THE entries in cookery competition at this year’s Quaama Harvest Fair increased dramatically once word got out that River Cottage Australia was coming to the village.
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Host Paul West arrived on a rainy Saturday morning and checked out the entries together with some seasoned CWA cookery experts.
Competition organiser and Quaama Progress Association president Veronica Abbott said entries increased from a handful last year to more than 50 dishes of all kinds presented by proud cooks on the weekend.
“It’s fantastic and it’s all about seasonal produce and preserves, anything you’ve picked or gathered in the last couple months,” she said.
As it was a harvest fair, the emphasis was on pumpkin dishes, sweet and savoury, and preserves, again sweet and savoury.
The judges were South East – Sapphire Coast Producers Association secretary Geoffrey Grigg and Quaama shop owner and chef Kel Gillies, who had their work cut out for them taking the time to savour and comment on each dish.
After tasting the entries, Paul who is a chef himself seemed very impressed with the local produce and cooking talent.
“I’m absolutely blown away,” he said.
After the judging, Paul thanked the crowd for letting the show film during the fair and explained its concept for those who had not seen the long-standing British show of the same name on which it is based.
“It’s about reclaiming your food production and in a world where most people’s food comes from a supermarket shelf, you can forget where it actually comes from,” he said.
“The show is about community and you are a really great example of community.”
River Cottage Australia has purchased a property at Central Tilba south of Narooma where Paul is making his new sustainably-based home.
Paul’s full involvement in the Quaama fair and his other exploits around the district will all be revealed when the show airs on the LifeStyle Channel on Foxtel later this year.
Find out how Hugh and Paul came to Narooma:
