One of the great resources you'll find at a Tourist Information Centre is the iMag. A tourism magazine with fun things to see and do, a directory of local businesses and a Whats On calendar of events. Several of my photos have been included in the Imag over the years including a photo taken at wineries in Gerringong and Coolangatta, Shellharbour Village, etc for the South Coast iMag.  Recently I added Vanessa Moss from iMag as a friend on Facebook and South Coast iMag on Twitter and have been keeping up to date with some of the local foodie events and new companies that she has featured. Today the feature was on South Coast Providores and the special foodie day held at Berry today (15th October, 2010).

Vanessa Moss just been at south coast providors in berry- special 'foodie' day with local jams, oysters, bread, mushroom kits, fruit/ve, cheese, teas & more- open till 4pm! All local produce, they are in main street in berry near petrol station, tell em we sent ya!

 Vanessa has uploaded some photos which has made me determined to find out more about the South Coast Providores range. I love tomato relish and dukkah and it is nice to know that it is a local company sourcing with local ingredients.

Founded in 2002  by Carole Ruta and Ian Grey who were frustrated that they could not find a quality conserve.  South Coast Providores are committed to creating the finest quality preserves and conserves made from local produce. They make a range of conserves and preserves including mixed berry conserve, three fruit marmalade, chilli plum sauce and  beetroot relish! (Source: South Coast Providores Facebook Fan Page)

Photos by South Coast iMag

You can find South Coast Providores at the monthly Kiama Blackbeach Markets and other foodie events.

Some research finds a page on Berry's tourism page berry.org.au and their listing: 

South Coast Providores - artisan producers of conserves and condiments:-

Plums/peaches/figs/rhubarb/grapes/strawberries/blackberries/wildlimes/oranges/mandarins/lemons/limes/Clementine’s/pommel’s/macadamia nuts/pecan nuts/walnuts/quince/chestnuts/wild olives/beetroot/cumquats/feijoas/tomatoes.
We are proud to work with local growers with 85% of our produce all sourced within the Shoalhaven region.
All our products are hand cut and hand made in small batches to ensure the integrity of product.
Open 10am – 5pm Thursday to Sunday during winter and extended during spring/summer Also available wholesale

I found a link to an article in tasty.com.au about how Carole and Ian's business started. In short they met a need for great conserves and it flourished from there. Read it here. 

South Coast Providores

Image courtesy of Foodscape Tours

Ian Gray - Carole Ruta
Phone:  0418 690 866   Mobile:  0418 22 3464
78 Queen Street
Berry NSW 2535




South Coast iMag on Twitter
http://twitter.com/#!/southcoastimag

Vanessa from South Coast iMag on Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=750880889&v=wall

Article: How Carole was Jarred into Action

http://www.tasty.com.au/tasty-articles/2008/11/25/how-carole-was-jarred-into-action/

Berry listing for South Coast Providores
http://www.berry.org.au/default.asp?PageID=122 

Foodscape Tours
http://foodscapetours.com.au/producers-southcoast.html Tweet This

Photo: Natalie Boog of SMH
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I love Oysters. I have since the ripe old age of 2 when my Father owned an Oyster lease up near Tin Can Bay in Queensland. We used to visit the mangrove swamp to collect the oysters, always stopping to taste some before leaving. There is nothing like eating a freshly shucked oyster minutes from plucking it from the water.

Last year I visited the Barilla Bay Oysters in Tasmania and enjoyed the same fresh oyster experience and flew back home with two dozen plump Tasmanian oysters on a flight to Sydney.

Recently I have been buying Oysters from the Shellharbour Seafood market at Stocklands Shellharbour (formerly Shellharbour Square) and whilst they have been fresh I am craving another oyster farm experience.

Soon I will be organising a Illawarra Gourmet Food Safari with BHC Promotions and a visit to the Shoalhaven River and Greenwell Point Oyster farms is high on my list of priorities. If you are interested in taking part in the Illawarra Foodie safari please email me at illawarrafood@gmail.com to be added to the newsletter.

Until then, the Shoalhaven Oyster Service has created some interesting videos about how Oysters are harvested and helpful information about storing, shucking and eating oysters. Not that I need any help with the latter! :)




Address:


Telephone: 02 4447 1290
Fax: 02 4447 1717
Mobile Phone Number: 02 4447 1717

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Other Oyster Suppliers

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Please register your interest in a food tour around the Illawarra.

o Cheese making in Razorback , Nowra and Bowral and Reidsdale
o bread making
o cookery classes
o European delicatessens
o Asian Supermarkets and Butchers
o Gluten-Free supplies
o Fresh Produce Markets and their suppliers
o Slow Food Illawarra


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Filed under: Local Food Heroes and Slow Food



In April 2007 I visited the Friday Produce Markets in the Crown Street Mall, Wollongong  and talked to Aydin and Danny Fahri from Razor Back Olive Grove about their delicious stuffed olives, marinated feta, haloumi, pesto and other gourmet delights. During the conversation I learned about the cheese-making classes that they run on a Sunday. It starts at 9am in Razorback (near Picton) with the process of cheese making.

Morning tea is all home made  with sweet and savoury Turkish delights provided in the morning including locally made cheese, olives and home-made Turkish-style village bread. Beverages include coffee and chai from Byron Bay. For groups of 10 and over they do the cooking on a Wood-fire oven.

Everyone who participates on the day will take their cheeses home including Haloumi and Ricotta.

If you can't make it to the cheese making course be sure to grab some of their products in take-away tubs in four sizes:

250g $6
500g $10
750g $13
850g $15

Only 45 minutes from Wollongong. Join the slow food movement and purchase your olive oil, olives, haloumi and ricotta direct from the source.

Friday: Friday Produce Market
Sundays: Cheese Making Course $90 per person



Aydin and Danny Fahri
5 Toby Close, Razorback
m: 042 5281613
p:  024 6366927
razorbackolivegrove@yahoo.com.au


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No visit to Kiama would be complete without a visit to  My Chocolate Shoppe in 106 Terralong St, Kiama.
They sell a wide range of handmade chocolates in all shapes, sizes and flavours.



Needing a caffeine hit after a 4am start I decided upon a chilli mocha (cappuccino, Belgian chocolate and chilli powder). Yumm! Also with me was Maryann from Kiama and Stella from Umbria, Italy who ordered a Mocha (without the Chilli) and Hot Chocolate with whipped cream, consecutively.

Whilst we waited for our drinks to be prepared I took some photographs of the interior and each individual chocolate sold at My Chocolate Shoppe. By the time my chilli mocha arrived I was hungry to taste some of the specialty chocolates and had purchased a sample pack of 9 chocolates


When our drinks arrived you could hear our moans of delight. There is nothing like a perfectly made cup of mocha with the finest quality ingredients to awaken the appetite.
 
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