Channel doings

Utilising Gobbler's Huon and Channel supplier list (my new bible) today, I took a trip down the Channel and bought my supplies for the week. Being the Girl Guide that I am, I also had the forethought to have called Travis at Seafood de Mayne on Friday and order a Crab to be cooked for pickup today as well.

I'm about to hoe into the crab for late lunch, so as I expect it to be bloody lovely, that's all I'll say on the subject of crab, for the time being.

But I decided to pop into Farm Gate Cafe while in the neighbourhood and check on Lee. I'm glad I did because he updated me on what he is currently up to, which I'm pleased to be able to relate here.

For a start, after a life reality check, he decided to put his farm on the market and move somewhere a bit more spacious and palatial for his piggies. That should stop all the argy-bargy in the dispute with his neighbours about his pig's smells, and hopefully relieve the Kingborough Council of one less headache! He'll move elsewhere down in that area - and a good thing too, because he tells me that some of the more high profile chefs from the big island to the north are starting to jump on the bandwagon and want his (obviously) famous product as well - like Tets and Neil Perry.

If those guys are looking at using his product, he's crazy to restrict himself to a small patch of trouble. Smart move, Lee.

But - trade has quietened down in the cafe side of the business. Why is that? It seems to me that's the way it is here in Tassie. You have the big initial flurry of everyone coming along to a newly opened establishment, and the restaurant owners get all excited and see dollar signs flashing in front of their eyes, then a few months down the track, all is calm again, and they have trouble attracting the punters. Lee seems to be putting it down to the current financial climate, but I've seen it happen time and time again over the years.

We need to get into a few habits here, if we're serious about wanting to have all these great eateries at our beck and call.

We need to learn how to book - ALWAYS. We need to amend or cancel the booking if our plans change. We need to go out for the weekend drive - TO EAT A MEAL! Not just for a coffee and cake. If we want these places to exist we must take it on ourselves to patronise them.

Lee has started holding cooking/butchering classes down at the cafe. He held one a few weeks ago which was fully subscribed, and will be soon conducting a sausage making one. A brilliant idea, and one which should interest many of us.

I'll tell you about his upcoming events soon, so keep an eye out for them, and in the meantime, please go for a drive, and eat at one of our 'locals' places or they'll be quietly disappearing off the map. I know of one such business currently trading but soon not to be, and I'm so sad about it. I'm not able to say which at the moment, but it pains me when this happens.