For a year or two now I’ve been hearing about the QLD FBI. As an avid reader of crime and thriller novels, I was intrigued. Would there be spies? Would there be covert operations? Would there {gasp} … be a fugitive???
Alas, it was not to be {little sigh of relief}. QLD FBI hosts events for the Food and Beverage Industry. And yesterday afternoon I went for my first time. Along with quite a few other first-timers {waving hello}.
Held at Martin Duncan’s Freestyle Tout at the Emporium, QLD FBI showcased a range of food suppliers. I’m still debating what my favourite was. A huge thanks to the suppliers who generously supplied their products for tasting:
- Fino Food and Wine – cheeses and tasty little oat crackers that I SERIOUSLY NEED to buy some of
- Amber Hill Wines – sadly I was driving so only tasted the chardonnay. Having seriously overdosed on chardy in 2000 I haven’t really had a palate for it since. This one changed all that. If my cribbing from the website is correct, it was the 2008, which was their first chardonnay. Who says Queensland can’t make wine??
- Careme Pastry – I met owner and chef, Will Wood, at the Good Food and Wine Show, but really didn’t know who he was {oops. I do now}. Of course I had tasted Careme Pastry, and I have 4 packets in my freezer waiting to be cooked. And eaten. Soon. Check out the website for ideas and recipes {drools}.
- More Food – were showcasing Coffin Bay oysters (More Food are also the distributors for Careme Pastry). I have on good authority that these were amazing {my view on oysters will never again be publicly shared after a twitter comment that caused outrage}.
- Beloka Water – sparking and still water from Beloka, on the eastern border of the Kosciuszko National Park. One of the most gorgeous parts of Australia. In my opinion. The sparkling was just as I like it. Not too many bubbles up my nose.
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| Cheeses – anticlockwise Camenbert (front), brie, burrata, NZ blue |
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| Cheese – washed rind (l), blue (r) |
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| Amber Hill wines |
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| Beloka water |
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| Careme pastry – sour cream shortcrust |
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| Careme pastry – lemon merengue at the front (with vanilla bean sweet shortcrust), little chocolate tarts of oozy-goodness at the back (with chocolate shortcrust) |
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| Martin Duncan (pink shirt), owner of Freestyle Tout; Will Wood (chef’s whites), owner of Careme Pastry. Maker of all baked goodness at QLD FBI. |
The wait staff were swarmed when they emerged from the kitchen with Will’s baked goodies. Not shown were the little tarts with caramelised onions, blue cheese and pear slivers. OMG. These were so, so good. Actually, they take the prize as best of the day. At least for me. Sorry there is no pic. Everyone else obviously loved them too, as by the time I thought to snap away all I had left were crumbs dribbled down my top, and the sight of empty plates (I wanted seconds. Didn’t get them).
If you’re in the food biz in or around Brisbane, check out QLD FBI. It was a great afternoon. Martin confirmed he has 4 events lined up for 2011, and that they will be on Mondays from 3-5pm. Just in time for when Monday-itis AND 3.30-itis hits {or is it just me who finds Monday afternoons a chore?}. No other excuse needed. See you there next year.
Love the new blog, new look, new name. Happy foodieing! x