See Buninyong Film Festival website
See the Community Bank® web pages
A group of food and wine enthusiasts publicly demonstrated its unwavering support for local produce growers by serving-up a five course lunch created from ingredients sourced almost entirely from Buninyong and surrounding Ballarat districts. The celebration of local growers and producers, dubbed the Buninyong Garden Harvest Lunch, took place in the Buninyong Botanical Gardens on Sunday 14 March 2010, from 11.30am to 4.00pm.
The menu featured a tasty paella dish with local
wild rabbit, Wurrook gourmet barbecued
sausages, free-range chicken, roasted whole pork
with various locally-made condiments in
sourdough rolls, pizza with a range of toppings
including locally produced ham, salami and
prosciutto and local vegetables, along with the
Harvest blueberry and hazelnut petite cakes for
dessert. The feast was washed down with
locally produced wine, beer and mineral waters.
Locally sourced ingredients also included flour
from Powlett Hill Mill, onions, peppers, Tuki
smoked trout, fresh herbs, Yendon tomatoes,
Meredith cheese, along with ham, salami and
prosciutto from Istra Meats. The menu also
featured pork from Mt Mercer, organic vegetables
from Spring Creek and Captains Creek, yabbies
farmed in Learmonth, locally grown blueberries
and hazelnuts, and free-range eggs.
The lunch was one of the key regional events of the annual 2010 Melbourne Food & Wine Festival and was months in the making after Slow Food Ballarat was invited by Festival organisers to be part of the internationally-acclaimed event. Slow Food Ballarat committee members seized the opportunity to present an unforgettable grazing extravaganza in the beautiful surrounds of the (almost) 150 years old Gardens.
The event enabled visitors to smell, taste and eat their way through the Gardens, sampling the district’s finest fare on offer. A portable fullygrown organic vegetable garden was installed in the gardens for the day. Visitors had the rare chance to meet those often hard-to-locate growers and purchase fresh produce directly from their stalls.
Slow Food Ballarat is driven by its goal to educate
the community about the benefits of eating local
produce that'’s fresh and in-season. Peter Ford
says, "Slow Foodies live by the motto 'good, clean
and fair' " which encompasses the message Slow
Food Ballarat would like to send out about the
importance of eating fresh, healthy food and, in
turn, promoting biodiversity in food growth and
supporting sustainable production practices; all
helping reduce the increasing rate of diet-related
illness in the community.
The event was supported by the City of Ballarat and several local sponsors. Proceeds went towards the revitalisation of the Gardens and their 2011 sesquicentenary celebrations.
The Buninyong & District Historical Society
has recently published an excellent booklet, called "Buninyong Heritage Walks", compiled by Neil McCracken. Subtitled "and Other Interesting Nearby Walks, Cycle Rides and Scenic Drives", the new booklet includes a short history of Buninyong, three self-guided walks around the township and some scenic drives in the district, accompanied by historical notes, beautifully reproduced photos and several full-colour maps.
Copies are on sale at various outlets in Buninyong, including the Information Centre in Warrenheip Street. Look out for it - it is perfect for visitors with plenty to interest local residents. It would make a great gift for anyone you know who is interested in Buninyong and it's amazingly good value at $5.00!
If you know of a coming event or any other development affecting Buninyong and District that you would like to publicise, email the details to us at the Buninyong Website so we can spread the word. Any photos would be great, too.