Scenic Rim Eat Local Week Special

The Scenic Rim is set in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range, taking in Tamborine Mountain, Beaudesert, Boonah and beyond.

It’s accessible within an hours’ drive from Brisbane or the Gold Coast and there are no prizes for guessing how it got its name. But aside from stunning scenery, what you might be surprised to discover is that during winter it’s the carrot capitol of Australia! This region produces 90% of the country’s carrot cravings, and one of the biggest producers is the Kalfresh Farm, just outside of Kalbar.

It’s just one of the farms that will be opening its gates to visitors during the upcoming Eat Local Week. There’ll be a smorgasbord of foodie and family friendly events from June 24 to July 2. It’s a fabulous celebration of food, farmers and the businesses of the Scenic Rim.

So we’ve put together a taste of what to expect…

Camel Dairy

Ladybrook Farm

Tamborine Mountain Produce

My Great Day Out – Brenda Fawdon

The scenic rim is a fertile region that produces a bounty of fruit, vegetables, gourmet products and a few good drops.

Kooroomba Vineyard and Lavender Farm is just 10minutes outside Boonah and offers up 6 hectares of violet, views, vines and a few varietals at the cellar door.

Doogan and his wife Varity took over Kooromba a couple of years ago, but their family have lived in the region for generation. Doogan is actually named after the famous Doogandan Hotel around the corner, which is said to be his parents’ favourite watering hole.

Kooroomba is architecturally stunning and offers fabulous views, cellar door tastings and delicious food in the restaurants. There’s also a lavender gift shop and they pride themselves on being family-friendly, allowing families to wander the lavender fields, spot wallabies and explore the property.

During eat local week Kooroomba will host an 8 course degustation, matched with their local drops.

Kooroomba Vineyard Degustation Dinner
June 30
$99-$149
5463 0022
www.kooroomba.com.au

The Scenic Rim is home to a number of wineries, small-batch distilleries and a handful of boutique breweries.

The newest addition is The Scenic Rim Brewery, located in the quaint town of Mount Alford, just outside Boonah.

Owners Mike & Wendy converted the 100 year old general store into a café, come beer lovers-paradise. Mike looks after the whole beer-making process in-house – from tending to the bines, brewing and botting. Most of the magic happens in the impressive copper vats that are a feature of the brewery. The boutique craft ales are available on tap or by the bottle and be sure to ask Mike about the stories behind the beer names – Digga, The Fat Man and Shazza.

While Mike’s the mastermind behind the beer, his wife Wendy is the whiz in the kitchen. It’s a perfect partnership that goes together like a Pale Ale and bitterbollen – the tasty Dutch beef croquettes – that are a must-try on the menu.

Wendy cooks every dish with love and local ingredients. During eat local week, she’ll be offering a special hearty winter menu that showcases the best of the Scenic Rim.

There’s certainly a lot going on for Eat Local Week and the handy-dandy guide book is chocker-block with events. This year, the back half features something new – Scenic Rim Distilled – a Guide for Thirsty Travellers.

Peter Scudamore-Smith had the enviable job of tasting the fruits of the vine and the bine to put together this fabulous guide on the region’s wineries, breweries and distilleries. Peter is a Master of Wine – recognised as the highest achievement in the global wine community – and is the second person in Australia to be awarded this honour.

He found some wonderful gems in the region and has put all his tasting notes and information into the guide.

A surprising find was Finders Peak Winery, where not only are the shiraz grapes used to produce wine…they’re also used to make gin, liqueurs and, for eat local week, a special Carrot Vodka (yep, you guessed it, using local Kalfresh Farm Carrots)!

It’s a unique method of distilling and Flinders Peak produce a variety of award-wining spirits and liqueurs that you can sample at the cellar door.

They also offer onsite accommodation should you wish to extend your stay. There are 20 two bedroom self-contained villas with lovely outlooks – perfect for couples, families or large group functions. There’s an onsite wedding and function venue available for hire for private events.

They’ll also be hosting a few special events during Eat Local Week – a fortified wine blending class, as well as lemonade and limoncello making classes, using the lemons from their orchard.

There’ll be a smorgasbord of foodie & family friendly events all over the Scenic Rim from June 24 until July 2 – from cooking classes, produce dinners, farm open days and festivals.

The Winter Harvest festival on July 1 is not to be missed, and the Kalfresh Farm Carrot Day on Saturday June 24 is a family favourite.

You seriously have to check out the program, download it from here:
https://www.eatlocalweek.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/eat-local-week-program-2017.pdf

 

Flinders Peak Winery
1544-1580 Ipswich Boonah Rd
Peak Crossing QLD 4306

Scenic Rim Eat Local Week
June 24 – July 2
www.eatlocalweek.com.au