:: NEWS AND REVIEWS ::

"You are a great hostess and everyone has settled into a very social group and looks forward to each event. Thanks for the effort you go to each time" - Mal, Men Only in the Kitchen.

"On behalf of the Adventure Girls we would like to thank you for a fantastic cooking experience. Everyone was fired up after we left with plans to make it all - we all commented on what a world class kitchen set-up you have. Thank you again" - Fay and the girls - private gnocchi group

"Thanks so much - they had a ball!" Jo - Ducklings Under the Table

"Thanks again for our cooking class on Friday. We all enjoyed it and spoke of coming back again soon". Sandra - Asian Flavours.

GIRL'S NIGHT IN - LONG ITALIAN TABLE - CHARITY DINNER

“Girls Night In”, the annual fund-raising dinner for the Cancer Council, was celebrated with a twist at Duck Under the Table.

Many thanks to those wonderful ladies who supported this dinner. They sat down at the “Long Italian Table” to an Italian inspired feast prepared by proprietor Annette Greenhalgh and her Sydney-based chef and sister, Allison Forlico. Each course featured matched wines sponsored by Old Bar Cellars and recipes notes were also provided with local businesses providing quiz and raffle prizes. Each lady also received a thankyou pack to take home. Many thanks to Italianicious Magazine, Retravision, Wingham & D & L O'Gorman, Bathroom Renovations.

This innovative fund-raising event booked out within days of announcement and I am planning next years event.

charity_menu charity_dinner_-_3_ladies charity_dinner_room

SYDNEY WEEKENDER PROGRAMME

We had a fun afternoon in August with the Jason Hodges and the crew from Sydney Weekender coming to Duck Under to film a class. Thanks to the "Rent-a-crowd" who participated and helped make pasta for the shoot. Chef, Eric Robinson from "The Other Chef" Fine Food Products was on hand to help out and his demonstration of assembling a croqembuche was entertaining - the best however was finally having a chance to enjoy it!

jason_me__eric croqembuche on_film_1

"'PARENTS IN THE KITCHEN' was an idea formulated by Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services with a view to addressing educational issues around good nutrition and food for parents and their children. This particular session is aimed at parents with children between 0-5 to encourage healthy food presentation (and consequently healthier diets); increase the amount of information, skills and awareness that attendees have about the benefits of good nutrition for their families; to provide information about what services are available to assist them in this learning process and how to access those services.

To ensure that the participants received thorough and accurate information we approached local professionals to deliver this workshop. Having such a wonderful initiative and resource as the Duck Under the Table Cookery School in our local area we approached Annette to see if she would like to be involved. We then brought on board a nutritionist from the Hunter New England Area Health Service to her input and expertise. We were absolutely impressed by the enthusiasm and professional approach with which they proceeded to develop the information afor the workshops.

At a time when obesity and other eating disorders are at a high level, service providers need to be looking at educational and early intervention strategies to assist parents in alleviating this problem and its associated effects on children and the community. Thankyou to our sponsors - Manning Valley Free Range Eggs and National Foods."

HERITAGE AWARD:

"Rescue Mission" - Awards recognise conservation of heritage building"

Wingham's image as 'the heritage town' was reinforced recently when a number of local structures received major awards in the inaugural Greater Taree City Council Biennial Heritage Awards.

The Gibson & Skinner Building on Bent Street was the winner of the 'commerical or public buildings/extended' category. Owners Annette & Paul Greenhalgh have adapted the small butcher shop built in 1911 to house a homeware outlet - Oak Homewares and added an extension at the rear of the building in a contemporary way responding to the slope of the land and roof and parapet of the butchers shop. These extensions now house the Duck Under the Table Cookery School and Bent on Food cafe.

The judges felt this project was a successful combination of old and new and demonstrates an alternative way in which older buildings can be extended.

Local architects Russell and Carolyn McFarland of Austin McFarland Architects, who were also one of the sponsors of the awards, designed the project working with Altez Building Contractors".

DUCK UNDER CELEBRITY CHEF SERIES - KURMA DASA

Internationally-renowned vegetarian chef Kurma Dasa is the latest celebrity to appear at Wingham’s Duck Under the Table cookery school, taking a well-attended workshop last weekend. Mr Dasa has hosted three internationally-broadcast television cooking series, seen in over 46 countries. He is perhaps best known in Australia for his “Cooking with Kurma” programmes on SBS and Foxtel and for his classic vegetarian cookery books.

The “ vegetarian guru” presented Duck Under participants with an array of recipes, dispelling the outdated notion that vegetarian food is dull . In a light-hearted style, Kurma took the class through the making of various dishes including fresh “panir”, an Indian cheese, a “hands on” chapati making session, and saffron-infused semolina Halava pudding.

Kurma commented on the high standard of the Duck Under cookery school with its state of the art kitchen. “A regional cookery school of this standard is a rare find in Australia and a real joy to teach in”, he said.

While in Wingham, Kurma Dasa stayed at The Bank guest house and ate at Tellers restaurant, where Executive Chef Vaughn Bligh had created a special dish in his honour. Kurma Dasa has agreed to return in May next year to present another class at Duck Under.

Kurma Dasa applauded Duck Under's great facilities
Fresh Panir cheese

Kurma and his "Chapiti" helpers ;
Dining at Tellers Restaurant, Wingham

DUCK UNDER THE TABLE CELEBRITY CHEF SERIES - STEFANO MANFREDI

Perhaps one fo the highlights of the cookery year at Duck Under was Stefano Manfredi's presentation at Duck Under. Stefano, a leading exponent of modern Italian cooking, is one of Sydney's best known chefs. He has owned a series of award winning restaurants in Sydney and is also "The Interactive Cook" for the Sydney Morning Herald, where he writes a feature for the weekend paper. A keen support of regional produce, Stefano presented a selection of recipes featuring some of the region's finest produce. Regional producers and sponsors included Manning Valley Free Range Eggs, Rainbow Mushrooms, (Rainbow Flat), Wingham Plaza Butchery, Hastings Dairy, The Olive Oil Shop, (Wauchope) and Mt George Citrus. Yalumba Wines generously sponsored wines to compliment Stefano's menu. One of the highlights of the class was a pasta making demonstration, where a few lucky participants, were able to assist Stefano in making pappardelle, as taught to him by his mother. Stefano was a guest of The Bank and Tellers Restaurant while at Wingham and he nothing but praised for this dining experience - "you are lucky to have such a quality establishment on your doorstep, restaurants like Tellers, are a rarity on the north coast" he said. Stefano thoroughly enjoyed his visit and he complimented Duck Under for its modern and well equipped facilities. He is keen to return to present another class.

RECENT PRESS:

Sydney Morning Herald - Travel Section, March 2008

Coast Living Autumn 2007

Delicious - March 2007

Hunter Lifestyle - December-January 2007

Country Style - October 2006

Country Style: September 2006

Coast Living: Winter 2005 - The Food Issue - 6 Cooking Schools, The New Trend.

Coast Living: Spring 2005

Sydney Morning Herald - Good Weekend - 52 Weekends Away - Dining a la car.

Pre-launch Press

“Tourism boost on the Menu for Wingham"

Farmers and the tourism industry around the Mid North Coast town of Wingham will be the big winners when a new cookery and cheesemaking school and regional food store are opened in the historic town later this year.

The town’s historic 1911 “Gibson and Skinner” butcher shop is being restored and returned to commercial use, with an architect-designed building under construction next door to house the new ventures, and once again make the corner shop a busy part of the town.

The complex is the brainchild of local “foodie” Annette Greenhalgh.

An accomplished cook who previously operated a Sydney-based gourmet foods and corporate catering company, Annette was also the creative force behind Wingham’s award winning The Bank Guest House and Tellers Restaurant.”

The Land Newspaper — October 14, 2004.

“Heritage lives on"

Plans for the historic "Gibson and Skinner" butcher shop have been revealed and they look set to enhance Wingham’s image as a heritage town while supporting the region’s small-scale primary producers.

The site, on the corner of Bent and Farquhar Streets is to be developed to create a cookery and cheese-making school and a regional produce store. In the process, the heritage listed butcher shop, built in 1911, will be restored and returned to commercial use.

Council’s heritage advisor Lillian Cullen has spoken very highly of the plans:
“It is heartening to see such an excellent reuse of a unique building that may have found little sympathy as a modern concern. The project ….. is to be commended for its depth of design that complements a unique and significant heritage building”.”

The Manning River Times - September 3 & 4 2004.