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.

The 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.

DAYLESFORD MEAT CO., 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. daylesfordmeatco.com.au TUKI TROUT, SMEATON

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. tuki.com.au BLAKE FAMILY GROCER, DAYLESFORD

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. blakefamilygrocers.com.au

HANGING ROCK BEEF, HANGING ROCK

Legendary winemaker John Ellis makes excellent wine and grows great beef cattle. You can buy cuts of beef 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. hangingrock.com.au

MOUNT FRANKLIN ORGANICS, MOUNT FRANKLIN

Florian Hofinger grows some of the best organic vegetables in the region. The former chef knows how 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. facebook.com/mtfranklinorganics

BROOKLANDS FREE RANGE FARMS, BLAMPIED

Specialising in rare breed Berkshire pigs and British White cattle, Jono Hurst and Natalie Hardy are regenerative

farmers whose farmgate is set to open in late spring. In the meantime, check out where to buy on their website or head to their stall locally at Daylesford Sunday Railway Market. brooklandsfarms.com.au

HARCOURT PRODUCE AND GENERAL STORE

Annette Larsen is a professional chef from Denmark with a passion for baking. People travel from all over the state to get their fix of her delicious Danish pastries with her own coffee blend. The produce store has fresh seasonal local fruit and veg, preserves, flowers, pies, barista coffee, cakes, grazing boards, meals, beer, wine and cider and soon-tobe - a wine bar with tasting options. harcourtproduce.com

THE LANCEFIELD PROVIDORE, LANCEFIELD

In this historic weatherboard building is housed a well stocked food store where you can pick up parmesan or jamon. But why not try the local prosciutto from Istra Smallgoods, or a piece of blue cheese from Goldfields Farmhouse? Owners Greg and Gabby Cheatley stock apples from regional Victoria and Dawson’s Honey collected from forests around the state, plus a range of local produce in season. lancefieldprovidore.com.au ISTRA SMALLGOODS, MUSK

Down a narrow country lane is a small driveway where you’ll find Istra Smallgoods, producers of prosciutto, kabana, salami and scores of different salume and smallgoods. For decades the Jurcan family have produced these award-winning products in this little production facility. Their farm gate offers bargains such as ends of prosciutto – perfect for making stocks and soups – plus succulent sausages ready for the grill, plus their complete range of ham, bacon and salami. istrasmallgoods.com.au

MACEDON RANGES PRODUCE, WOODEND

During COVID lockdown, food industry business couple Ted Tolfree and Shey Newitt decided to help connect food makers with food lovers with an online delivery service called Macedon Ranges Produce. They source from the very best local producers. Place your order by Wednesday, and they will deliver on Friday around the Daylesford and Macedon Ranges region and into Melbourne. macedonrangesproduce.com.au

Photos (opposite page) L-R: Harcourt Produce and General Store, Macedon Ranges Produce, photo by Chloe Smith Above: Lancefield Providore, photo by KGMG

“Be prepared to linger in the tasting room, as Hanging Rock offers one of Australia’s greatest cellar door experiences..” -Chris Shanahan The Canberra Times

• Family owned and run since 1983 • • Hanging Rock Beef & local produce available in Cellar Door • • Over 25 wines available for tasting • Red 5 stars- James Halliday •

Open daily from 10am-5pm 88 Jim Rd, Newham Ph: 5427 0542 www.hangingrock.com.au