The Guardian asked me to write a short piece about the food highlights from my recent weekend away in Hobart with my partner: you can read it here! And I don't think I mentioned it here on the blog, but I also contributed a few entries earlier in the year to the Guardian's Unsung Food Suburbs series (read my guide to Dandenong here, and about Sunshine here).
But back to Tassie for a sec: those of you lucky enough to have visited Southern Tasmania's beautiful Huon Valley may have been familiar with the Red Velvet Lounge, a fabulous cafe in Cygnet owned and run by the inimitable Steve Cumper. I had a terrific lunch at the RVL on my previous trip to Tasmania in 2012, and Steve's idiosyncratic blog is one of my favourite chef blogs.
In November, the Red Velvet Lounge was destroyed by fire, devastating Steve and his team. Friends in the industry have rallied to help get the RVL back on its feet: you can get involved by bidding in the #assistRVL Online Auction. There are some fantastic auction items up for grabs, including: dinners at Hobart's hottest restaurants Garagistes and Franklin, accommodation at various Southern Tasmanian bed and breakfasts, a year’s supply of Bruny Island Cheese, an Agrarian Kitchen cooking class for two, French Black truffles from the Perigord 2015 winter truffle harvest, lots of excellent cases of wine, and the opportunity to accompany John Lethlean as his dining companion for a review dinner for the Weekend Australian. Please get bidding! You can do so on the Facebook page, or email tori@brunyislandcheese.com.au to place a silent bid.
