Olivier Boudon and Theresa Scholl on the beauty and amazing produce of the Scenic Rim
Hello Streets of Your Towners!
Well from Glasgow last episode to the Scenic Rim this week—you never know where this Wandering Journo is going to turn up next!
I hope this podcast episode gets you salivating for some true country produce and hankering for a bushwalk into nature, as I wander through the stunning region known as the Scenic Rim in south-east Queensland.
Next week I’m heading up to far-north Queensland to the Laura Races, a uniquely Aussie horse event that tests riding skills like nothing else, to give you all a glimpse into the great Australian tradition of the Campdraft.
And happy EOFY (End of Financial Year) to those who celebrate! If you’re looking for a great way to help support independent journalism in Australia, please consider buying a subscription to my Streets of Your Town podcast and substack. You’re supporting a journo trying to survive in an increasingly competitive media machine and tell stories that AI cannot replicate—going out bush and all over this vast country to speak to ordinary everyday incredible Australians whose stories are not being captured and who need to be heard.
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Eating local for culinary delights
There’s a little patch of paradise in Queensland’s south-east corner—in some ways not far away from the big city lights of Brisbane. But when you get there, you feel like you could be at the end of the earth.
The Scenic Rim spans more than four thousand kilometres with landscapes ranging from lush rainforests to rolling paddocks and serene lakes, with stunning views and an increasingly world renowned foodie scene. And yet it’s just over an hour’s drive from Brisbane.
This June is Scenic Rim’s Eat Local Month—with a cornucopia of pleasures on offer from the region’s farmers, who are increasingly teaming up with local chefs to create unique experiences from farm to plate.
Olivier Boudon is Executive Chef and Owner of Scenic Rim restaurant Roastbeef and the Frog. He says they are increasingly thinking of more creative ideas such as agritourism ventures to entice more people to discover the magic of the region.
“Listen, we have the best produce and growers in the area, so you find fantastic produce and it goes directly from the producer to the chef to your plate,” Olivier says.
Eat Local Month is a great opportunity to meet the makers—as I did at the launch of the event to whet the appetite for the 100 unique culinary experiences that fill June with joy—ranging from a Long Lunch under the Jacarandas to High Tea and Cocktails in the Rainforest.
I grilled Olivier at the launch about one of his creations—the most divine gelato I had ever tasted—which turned out to be made from roasted sweet potato.
“We—all chefs—try to get a bit out of the track and get sublime with the flavour of the produce. So you have to try different ways,” he says.
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. When it doesn’t, we say, okay, let’s try something else.”
He admires the tenacity of the farmers in the region for overcoming increasing climate challenges in recent years.
“You realise how hard it is for our farmers and growers because when it’s nice, it’s easy. But we know how it is in Australia. It’s too hot, then it’s drought, it’s too wet, or it’s flooded. And you have to learn to work with the elements.
“I know two things about Australia. Either it’s burning or it’s flooding.”
Theresa Scholl from Valley Pride Produce is one of those farmers who has overcome many challenges and takes great pride in continuing a family line of farmers who make great produce.
“I married into the Scholl family 26 years ago, but Andrew is a fifth generation veggie grower. We live on Scholl Road, so that is testament to how long we’ve actually been here,” Theresa says.
“We used to own the whole road and now we are the only farmers left on our road.
“Over the years I don’t think generational farming is what it used to be. A lot of industries have come in and taken over.
“Most people don’t want their children to be farmers. It is a very hard gig.
“We have two sons and a nephew who are taking over our vegetable farm. So that’s our sixth generation. We actually have a very, very strong succession plan, which is so important for generational farming as generational farming is going by the wayside. So we are very, very fortunate.
“Andrew’s mum’s 84 and she still lives on our family farm. She lives in the original homestead.”
Theresa explains how one of the oldest farming families in the area is diversifying into agritourism to make meaningful connections with customers right on the farm.
“Events like this are so important to get people from Brisbane out of their comfort zones and out into, it’s not that far, really just an hour up the road perhaps,” she says.
“We’ve been involved with Eat Local Month since its infancy when it first started. We’ve held a lot of events at our farm as well. We still do a dinner, and then from there we have an afternoon at Valley Pride Produce and now we have Pick Your Own. So I think it’s important. It’s a very family orientated morning where you can book a session and come out, bring your children, bring whoever, and you get to come and meet a farmer. It’s myself and my husband and my children.
“My daughter even comes home from university and helps in the store. My sister-in-law does a lot of the baking for it. We have our famous banana breads.”
She says re-establishing those links connections between city and country is key to people eating better.
“When you compare McDonald’s to cooking your own meal, there’s a big thing there. I’m not politically minded whatsoever, and I don’t ever want to be, but we are not putting our dollars where they should be,” she says.
“We should be subsidising fresh fruit and veg, getting back to people cooking good wholesome meals. Cost of living has a lot to do with that, and we’re very time poor.
“But for me, it’s just so important to get people out into our community because people need to come out and see what we offer. I mean, we live in the best part of the world.”
Showing my true dedication to the cause, I went back to the Scenic Rim for A Twilight Winter Feast by the Fire at Frost Farm on the weekend with a couple of treasured girlfriends. There is nothing better than eating produce cooked on an open fire and surrounded by new friends and old on a long table with a view of the sunset over the mountains—sigh! Julie Frost is the hostess with the mostest—what a beautiful event.
In other news
Here’s an interesting link to the Canadians—they get it!
This story highlights how a coalition of Canada’s top podcast creators, producers, and platforms is calling for more support for podcasting! Hooray.
Read more: Canadian Podcast Industry Calls on Federal Government to Fund Podcasting as Core Cultural Sector
This coalition of creatives has issued an open letter to parliament urging the federal government to formally recognise and fund podcasting as a core part of Canada’s cultural and creative industries.
There’s something there for Aussies to learn from too me thinks!
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Thanks so much
xx Nance