The last day of our visit through the Goulburn River Valley was spent exploring Binney Street, in the town of Euroa.  There are a lot of fab little shops and cafes on this strip, and it's a great spot to spend a weekend morning.  (N.B. A lot of the shops seem to close around midday on Saturday, so get in early!)


The Weekend Local
45 Binney Street
Euroa VIC 3666
Ph: 0417 363 992
Website

Only open on weekends, The Weekend Local stocks a selection of great products sourced from within 150 kilometres of Euroa.  Lots of regulars pop in for coffees and biscuits too.


I loved checking out all the products available, most of which I'd never seen before in Melbourne, including olive oil made from their own olive grove.  Properly 'local' local produce!



The displays were all attractive and well-maintained - I was amazed by how much they could fit into the small store!  They also have a good focus on gluten-free products - cake mixes, biscuits and that sort of thing.



Fare Enough
55 Binney Street
Euroa VIC 3666
Ph: (03) 5795-1667
Website

Owner Wendy Lunghusen opened Fare Enough after moving to the region and realising there was a gap in the market for a whole-foods store.  They sell an excellent range of grains, seeds, flours, cereals, nuts, dairy products, oils, sauces and dressings.  Think, specialty items like organic rapadura sugar, incredibly fresh nuts, oat bran, malt extract, wheat flakes, wild rice, soy grits...


You can also buy loose leaf teas, or sit in and enjoy a coffee.

Or perhaps buy some sushi or other light lunches!

Most exciting for me were the big containers of honey and tahini!  Tahini!! If only I'd brought a bucket with me...

Cacao!

Fare Enough, Euroa

A friend of mine had recommended Albert's Cafe to me, so I was especially glad when I saw it was on our itinerary.  It's a cosy cafe with a warm atmosphere - a lovely spot to get some respite from the rain!





They have a concise weekend lunch menu - when we were there it included items like an open sandwich with Avenel smoked ham, coleslaw, gherkins & a mustard aioli ($14), a focaccia with chicken, avocado, bacon & Swiss cheese ($12.50), and an eye fillet served on a potato rosti with spinach, Swiss brown mushrooms & balsamic ($19.50).

I would have loved - loved, I tell you! - to try the open sandwich or the eye fillet, but we were still so full from The Butter Factory's substantial breakfast that all we could manage was to share a slice of frittata between us. (I know, I know, total fail on my part!)

Roasted sweet potato, spinach, black olives, cherry tomato & bocconcini cheese frittata served with salad - $12.50

The frittata was impressive - nice and eggy, with a good range of vegetables, which were cooked through but still retained a nice bite.

I'm not much of a soft-drink drinker, but I was in the mood for a little something sweet, so ordered an Old-Style Lime squash, thinking it would be a muted pale green drink, much like a San Pellegrino...

So have another drink of green elixir... And we'll have ourselves a little mixer...

...I didn't realise it would be such an intense green! Woah! A real Elphaba green!  (Probably a good thing I had a little extra energy for the long drive home).

After lunch, we were invited into the kitchen to have a chat to the chef, and spied this gorgeous cake coming out of the oven.

Cake cooling down

I was so full that I hadn't even contemplated dessert or coffee... but after seeing that cake come out of the oven, I knew it would be a wasted trip if I didn't at least try one of their cakes!

Albert's Cafe's selection of cakes

The staff there kindly packed up a piece of rhubarb and raspberry crumble cake (with cream!) to take home.

Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble Cake

The drive home ended up being a bit stressful - it was bucketing down with rain, there was very poor visibility, and loads of big trucks on the Hume Highway.  Not fun!  So I was very happy to have a nice piece of cake to enjoy at home with a cup of tea.  And you know what?  The cake was incredible!  So buttery and moist, with a beautiful sour contrast from the raspberries and rhubarb.  I think there may have been a bit of nut meal in the batter, but I can't be sure.  Perhaps if they'd be kind enough to share the recipe with me...?

Rhubarb and Raspberry Crumble Cake

Cereals and Guest Book at the Euroa Butter Factory

The grounds and gardens of the Euroa Butter Factory are quite beautiful, and there are lots of little spots that would be great for functions. As you can see, it was quite wet and rainy whilst we were in the region - I'm sure that in better weather it would be even prettier!

Whilst the building itself is over a century old, the rooms were modern and comfortable, with an iPod docking station, queen beds, fluffy towels, T2 teas and Molton Brown toiletries.

I had planned to relax with a cup of tea and a magazine in their lounge area in the afternoon, but after the big drive and loads of sightseeing and shopping, I was absolutely exhausted and fell fast asleep as soon as I sat down on that couch!  Oops.  Lucky I got up in time for dinner.

Meals are served in the old milk delivery room, where you can still see some of the old fittings and machinery.

The old milk delivery room

Dinners aren't included in the room rates, but can be organised quite easily.  Owner Rebecca tells me they can do a simple supper for solo travellers, right up to a three course meal with wine for large groups.  (On the same weekend we were there, there was also a group of five couples having a big meal at that large table, above).

We started with a plate of antipasti - marinated mushrooms, a gorgeous tomato relish (tasted like curry ketchup!), pistachio and chicken terrine, grilled zucchini and capsicum, olives ascolone and potato pancakes topped with Buxton smoked trout and horseradish.

Antipasto plate

It was all very tasty, but I especially liked the crispy, juicy olives and the meaty chicken terrine.  A lovely start to the meal!  Rebecca suggested a Dal Zotto Arneis as an accompaniment - I'd never tried this variety before, but really enjoyed the crisp fruitiness of the wine.

The mains had a distinct North African vibe - Heather the chef had just returned from a holiday to Morocco, and was inspired by the tastes she'd experienced on the trip.

Quail tagine with chickpeas, currants, carrots and couscous

The tagine was absolutely delicious!  The base of couscous was soaked in a fabulous, intensely chickeny broth, topped with meltingly tender, slow-cooked quails.  There were also little bursts of sweetness from carrots, chickpeas and currants.  This is exactly the type of dish I'd love to serve at a dinner party.

Longwood Lamb with honey, cinnamon and pistachios

The roast lamb dish looks very Ottolenghi, don't you think?  The lamb was very tender, its inherent meaty sweetness enhanced by honey, cinnamon and pistachios, and tempered by mounds of fresh parsley.

With our mains, we drank a Dal Zotto Sangiovese, which went perfectly with the lamb.

The sides to this hearty meal were some roasted root vegetables with a yoghurt sauce...

Roast pumpkin, baby beetroot, yoghurt sauce and pine nuts

... and a refreshing salad of cos lettuce, with pear, fennel, Parmesan cheese and currants.

Cos lettuce, fennel, pear, currants, Parmesan

After such a generous meal, we were very full, but still managed to eat a little dessert!  It was a luscious fig and frangipane tart, topped with raspberry sauce and served with double cream.  The tart was wonderful - short crisp pastry and a buttery almond filling.  I do love a good frangipane tart!

Fig frangipane tart with raspberry sauce and double cream

Full, tired, comfortable, and with the soothing sound of rain against the roof, I slept like a log that night!

Breakfast the next morning was equally generous.  When we arrived at the table, poached rhubarb, yoghurt, and warm breakfast cakes (banana & pistachio, and raisin) with butter were waiting, as well as the cereals and muesli that you see in the first picture of this post.


And if that weren't enough, they can do hot breakfasts too.  I had a nice little poached egg on buttered toast, with more of that fab "curry-ketchup" chutney and a piece of Avenel bacon, which came highly recommended from Rebecca.  Made by a butcher in the nearby town of Avenel, the bacon was crisp, salty, smoky and intense.  In short: it was incredibly bacon-y.  I loved it!  I would have liked to visit the butcher to pick some up, but they close quite early on Saturdays and we couldn't get there in time. Boo!  Something for a future trip!

I'd like to say a big thanks to owner Rebecca for a lovely stay, and chef Heather for delicious and generous meals!

Sarah and Sandra stayed at The Euroa Butter Factory as guests of Goulburn River Valley Tourism.

This is the second post from my Goulburn River Valley Trip series.

At the start of March, I was invited by Goulburn River Valley Tourism to discover the region from a food lover's perspective, visiting cafes, produce stores and restaurants.  I was also lucky enough to be put up in some lovely accommodation!  (Blogpost to come.)  The Goulburn River Valley region encompasses quite a large area, from Wallan, Kinglake, Marysville and Lake Mountain in the south, up through Seymour and Nagambie, all the way up to Shepparton and Mooroopna in the north.  (See the Holiday Planner for a proper map!)  Prior to this trip, I wasn't familiar with the area at all, and really appreciated the opportunity to discover a new region.  My itinerary focused on some of the towns up north off the Hume Highway: Murchison, Kialla West, Shepparton East, and Euroa.

First stop was Wagner Bros Fine Food Store in Murchison.


Wagner Bros Fine Food Store
1/45 Stevenson St
Murchison VIC 3610
Ph: 0438 588 276
Website

Wagner Bros is a cafe-slash-food store, run by the lovely Alice.  It's been open in its current format for two years now, and specialises in local produce and wine, including Ruffy Produce relishes, Nagambie Gold olive oils, Locheilan cheeses and more.


They've also recently expanded to do weekend breakfasts - eggs, muesli, toasties, French toast, that sort of thing.  As it was a weekday, no brekky for us, but we did have a coffee, much needed after the early-morning two hour drive from Melbourne!  I was really impressed by the latte - at the perfect temperature, strong and rich, without being overly bitter.  Alice says she and her staff were trained by Shingo Fujimoto, a Japanese coffee expert based in Shepparton.

Latte and Biscuits

I liked the concept of the space - Alice described it as trying to create a 'home away from home', with half the space representing the "Kitchen", and the other half representing the "Lounge Room".  Cute, right?

The "Kitchen"

The "Lounge Room"

Alice kindly gave me a little hamper of goodies to take home, which I've been busily cooking and baking with since I got back.  In fact, all of the produce stores I visited were keen to show off their great local products and very generous in making up hampers for me.  It'll take me a little while to work my way through it all, but I'm looking forward to sharing my cooking and baking adventures with you over the next few months!

I'd love to come back to Murchison on a weekend to try out Wagner Bros' breakfasts - just as soon as I can round up some friends willing to do an early morning drive!

Next on the itinerary, we headed to Kialla West, for the Greendale Grove Olive Shop.

Greendale Grove Olive Shop
7230 Goulburn Valley Highway
Kialla West, VIC 3631
Ph: (03) 5823-2785
Website

Greendale Grove Olive Shop

Housed in this gorgeous old building, the Greendale Grove Olive Shop sells a great range of gourmet foods made from the olives grown on the estate, as well as other local fare and olive-based body products.

Greendale Grove Olive Shop

In fact, the range of body products was so vast, I felt like I was in an olive day spa!

Body products and Olive accessories

Tastings of their oils, dressings and olives are also available.

Tastings

My favourite here was the chilli-infused olive oil, which really packs a fiery punch!  We were generously given a bottle to take home, and have been using it in everything: pastas, stir-fries, marinades, salad dressings... if anyone has any ideas for using chilli oil, do let me know!

In the same building as the shop is the Olivehouse restaurant, where we stopped for a spot of lunch. (Disclosure: I paid for the lunch myself, but we were comped a serve of bruschetta).

The menu comprises a mixed bag of dishes, with no clear single influence - for example, chicken masala curry, roasted vegetable panini and braised lamb shanks all make an appearance.  (This tends to be a warning sign for me!)  Prices for mains range from $19.50 for a chicken salad, up to $39.50 for a wagyu sirloin.  We ordered a roast pumpkin and sweet potato soup, a sausage pasta, and a side of deep-fried potatoes with garlic cream.

Soup of the Day - Homemade roast pumpkin and sweet potato soup served with fresh crusty bread - $15.50 Penne Yorkshire - Oven roasted Yorkshire leek pork sausage with vegetables, pan tossed with short tube penne pasta and topped with shaved parmesan cheese - $24.50 Fried Potatoes - Par-boiled and deep fried potatoes served with garlic cream - $9.50

Whilst the dishes that we ordered were perfectly pleasant and tasty, they weren't anything special - in particular I would have preferred it if the fried potatoes had been served hot and crispy.  However, the bruschetta was absolutely fantastic!

Bruschetta - toasted bread with Greendale Grove Extra Virgin Olive Oil, topped with fresh tomato, Spanish onion, black olives, toasted pine nuts and feta cheese - $12.50

The bread was lightly chargrilled, with a generous drizzle of olive oil, becoming crispy and light in the process. The topping included lovely fresh tomatoes, black olives, feta cheese and pine nuts - so delicious!  Our waitress told us that the bread comes from the 'Golden Star Hot Bread' bakery on Vaughan street in Shepparton.  I would have loved to go and pick up a few loaves, but unfortunately we didn't get time on the trip to visit the bakery itself - I'll have to remember it for next time!

Based on our experience, I'd definitely suggest ordering dishes that showcase Greendale Grove's produce, like their bruschetta, their produce plate, or the antipasto.

A short drive from down the Goulburn Valley Highway was Lloyd's Produce Store.

Lloyd's Produce Store at Emerald Bank
Emerald Bank
7723 Goulburn Valley Highway
Kialla West, VIC 3631
Ph: (03) 5823-5908
Website
Facebook

Lloyd's Produce Store

Lloyd's Produce is located within the Emerald Bank Leisure Land complex, which also includes Pot-Werx (with "Victoria's largest range of pots" - did you read that mum?), the Riverside Gardens Nursery, the Windmill Chocolate Shop and Cafe, the Shepparton Motor Museum and an Adventure Park.

Lloyd's Produce is a gourmet store, selling a wide range of local produce: wines, meat, cheese and interesting preserves and relishes.  One thing I liked about this store in particular was that they had a great selection of items unique to the region, things that I hadn't seen in Melbourne before.  My favourite item here was the intriguing Mimi's Basil Cordial, handmade in Murchison.  I thought it might taste like pesto, but it actually had a very mild, slightly floral flavour.  Owner Emma generously gave us a bottle to take home as part of a hamper, and we've been drinking it with soda water and gin - lovely!

Lloyd's also often do interesting little events, like information sessions on gluten free food, and even yabbie races for Australia Day!

Lloyd's Produce Store

We had a great time chatting to owner Emma, whose passion and enthusiasm for the region is really contagious.  (It was actually Emma who recommended we visit Kreuger's Fine Meats & Smallgoods in Shepparton, and told us that it was right next to Shepparton's only sex shop!  Hehehe...)

After our visit, she told me that she set up a Twitter account for Lloyd's, based on our discussion.  So does that mean I can call myself a "digital marketing consultant to the food industry?"  Because that's totally going on my resume!

Chocolate Apple Factory
95 School Road
Shepparton East, Vic 3631
Ph: (03) 5829-2353
Website

After Lloyd's, we drove to the Chocolate Apple Factory, in Shepparton East.  And look who we met in the parking lot!  Awww...!  This adorable little fella is called Cooper, and he was so super friendly!

Cooper the Labrador puppy

At the factory shop, you can buy a range of local pantry items, as well as liqueurs, chocolate pralines, and the famous chocolate apples.  Owner Vera uses a mixture of Nestle and Cadbury chocolates to make her range of sweet treats.

The range of chocolate apples

Rocky Road chocolate apple

We tried their most popular variety, the Rocky Road apple ($10), which was coated in caramel, chocolate and marshmallows.  The idea is a lot of fun, and I know kids would love them, but I must admit I found this variety too sweet.

What I did love, however, was their range of juices.  They do 'single origin' juices, including Granny Smith, Pink Lady etc., and I was surprised to taste a big difference between the various juices.  My favourite was the Pink Lady, and we purchased a couple of bottles to bring home.


In the next post: the accommodation - The Euroa Butter Factory!

Sarah and Sandra visited the Goulburn River Valley as guests of Goulburn River Valley Tourism.

This is the first post from my Goulburn River Valley Trip series.