March 2011 Newsletter

Introduction

Welcome everyone to the March Journey of Flavour Newsletter. 

JoF Car Rally

On Sunday, 27 February the Journey of Flavour Annual Car Rally saw 52 cars rev up their engines to visit local businesses in Port Macquarie, Laurieton and Blackmans Point.  Click here for further details.

Promoting JoF and your business

Journey of Flavour material will help to distinguish your business from competitors. If you would like to purchase an end sign, please contact me, they are $75 (incl GST) per sign. Email wendy.beverley@pmhc.nsw.gov.au or phone 6581 8221.

If you run out of brochures, shelf wobblers or stickers, contact me and I will send you more.  There is no cost to you and its another way of distinguishing your business to visitors and residents alike as an elite business.  You will also be promoting Journey of Flavour and business excellence.

If you have recipes you would like to add to the website, please email through to me.

Insync Networking Evening held on 14 March

Modishe in Wauchope kindly hosted the evening.  35 Customer Care & JoF members attended and were entertained by Troppo Bob. Bob Knuckey & Christine Lowder from Moisture Cure and Bev Watson from Modishe spoke about their businesses and their experiences as members of the Customer Care and Journey of Flavour programs. Click here for further details.

JoF Kitchen Challenge

Eight (8) friends decided they would like to get in on the MKR action and are running their own competition.  4 married couples (including myself & hubby Andy) have been cooking up a storm every Sunday night in the hope to take out the $400 up for grabs.  Our focus is on using local produce, great taste sensations and spending time with friends. Click here for further details.

Springwise

For your daily fix of entrepreneurial ideas log onto Springwise.  Its network of 8,000 spotters has yet again found some smart new business ideas. Click on the link below to view some of these great business ideas.  

http://www.springwise.com/food_beverage/

Dates for your diaries:

Friday, 1 July 2011

Customer Care Service Excellence Awards

Port Macquarie Panthers

Sunday, 23 October 2011 (tentative)

2011 Holiday Coast Credit Union Tastings of the Hastings

Port Macqaurie Racecourse

Our newest members to the Journey of Flavour program are Gaian Poultry & Game, Fusion 7, McWilliams Quality Meats and Bliss Restaurant. 

Don't forget to submit your nomination for the Customer Care Awards by Friday, 25 March.

Ricardoes Tomatoes & Strawberries - New On-Line Sales Site

Popular Port Macquarie fruit farmers Ricardoes Tomatoes & Strawberries have launched into online sales of their award-winning preserves range.  The farm is a Hastings household name, supplying fresh tomatoes and strawberries to district homes and local fruiterers and restaurants. Its tomatoes have been awarded best in the Sydney Royal Easter Show exhibits for the past two years running.  “We’re hoping to make it a trifecta when judging for 2011 takes place in about eight weeks’ time,” Ricardoes co-owner Anthony Sarks said.

“But at the moment we’re pretty excited about one of the other arms to our business, our preserves, and the success it’s having. “Public response to the preserves, made from our own farm produce, has been awesome, so much so that we’ve found it necessary to answer demand to make the range available by mail order from February 1. “From our foundation products of basil and pasta sauce and strawberry jam just a couple of years ago we’ve regularly grown our list to a total of 25 products of both pantry essentials and some more exotic gourmet lines. “That number rises to 60 if you include all the possible combinations of our new line of mini products, in a tasting or sampler size, introduced just before Christmas.

“There are five of our most popular products in the mini range. Customers can select any three of them, presented in triple gift-packs we’re calling Ricardoes Trios. They flew off the shelves as keenly priced gifts and souvenirs during the festive and holiday season and visitors asked where they could get hold of supplies once they returned home.

“Locally, customers can pick them up from among the full range of items available only at the farm, along with our other best-price produce, or we have a number of loyal outlets in town and around the region stocking both tomatoes and a selection of preserves.”

The farm’s two newest lines are a fresh tomato puree and a rich tomato paste at $5 each from the farm or online. They follow two gourmet lines, a strawberry finishing vinegar and olive tapenade, created late last year. The tapenade, or olive paste, was so immediately popular Ricardoes has responded to calls for it to be available also in a larger size.

“Our preserves eat up very few food miles, being created right here in a new industrial kitchen owned and operated by The Other Chef’s Eric Robinson,” Anthony Sarks said. “The range has won all sorts of national fine food awards, which is a real tribute to our farm workers and our manufacturer.

“They might eat up a few more food miles now we’ll be posting them around the countryside and interstate, but the bonus is that expanded sales mean more jobs locally and a boost to our regional economy. We also strongly support local tourism and fresh produce promotional campaigns like Journey of Flavour run by private enterprise and the council.

“An important point about our website and new online sales is that we hope soon to have a simple third-party facility where Hastings residents can order and pay online and have us post some local Ricardoes’ products on their behalf to friends and relatives anywhere in Australia.”

Ricardoes Online can be accessed at www.ricardoes.com, click on Online Ordering.

Friday, 4/2/11
Port PR

Journey of Flavour Website, Car Rally & Farmers Market

"The website is fantastic and the concept of the car rally is amazing.  I am really proud to be a JoF member.  Personally, I have had nothing but great feedback.  Customers are noticing the signage and making enquiries.

The last Farmers Market and Artists Market outside the Glasshouse was wonderful exposure for us! Wonderful timing with all the tourists in town.  Sonia Fingleton is a wonder." 

Warm regards
Kerrie McMahon
World Par-TEA
www.worldpartea.com

Welcome to the new Journey of Flavour Website

Welcome to the new Journey of Flavour Website which was launched on 21 January 2011.

Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Please send me an email wendy.beverley@pmhc.nsw.gov.au

October E-Newsletter

Welcome everyone to the October Journey of Flavour E-Newsletter.  I hope you find the information informative. 

Recently the Journey of Flavour restaurants and cafes completed a self assessment of their business.  One of the questions asked was “What would you like Journey of Flavour to do for you”.  Please click on the link to view some of the responses. If you would like to comment or make any suggestions please send me an email

I recently visited Dion at Port Fresh Seafood and took a photo of his “End Sign/Flag” which is prominently located at his front door. If you would like to purchase an end sign, please call me.  They are $75 (incl GST) per sign.

If you run out of brochures, shelf wobblers or stickers, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will send you more.  There is no cost to your business and its another way of promoting Journey of Flavour and business excellence.

Healthy Eating with Journey of Flavour

Over the past few months I’ve been gathering recipes to add to our JoF library.  Any recipes that you can send me would be greatly appreciated.  I’m focusing on local products, healthy eating and easy to follow instructions.  A nutritional analysis, shopping guide and recipe tips have been included where possible.  Click on the link to view the web page.

http://www.hastings.nsw.gov.au/www/html/5147-journey-of-flavour-recipes.asp

If you have a recipe you would like to add, please email it through to me.

Springwise and its network of 8,000 spotters has yet again found some smart new business ideas. Click on the link below to view some of these great business ideas.  I must admit Spain’s “Smint me Hot” campaign caught my attention or maybe dinner in the sky, 50 metres above ground level is more your thing.

http://www.springwise.com/food_beverage/

Wendy Beverley

Industry Development Coordinator

E: wendy.beverley@pmhc.nsw.gov.au

Welcome

Welcome to Journey of Flavour new blogspot!