The Sunshine Coast’s annual Real Food Festival returns to the Maleny Showgrounds this weekend, 7^th – 8^th

September and guarantees to deliver the best local produce and food products the Sunshine Coast has to offer. 

The weekend-long food fiesta is jam-packed with demonstrations and activities for all ages including workshops, ‘how to’ sessions and a range of international cuisines to try that are sure to tickle tastebuds.

Festival Director, Julie Shelton said the Festival was a great location to hold a gathering with friends and family, offering plenty of delicious food, local beer, stellar entertainment and an amazing atmosphere.  

“There will be a full schedule of cooking demonstrations and information sessions across the Festival’s four exciting venues – the Kunara Real Food Kitchen, Jeffers Market Nourishing Ideas, Food for Thought and Eumundi Markets Food Craft,” Julie said.

“And on Saturday 7^th, Mayor Mark Jamieson and Queensland Environment Minister, Andrew Powell will go head-to-head in an exciting cook-off in the Kunara Real Food Kitchen at 11.30am,” Julie said.

The Woombye Pub will have a stall at the Festival with Sunshine Coast Brewery ales on tap and also will be running ‘meet the brewer’ sessions each day at 1.30pm.

Live music artists will perform on the main stage and roving street performer Great Scott is sure to keep the crowd laughing with his comedy act and juggling skills.

“Relax on one of the hay bales at ‘The Stage’ and be entertained by Acoustic Pop singer songwriter Carl Wockner, appearing on Sunday from 12.30pm to 3.30pm, or be dazzled by the vocal stylings of the BossaNova Cowboy, Harii Bandhu, performing at 12.30pm on Saturday,” Julie said.

Proudly supported by event partner, IGA Sunshine Coast, the festival will also host more than 120 Sunshine Coast based exhibits ranging from specialty foods to food-related products and services.

The Real Food Festival will be held at the Maleny Showgrounds, 13 Stanley River Road, Maleny on 7^th – 8^th September from 9am to 4pm daily and will showcase an abundance of local foods from Sunshine Coast producers, manufacturers and restaurants. Entry is $15 for a daily adult pass and children under 16 are free.

For more information on the Real Food Festival or to view the full program, visit the Festival website at www.realfoodfestival.com.au. You can also ‘like’ the Real Food Festival on Facebook to keep up to date – www.facebook.com/realfoodfestival.

Queensland Environment Minister, Andrew Powell will go head-to-head with Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson in an exciting cook-off at the Real Food Festival on Saturday, 7^th September. 

‘The Mayor & The Minister’ cook-off will start at 11.30am in the Kunara Real Food Kitchen and will be facilitated by Free Ranging Chef, Peter Wolfe.  Mayor Mark Jamieson narrowly won the challenge against Minister Powell last year and is keen to defend his title in 2013.

Festival Director, Julie Shelton said the cook-off would see the culinary skills of both men put to the test. 

“The cook-off is always a crowd pleaser and a great way to kick-off the two day festival,” Julie said.

 “Mayor Mark Jamieson and Minister Powell know the stakes are high, competition will be fierce and provide great entertainment.”

Both contestants are great supporters of local food producers and the Real Food Festival, which is now in its third year.

Mayor Jamieson and Minister Powell will need to replicate a dish demonstrated by Chef Peter, using bushfoods and local ingredients.  The criteria for judging will include technique, presentation and, of course, taste.

The Real Food Festival will be held at the Maleny Showgrounds, 13 Stanley River Road, Maleny on 7^th – 8^th September from 9am to 4pm daily and is a celebration of the local food industry, showcasing an abundance of freshly grown, local foods from Sunshine Coast producers, manufacturers and restaurants.

The Festival, proudly supported by event partner IGA Sunshine Coast, is a weekend-long culinary adventure, featuring more than 110 Sunshine Coast based exhibits ranging from specialty foods to food-related products and services.

There will also be a full schedule of cooking demonstrations and information sessions across its four exciting venues – the Kunara Real Food Kitchen, Jeffers Market Nourishing Ideas, Food for Thought and Eumundi Market Food Craft.   Entry is $15 for a daily adult pass and children under 16 are free.

“The Real Food Festival is about authenticity and enjoying nourishing and delicious food that has been grown and prepared right here in our beautiful Sunshine Coast backyard,” Julie said.

For more information on the Real Food Festival, visit the Festival website at www.realfoodfestival.com.au.

Sunshine Coast charity, Bloomhill Cancer Help is calling on locals to embrace the change of season and spring clean their homes and donate unwanted, saleable items to help restock its six Op Shops.

With more than 80 per cent of the charity’s funds raised through Op Shop sales, Bloomhill relies on generous donations from the community to continue providing its valuable services and support to those with cancer on the Coast.

Bloomhill General Manager Mervat Thompson said furniture, clothing and bric-a-brac were sought after but any quality, saleable donations were welcome.

“Our Op Shops are seriously understocked and we are asking the community to dig deep to support cancer care on the Sunshine Coast,” Ms Thompson said.

Bloomhill is a long-standing Buderim-based charity offering support and assistance to those affected by cancer and their families on the Sunshine Coast.

Operated by a team of dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteers, Bloomhill offers counselling, transport to appointments, respite care and a range of complementary therapies and other practical help.

Bloomhill Op Shops are located in Buderim on Main Street, Nambour opposite the hospital, Maroochydore on First Ave, Mooloolaba on Brisbane Rd, Caloundra on Bullcock Street and Cooroy on Maple Street.

“All the money raised from the sale of items goes directly to fund Bloomhill and the services it provides to its more than 900 clients.

“To make it easier for people to donate, Bloomhill even offers a free pick-up service for larger items,” Ms Thompson said.

For more information about making a donation or to arrange a FREE collection, please contact the Bloomhill Distribution Centre on 5445 6858 (during business hours) or simply drop your donations into a local Bloomhill Op Shop.

Visitors to the Real Food Festival will have the opportunity to taste the flavours of the world this year, with more than 30 ready-to-eat stalls offering a range of international cuisines.

The festival, held from 7th to 8th September in Maleny is a celebration of the Sunshine Coast’s local food industry from paddock to plate.

Festival Director, Julie Shelton said guests could eat their way around the globe, with the festival featuring traditional foods from Africa, Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Vietnam, Mexico, Germany, and of course, modern Australia.

“The variety of the foods on offer this year will be amazing – something to suit any age, palate or preference,” Julie said.

The presenting chefs, including Chris White from Hungry Feel Eating House, Laurent Vancam from Chef Laurent, Monica Topliss from Kunara Organic Cafe, Cameron Matthews from The Long Apron at Spicers Clovelly Estate and Chris Bond from Pomodoras on Obi, will each be cooking up a storm in the Kunara Real Food Kitchen throughout the weekend.

Monica Topliss’ new cookbook, ‘Topliss in the Kitchen: the secrets to a good life without gluten’, will also be available for sale at the festival, featuring a delicious selection of gluten free recipes, many that are vegan and dairy free too.

“The cooking demonstrations are a great way for people to learn how to use fresh local produce to make restaurant quality dishes in the comfort of their own homes,” Julie said.

“We have a full festival program and a fantastic line-up of presenters, food experts and chefs across four exciting venues,” Julie said.

Proudly supported by event partner, IGA Sunshine Coast, the festival will also host more than 110 Sunshine Coast based exhibits ranging from specialty foods to food-related products and services, as well as plenty of family friendly entertainment and activities for the kids.

The Real Food Festival will be held at the Maleny Showgrounds, 13 Stanley River Road, Maleny on 7th – 8th September from 9am to 4pm daily and will showcase an abundance of local foods from Sunshine Coast producers, manufacturers and restaurants. Entry is $15 for a daily adult pass and children under 16 are free.

To view the 2013 Festival Program, visit www.realfoodfestival.com.au/2013-program or for more information about the Real Food Festival, visit the Festival website at www.realfoodfestival.com.au.

Image (Left – Right): Chris White from Hungry Feel Eating House, Laurent Vancam from Chef Laurent,  Monica Topliss from Kunara Organic Cafe, Cameron Matthews from The Long Apron at Spicers Clovelly Estate and Chris Bond from Pomodoras on Obi.

Successful applicants of the Buderim Foundation’s 2013 Grants Program can look forward to the Good News Night on Friday, 20 September when the first round of grants will be announced.

This year, the Grants Program will distribute a record amount of more than $43,000 over two rounds, with the second round to be announced later this year.

Chair of the Buderim Foundation, Paul Clark said every year the grant total amount reached record highs, as more people become aware of the Foundation and its role within the community.

“The grants program offers the opportunity for worthwhile community initiatives that benefit Buderim and its residents to receive funding,” Prof. Clark said.

The Buderim Foundation’s Good News Night will be held at the Buderim Memorial Hall on Friday, 20 September at 5pm. The event will see the successful community organisations and projects receiving grants announced, as well as a formal report on the achievements and progress of the Foundation over the past year and its future plans to support the community.

Last year the Foundation made available a record total of $23,290 for its grants program, just a small portion of the close to $100,000 that the Foundation is proud to have been able to distribute in the community.

Recipients of the 2012 grants included the Buderim Men’s Shed, Maroochydore State Emergency Services Support Association and Buderim Sails.

“The Foundation started providing grants from 2008 and has since contributed to over 30 different local organisations,” Prof. Clark said.

The goal of the Buderim Foundation is to enrich and enhance the quality of life for Buderim and its residents, past and future. The Foundation is a philanthropic, not-for-profit organisation, which aims to generate income from donations and bequests from community members and provide grants for community projects.

“As a not-for-profit public company, the Foundation relies on the generous contributions of local businesses and residents in order to continue providing grants to quality local community projects and groups,” Prof. Clark said.

The grants are offered to not-for-profit organisations in the Buderim community, or not-for-profit Sunshine Coast community organisations that are able to provide services to the Buderim community.

The Good News Night is open to all community members and refreshments will be provided. To RSVP for the event, please call 07 5456 1757 or email info@buderimfoundation.org.au by Tuesday, 17 September.

For more information on the Buderim Foundation or the 2013 grants program, please visit, www.buderimfoundation.org.au.

The Sunshine Coast’s 2013 Real Food Festival will play host to a range of presenters that will provide valuable skills to help people live and eat sustainably.

The two-day Festival, held from 7th to 8th September, is a celebration of the Sunshine Coast real food community, bringing together the best local produce and food services from paddock to plate.

Festival Director, Julie Shelton said the Festival was not only a celebration of food, but also provided a great place for people to increase their knowledge, learn practical skills and connect with local food experts and ask questions.

“We wanted to create an event that would act as a hub for everything food, and most importantly to have people walk away from the Festival with a greater knowledge and passion for food,” Julie said.

“There will be a full schedule of food experts and local chefs presenting throughout the weekend across the Festival’s four exciting venues – the Kunara Real Food Kitchen, Food for Thought, Jeffers Market Nourishing Ideas and Eumundi Markets Food Craft,” Julie said.

The Eumundi Markets Food Craft venue will see Robin Clayfield present a workshop about permaculture on Saturday at 11.30am. This will be followed by presentations on fermentation and how to cook with home-grown produce.

The Jeffers Market Nourishing Ideas venue will also host a range of presentations on sustainable living, including a segment from Kirstie Henning from City Chicks demonstrating how to keep backyard chickens on Saturday, 11.30am, and another on Sunday at 10.30am presented by Cath Manuel from Centre for Growing Sustainability on showing how to grow food in any garden.

Cath Manuel said her presentation would offer an easy, step-by-step process on how to create an organic garden at home.

“I will cover everything a person needs to know, from the first stages of planning the garden, to knowing what to plant and then harvesting the produce – from soil to supper,” Cath said.

Proudly supported by event partner, IGA Sunshine Coast, the festival will also host more than 110 Sunshine Coast based exhibits ranging from specialty foods to food-related products and services, as well as plenty of family friendly entertainment and activities for the kids.

The Real Food Festival will be held at the Maleny Showgrounds, 13 Stanley River Road, Maleny on 7th – 8th September from 9am to 4pm daily and will showcase an abundance of local foods from Sunshine Coast producers, manufacturers and restaurants. Entry is $15 for a daily adult pass and children under 16 are free.

To view the 2013 Festival Program, visit www.realfoodfestival.com.au/2013-program or for more information on the Real Food Festival, visit the Festival website at www.realfoodfestival.com.au.

Buderim Foundation Public Art Committee is pleased to announce that the winning entry for the Public Art Project is the work of Sunshine Coast artists Natalia and Duncan Broadhead.

The public art project supported by the Sunshine Coast Regional Council commemorates the success of the B150 Community Challenge in 2013.

A public art committee was formed with Expressions of Interests calling for artists to respond to the artist brief and create a piece of public art representing the generous spirit of the Buderim Community.

Buderim Foundation director and chair of Public Art committee, Swain Roberts said 11 expressions of interest were received, each one of a very high standard and demonstrating a diverse range of creative talent.

“The committee was very satisfied with the submissions and this reflected in the fact that we took quite a while to choose the three artists to provide detailed concepts,” Mr Roberts said.

The winning entry, chosen from the three finalists, is the work of Natalia and Duncan Broadhead and will be produced largely in Corten steel with laser cut engraving to reflect the generosity of the Buderim Community.

Natalia Broadhead said the prospect of producing a public art sculpture for the Buderim community inspired her.

“The philosophy behind the Buderim Foundation appeals to me, I like the idea of people in Buderim contributing to funds which can have a direct impact on their family’s future within the region,” Natalia said.

The public artwork will be installed in the vicinity of the Martins Creek viewing platform with a tentative completion date of April 2014.

The Buderim Foundation is a philanthropic organisation that aims to enrich and enhance the quality of life for Buderim and its residents, past and future, by generating income from donations and bequests and providing grants for worthwhile community projects.

For more information on the Buderim Foundation, please visit www.buderimfoundation.org.au.

Image: Winners of the Public Art Project, Natalia and Duncan Broadhead.

Sunshine Coast gluten and grain free food expert and cookbook author, Tania Hubbard will go head to head in a cooking showdown with two-hat chef, Cameron Matthews at the Real Food Festival on Sunday, 8th September.

The two notable locals will do battle in the kitchen, showcasing two different interpretations of the same dish, each hoping their personal touches will be enough to win votes from the audience.

Gluten Free Grain Free Company Co-Founder, Tania said she was looking forward to a bit of friendly competition and creating something amazing from local ingredients.

“We will both be attempting to make a gluten and grain free dish – Macadamia and Almond Tart topped with Raw Chocolate Citrus Mousse, strawberry and chia seed jam and cream,” Tania said.

“Keeping in theme with the Real Food Festival, most of the ingredients used will be local including macadamias, avocados, butter, cream, strawberries, herbs, finger limes and ginger,” she said.

Tania’s gluten and grain free journey began several years ago when she was diagnosed intolerant to the proteins found in cereal grains. It was this diagnosis that saw her go on to develop her own recipes and write a leading cookbook, gluten free grain free – food we love. 

Cameron Matthews, chef at The Long Apron Restaurant at Spicers Clovelly Estate in Montville, has been cooking for over two decades and is passionate about using fresh local produce to create the perfect marriage of different foods and natural flavours on one plate.

“I am really looking forward to cooking off against Tania. She is a great cook and good friend, but I plan on teaching her a thing or two,” Cameron said with a laugh.

“The competition is really just a bit of fun. What we really want is to show that it’s all about great food, it doesn’t matter if what you do with it is simple or complex, it’s about cooking with passion.

“I really believe if you are cooking with passion you will always get amazing results.”

The cook and the chef challenge will be held at the Kunara Real Food Kitchen Venue on Sunday, 8 September at 10.30am, followed by a solo cooking demonstration by Tania at 1.30pm on how to create a range of dishes using one delicious and versatile gluten and grain free bread recipe. Cameron Matthews will also be hosting a solo demonstration on Saturday, 7th called ‘Local foods, Long Apron style’.

Proudly supported by event partner IGA Sunshine Coast, The Real Food Festival will be held at the Maleny Showgrounds, 13 Stanley River Road, Maleny on 7th – 8th September from 9am to 4pm daily. The two-day festival will host more than 120 exhibits showcasing an abundance of local food from Sunshine Coast producers, manufacturers and restaurants, as well as food-related products and services. Entry is $15 for a daily adult pass and children under 16 are free.

For more information on the Real Food Festival, visit the Festival website at www.realfoodfestival.com.au.

Tania’s cookbook gluten free grain free – food we love, is packed with over 150 pages of mouth-watering recipes, information about stocking a gluten and grain free pantry, label reading and much more, as well as her bake@home range will be available for sale at the Real Food Festival and can also be purchased online at www.glutenfreegrainfree.com.au.

The Sunshine Coast’s 2013 Real Food Festival will offer visitors a unique opportunity to delve into an array of interesting topics during the weekend-long event from 7th to 8th September.

One segment that is sure to be of interest is ‘Food and Spirituality: the sacredness of nourishing food’, a discussion about the unique relationship between food and spirituality that will be held at the Food for Thought venue at 2.30pm on Sunday.

Festival Director, Julie Shelton said the panel conversation would explore food in the context of different belief systems and was sure to stimulate interest from festival goers.

The panel will feature Ananda Marga nun, Didi Ananda Tapomaya from the Ananda Marga River School in Maleny, Jewish Rabbi Don Levy from the Temple Shalom on the Gold Coast and Bev Hand from Mimburi Upper Mary Aboriginal Association in Mary Valley.

Rabbi Don Levy said all religions had their own traditions with food that went beyond the basic needs for nourishment and creating fellowship.

“In the Jewish religion, what we eat, refrain from eating and how we eat food is connected to our spiritual side,” Rabbi Levy said.

“There are certain days of the year for fasting, when not even water is permitted,” he said.

“Fasting is a designated self affliction that helps people to draw the focus away from fulfilling their own specific needs and placing that focus on a deeper spiritual principle,” Rabbi Levy said.

“We avoid eating dairy and meat together in the same meal, as well as eating certain animal species,” Rabbi Levy said.

“Eating this way can be a challenge to begin with, particularly in today’s society because of all the processed foods available that can often contain a long list of ingredients,” Rabbi Levy said.

Rabbi Levy said feasting also played a big part in the Jewish faith, where families would gather around the table each Sabbath Day or Friday night and enjoy great quantities of rich, delicious food.

Proudly supported by event partner, IGA Sunshine Coast, the festival will also host more than 120 Sunshine Coast based exhibits ranging from specialty foods to food-related products and services.

There will also be a full schedule of cooking demonstrations and information sessions across its four exciting venues – the Kunara Real Food Kitchen, Jeffers Market Nourishing Ideas, Food for Thought and Eumundi Market Food Craft.

The Real Food Festival will be held at the Maleny Showgrounds, 13 Stanley River Road, Maleny on 7th – 8th September from 9am to 4pm daily and will showcase an abundance of local foods from Sunshine Coast producers, manufacturers and restaurants. Entry is $15 for a daily adult pass and children under 16 are free.

For more information on the Real Food Festival, visit the Festival website at www.realfoodfestival.com.au.

Bloomhill’s Cotton Tree Markets will continue to run every Sunday as usual, despite road closures for two scheduled Marathons in the area.

The 7 Sunshine Coast Marathon, held on 25 August and the Ironman 70.3 Marathon on 15 September will see multiple main road closures throughout Cotton Tree, but access to the Markets will still be available via Second, Third or Fourth Avenue.

Bloomhill General Manager, Mervat Thompson said the marathon would make for a great day out, followed by a stroll through the markets.

“It’s a great opportunity for locals and visitors to witness an amazing sporting event and pick up some local hand-made treasures at our King Street markets,” Mervat said.

“The Sunshine Coast Marathon will be hosting their own set of markets on Alexandra Parade too, in which Bloomhill will also be apart of,” Mervat said.

The Markets, managed by Bloomhill Cancer Help, are held every Sunday at King Street, Cotton Tree from 7am to 12noon. As one of the Coast’s favourite artisan markets, you’ll enjoy local fashion, homewares, toys, sculptures, skin care, jewellery, art and crafts, live music, plus plenty more.

Bloomhill Cancer Help is a Sunshine Coast based charity and provides support and assistance to those affected by cancer. Operated by a team of dedicated staff and hundreds of volunteers, Bloomhill offers counselling, transport to appointments, respite care and a range of complementary therapies and other practical help to more than 900 clients.

Receiving no on-going government funding, Bloomhill relies on community support and funds raised through the markets and its Op Shops to provide its services.

Revenue from stallholder site fees is placed back into the community through Bloomhill’s services and programs, enabling Bloomhill to provide support to a greater number of people during their time of need.

“By shopping at the Cotton Tree Markets you’re helping to support those with cancer on the Coast,” Mervat said.

For more information about the Cotton Tree Markets, please visit www.cottontreemarkets.com.au or email cottontreemarkets@bloomhill.com.au. You can also keep up to date with what’s happening at the markets by following our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/cottontreemarkets.