Tuesday 6 January 2009

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

extract from article
Judges relish meaty role
By Danielle McKay
Celebrity judges including Maeve O’Meara, Ben Edwards and Judith Sweet said the calibre of the stalls was outstanding and there were many top contenders.
But after much deliberation there was a standout winner - the powerhouse combination of Thorpe Farm Produce, Tasmanian Highland Cheeses and Frogmore Creek and 42 Degrees South wines.
The stall’s tasty delights won best use of Tasmanian produce and Eat Well Tasmania’s best Taste plate option.
Since combining to become a Taste superpower last year, the accolades have been flowing. Seventh generation Thorpe Farm Produce farmer Will Bignell said it had been a very exciting two years at the Taste.
"We have had a huge response from all the Taste goers," he said.
"It would be fair to say it’s doubled in popularity again this year."
Since re-branding the farm last year and value-adding to its commodities, the farm has gone from strength to strength.
Mr Bignell said the stall’s popular hot-smoked lamb on pink eye potatoes dusted with rosemary was the best example of what the farm was capable of producing.

Will Bignell said...

Thought I might add a little to this page and state that we are going to return to the Taste this year with some new tricks up our sleeve!

Rita said...

Hi Will, and welcome. I look forward to seeing exactly what it is that you have up your sleeve at Taste this year!

Will Bignell said...

Not sure if anyone will read this one but Kevin Redd and myself will be putting the finishing touches on the stall tomorrow and would love some patronage when the Taste opens :-) I have personally prepared 16 sheep and 10 deer which are being served as lovely cuts cooked using the sous vide technique with a bit of prep help from Waji. Nothing has gone to waste and I've used the exceptional quality trim to make a great ploughman's plate. It has bread from my grain milled on the farm, onion pickled by Kev and lamb kofta and venison sausages made with the help of the Wursthaus team last week! Excited about this plate! We have also dug the salsify for our fricassee and the earnest bean tofu dish with coriander pesto has my flour in the bread and Thorpe Farm garlic (a first for me!) Dad is flat out making cheese and collected the cows milk this morning to make the fresh cow for our trio of farm yard friends cheese platters (6 cheeses + pickles and Thorpe Watermill flour in the roll)

Our Taste stall is teamed up with Frogmore / 42 South again and my brother George has been working there for the last 2 vintages so the Bignell family have a finger in almost everything we are serving plus you get a Bignell serving it!

Anyhow I know the Taste creates great debate on here every year but for those who can tough out the plastic tables and chairs, throngs of crowds, knocked together stalls and impossible parking situation I hope you can make your way down to experience what I am doing with our families great produce.

Will

Will Bignell said...

Well it has been a little while since I last slipped a note on here but I thought I would do it again and let people know we are back making cheese and at the Taste again. After giving up on food in 09/10 I have focused on our cheese and paired with another young legend Joe Bennett from Get Shucked fame and as always I have stuck with my mate of 6 Tastes, the audacious Kevin Redd serving Craigow Wines. Thorpe Farm / Tas Highland Cheeses has not been making cheese this spring due to the increased pressure on us after the tragic loss of my dear brother George in May of this year. This is the first cheese Dad has made cheese since we shut down for winter and I hope it is not the last as he is a great cheesemaker and people need his blue cheese! This year I am using Spelt grain that was first imported in 2006 for bulking and evaluation which is being baked into a sour dough roll at Jackman & McRoss and tastes sensational. Better than the soft wheat were persisting with before!

I hope to see you down at the Taste to check out the new stall, come buy some great cheese, oysters and wine and support some young guys of the Tassie Food and Wine scene! You can also check out the making of the cheese that you are buying as it is playing in the front window!

If nothing else at least hand over $8 and try a Highland Delight and Hot Root if nothing else whilst at the Taste, guaranteed satisfaction!

Fuel for Passion and Fuel for Love!

Regards,

Will