ is one of six books that have been shortlisted for the Australian Booksellers Association Book of The Year (Adult Nonfiction). Thank you to all the wonderful independent booksellers and readers out there, and big thanks to the team at Thames and Hudson who made this book happen.
The last week of June and the first two weeks of July see our lovely Bronwyn jetting off on a holiday, which means the restaurant will be closed for three weeks. And this means I can run a few classes!
Thursday 23rd, Friday 24th and Saturday 25th June, will see me revisiting Braising and Brining. In all these years I have only held this class twice. The last time, in 2019 I wondered why I hadn’t held it more often, (I think it was because of how many dishes it makes). It is a splendid class for the meat and poultry cooks and eaters - a deep dive into the science of cooking meat, and how and why, brining and braising works.
Braising and Brining
Thursday 23rd June, Friday 24th June, and Saturday 25th June.
The following week, Thursday 30 June, Friday 1st and Saturday 2nd July will see me running a brand-new class - Oranges and Lemons. Celebrating bright colours in the middle of a dreary Winter, this class will explore the multiple uses of our citrus fruit including candied fruit along with sweet and savoury dishes.
Oranges and Lemons
Thursday 30th June, Friday 1st July, and Saturday 2nd July.
The classes will be held at du Fermier and are demonstration in style. Each class commences at 10am and includes notes and recipes, morning tea on arrival and following the class, we sit down and enjoy lunch and a glass wine finishing up at 3.00pm.
As a subscriber, you have exclusive access to booking a class before they go on sale to the general public. But be quick, as spaces are very limited, and we do sell out quickly.
Hoping that you are all staying well, dodging Covid and the flu. We look forward to welcoming you to du Fermier and are working on a few more trips to the city for some larger scale dinners. Thank you again for your continued support.
Warmest Regards
