The aroma of baking bread fills the backyard. Sweet, dark and nutty it rolls around on the breeze. In the kitchen out the back of a home in the heart of Daylesford, two women perform a much-practised dance as the knead, shape and bake beautiful looking sourdough loaves. The space is not expansive, so they have worked ways to move around each other that are almost balletic. They are Katy Bauer and Alison Wilken, the brains, brawn and passion behind Two Fold Bakehouse.
Read MoreThis time last month we were still experiencing warm dry days and the ground was yet to be dampened by any rain. By the time May edition hit the streets, the rain had started. And now, only a short month later, we have not just had days of gorgeous, soaking rain but frosts and snow. A farmer's life has never been easy but in today’s rapidly changing climate, many are being stretched to their limits. You can support them directly by attending a local Farmers market where you can buy their beautiful produce direct.
Read MoreTo celebrate the launch of Lost Property, Lost Magazine are giving away a one stay at The White House in Daylesford to one lucky reader.
Get lost finding your new home.
Read MoreRalf Fink is a Fleischmeister. A German master butcher. Born near Dortmund in the north east of Germany he grew up around smallgoods. His father Otto was also a Fleischmeister, and they both graduated from the same academy in Frankfurt. "I was sixteen when I started my apprenticeship," says Ralf. He speaks English with a soft German accent and grammatic perfection. Clean cut and well-presented he maintains high standards.
Read MoreLynda Gardener has an infectious enthusiasm. Her eyes light up as she describes a house she is styling or the new small hotel she is working on. The interior stylist, with her broad smile and signature mane of untamed hair, is an unmissable part of the local business community.
Read MoreAfter the busy harvest and demands of vintage, a veil of a contemplative calm has gently descended over Curly Flat, a small winery near Lancefield. “This is the time of year for reflection,” says winemaker Matt Harrop. He’s been here for 18 months now. Before that he was at Shadowfax, making wine from vineyards across the state. Now he lives a few minutes away from the vineyard and feels every frost and every northerly wind. “May is a time working out what we did right and what we did wrong,” says Matt matter of factly.
Read More“Those bloody ducks!” says chef Hugh Maxwell, half frustrated, half exasperated. The wild wood ducks have been into the kitchen garden at Sault restaurant again and eaten his leafy greens. The gardens supply a good deal of the herbs, edible flowers, leafy greens and some of the vegetables for the restaurant. They sit under the airy dining room, with its 180-degree view overlooking a lavender plantation, lake, chapel and the kitchen garden. Hugh, however, doesn’t resent the ducks as they only nibble the leaves they can get to under the netting. “They also keep the grass down,” says Hugh with a grin. “Along with the kangaroos."
Read MoreWife and husband Karan Hayman and Mark Howson are both successful modern artists living on a beautiful property on the edge of Kyneton looking out over the town towards Mount Macedon. They have both been influential in the Melbourne scene of the late 20th century being founding members of ROAR Studios, an artist collective where emerging Melbourne artists could paint and show their work.
Read MoreWith my Scottish heritage, it is no surprise that I grew up on Black Pudding and absolutely love the stuff. There are some pretty terrible options around, but you simply cannot go wrong with the Oakwood Black Sausage. It has the right amount of spice without being too sweet, holds it shape well when frying without being dry or rubbery. You can buy directly from Oakwood Smallgoods or Maxi Foods in Castlemaine.
Read MoreTop Five Reasons to Get Lost
Read MoreAs we hurtle at break-neck speed toward Winter, there is still no sign of any real rain or even a dramatic cooling of temperature. The hottest, driest Summer on record is still wreaking havoc for our farmers and gardeners although the brilliant Autumnal colours showering streets in reds and golds seem quite oblivious to this unusually mild weather. Here's hoping the rains come soon before the frosts arrive.
Read MoreFor a chance to win a double pass, tell us what you are MOST looking forward to at this year's Clunes Booktown Festival by completing the form below. But hurry - entries close Friday 26th April 2019 at 5.00pm.
Read MoreDelay for a moment, as we did, and I’ll take you to a country town, place you at the entrance of an old Scout Hall on a Saturday afternoon, where ladies have set up tables and laid out their stalls with their kids, selling knitwear, soap and not much else to the few who wander in.
Back in 2007 the millennial drought was well under way. The country was dry and farming communities were hurting. Clunes, the historic town 40km west of Daylesford, was suffering. Shops were closing and there was an uneasy sense of decline in the community. A group of locals put their minds together and decided to gather some book traders and turn Clunes into a mini book fair for a day. They expected a few hundred people. Six thousand showed up.
Read MoreWho said G&T's were purely a summer drink? This spicy cocktail will warm you up as the weather gets cooler.
2 orange slices (for more flavour, use dehydrated or brûléed orange slices)
1 teaspoon cane sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 star anise pods
60ml Animus Arboretum Gin
150ml Strange Love No. 8 Tonic (or any other great quality tonic)
Add ice, orange, cinnamon stick and star anise to the glass. Pour gin over the ingredients to help infuse the flavours. Add tonic and stir before drinking. Voila!
Read MoreDrive to the eastern edge of Daylesford, where the elms begin to give way to farmland. Turn at the Farmers Arms and just before you get to the old railway bridge, take a left and follow the road for a few hundred metres to the old butter factory on your left. What you’re confronted with is a building that is distinctly Ye Olde Worldly, even King Arthur.
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