OUR PRODUCERS
Our philosophy around how animals are raised, fed, treated and raised doesn’t just apply to our own stock. We only source the finest produce from as close to our store as we can, from farmers who have the same values as us. Where possible, we choose small, family-owned businesses, who use free-range and regenerative farming practices.
And the result? We believe that all of the produce we sell, is some of the best you will find in the country. We asked highly respected food writer and award-winning food author, Richard Cornish to go out and meet these farmers so you can learn more about them too.
DEUTSCHERS TURKEY’S
BY RICHARD CORNISH - OCTOBER 2024
It is considered by many to be the best turkey in the nation.
Raised free-range in Victoria’s west, Deutscher’s Turkeys are famed for their flavoursome meat and skin that crisps to a sweet, golden hue thanks to a layer of rich fat just beneath the skin. They are a truly rare breed. While most turkeys come from hybrid lines, Deutscher’s Turkeys are some of the last heritage breeds left in the country, carrying names such as Bourbon Red, Crimson Dawn, and Sweetgrass.
They are raised on pasture beneath the river red gums by a creek in the Grampians region by Daryl Deutscher. He is one of a handful of turkey growers in the country dedicated not only to preserving heritage breeds but also to raising them outdoors, giving them a life as close to their natural environment as possible. Exposure to the cold at night causes the birds to put on an extra layer of fat. When it comes to cooking time, this golden fat naturally bastes the birds as they roast, rendering out and coating the skin. The skin crisps to a deep golden hue while the flesh underneath remains tender and succulent.
Another advantage of Deutscher’s Turkeys is that they are slaughtered on site in the Grampians, meaning the birds do not suffer stress from being transported hundreds of kilometres for processing.
We are thrilled to have been able to secure some of Daryl’s magnificent turkeys for Christmas 2024 but stocks are strictly limited and available by pre-order only.
BUNDARRA FARM SOMMERLAD CHICKENS
BY RICHARD CORNISH - OCTOBER 2024
Australia’s Best Chooks Are Here
Some of the tastiest chooks in the nation are grown on the banks of the Murray River by regenerative farmers Lauren and Lachie Mathers. Out on the rich river red gum country, they grow Sommerlad chickens. These are big birds that have been bred to spend their lives outdoors, grazing on pasture and foraging for grubs and insects. They are well suited to life at Bundarra Farm, a large multispecies farm, 150 kilometres north of Bendigo, where chemicals and antibiotics have been given up for healthy soils, healthy pastures, and healthy animals.
The Sommerlads are a mix of breeds that thrive in Australia’s warmer climes and have been selected for their instinct to scratch and search out and forage for food. While your supermarket chook is slaughtered at 42 days, the birds at Bundarra Farm are grown out to 84 to 112 days and weigh between two and three kilograms. During this time, they put on muscle and a rich layer of golden fat under the skin. This means the birds have a lot of flavour, and the skin cooks to a deep golden brown and deliciously crisp.
The birds are all processed at a community-owned micro abattoir on the outskirts of Barham, operated by a local co-operative of farmers. Bundarra Farm birds are not processed using the industrial chlorine bleach method. Bundarra Farm chickens are ideal for continental slow-braise dishes like the French coq au vin, Italian pollo alla cacciatore, and the Spanish adobo de pollo. They are big birds and love an overnight brine before being stuffed and slow-roasted, and the pan juices make perhaps the world’s best gravy.
Bundarra Sommerlad Chickens will be available for 2024 Christmas and then year-round via pre-order only. Please note these birds are processed in the traditional European method of butchery with the feet intact on the bird.
