The Barossa Way of Life ~ Welcome to Angaston!

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Food adventures in Angaston, Barossa Valley .

Natter with the locals of the Barossa, and they will describe their valley as having a ‘food culture’. My first assault into the South Australian country side had me quizzically examining their claims of being an enclosed self sufficient eco-system of producers, purveyors and in many cases, consumers.  Upon deeper investigation, it turned out to not only be true but simply, the Barossa way of life.

There is a multitude of striking personalities that you will meet once you take the 50 minute drive north east of Adelaide to the home of one of Australia’s most celebrated wine regions. At the risk of sounding cliché, the people of the Barossa are passionate about their wine, food, art and lifestyle and they have every right to be.  I was amazed and  enchanted by the quality of produce that is currently being grown, sown, picked, crushed and fermented in this historically rich segment of South Australia, with the first stop on my tour, the beautiful township of Angaston.

If you’re planning an excursion to the Barossa, create time to stop at the Barossa farmers market which is held every Saturday morning in a couple of rustically appropriate sheds in Angaston. It reeks atmosphere and fabulous food and is a local hangout as customers and stall holders alike stop for a chat and a catch up. Delicate pastries by Careme, roasted coffee beans by Barossa coffee and egg noodles by Wiech’s sit along side tables of freshly dug potatoes and fridge displays of Hutton Vale local lamb. Every stall has a story to tell and every product a taste of what the Barossa valley has to offer.

One of the quintessential stops on the Barossa food trail must include a lay over in “downtown” Angaston. In a quiet, picture perfect tree lined main street sits an assuming butchers that is home to the recently awarded best bacon in Australia. Schulz smokehouse which is a recent amalgamation with  Barossa Fine Foods has created a powerhouse of small goods, making it  the most highly awarded small goods producer in Australia.  Franz Knoll from Barossa Fine Foods describes the amalgamation of Schulz and BFF as a coming together or “completing of the pig.”

It’s a family affair with butchers young and old(er) downing the traditional blue strip butchers apron and producing simply sensational smoked products for an adoring public – myself firmly included in this group classification. See an article I produced recently having heard of Schulz magnificent win ~ And the Winner of Best bacon goes too… + 10 Best bacon recipes to try!

Peter, the head butcher has worked in the store all his life, and is responsible for producing what has to be one of the best bacons I have had the pleasure of trying. Franz tells me that the secret to their award winning product is not what you put in, but what you leave out and their simple brine combined with a carefully controlled smoke is still done in the traditional style resulting in seasonally obvious variations of authenticity. “The more you preserve” Franz says, “the better the flavor.”

The stopover at Schulz smokehouse was a foodie dream come true and a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and gawk at these true artisans of South Australian produce.

Angaston also offers hand made cheeses by way of The Barossa Valley  Cheese Co, where Victoria the head cheese artisan is producing tasty soft white cheeses and white moulds from locally sourced cows and goats milk in her small cheese kitchen. Victoria believes strongly in producing not only a regional product but also a seasonal product and has a glorious garden along one side of her cheesery that helps tell her story of seasonality.

Victoria’s cheeses include the Barossa Geo, a well balanced elegant table cheese and the fabulous tasting and cute as button packaged Goats milk camembert alongside the recently included and highly sort after, haloumi. The popularity of Victoria’s haloumi finds her and her team of 2 cheese makers having trouble keeping up with demand. I took a packet of the haloumi back to my hotel room, and opted for a haloumi and Shuluz Mettwurst sliced breakfast on the balcony rather than the standard hotel breakfast buffet, a wise and delicious choice on all accounts.

Angaston is also great for antique shopping and a friendly chat, with shops perfect for stopping and browsing. ‘Antiques and more at 24’ houses an impressive collection of kitchen paraphernalia thanks to the rich history of of its  German and British settlers,  families that have been calling the valley home since the early 1800’s.  It is this fascinating history of European settlement that has nurtured and helped create the Barossa’s undeniable food culture, a strong sentiment that is spoken of by any of the locals who you happen to share a story with.

Make sure to connect with these artisans of the Barossa via twitter too!

@barossafinefoods

@barossacheese

@barossacoffee

Or connect with Careme Pastry of the Barossa Valley via Facebook