by brandsa2018

Lattes and pastries in Tailem Bend? You betcha

Quality coffee, freshly-baked lemon meringue tarts and almond croissants are not usually associated with a truck stop town like Tailem Bend.

The rural service town – 100km southeast of Adelaide and often referred to as the gateway to Melbourne – is more known for its service stations and semi-trailers.

But recently Tailem Bend has been growing into its new identity, largely due to the opening of the $110m Bend Motorsport Park, set to revive the local economy by boosting employment and visitation to the town.

Small business owners Amy and Neil Chinsami are also contributing to the changing face of the sleepy railway town, thanks to the popularity of their popular main street coffee shop, The Little Local Co.

It’s almost impossible to walk out of Little Local Co without a baked treat.

“We have customers who say they had never been to the main street before now, and others who say they didn’t even know there was a main street,” says Amy, who grew up in the small Aboriginal community of Raukkan.

“People are now turning off the highway to have a coffee and locals say they have been waiting for somewhere you can just sit with a good coffee and cake.

“It’s made an impact on the community.”

The Little Local Co opened in late 2017, but has already built a strong following and sound reputation for quality coffee and delectable sweet treats.

The coffee shop’s popularity has prompted Amy and Neil to prepare for the opening of their second Little Local Co establishment, The Kitchen, along Princes Highway.

Amy cooks many of the baked goods herself, and sources other treats from local bakeries.

The pair are expecting to open The Kitchen’s doors in August and say the café will specialise in fresh and local meals, inspired by their Aboriginal and Fijian backgrounds.

“The Kitchen will be the only café on the highway,” says Amy, who draws inspiration from her community, Raukkan, considered to be the heart of Ngarrindjeri land.

“We infuse wattle seed from the Coorong and Raukkan area in our cold brew,” she says.

“It’s something that is part of my community and my land and I want to expose others to these new flavours.”

Neil is Fijian/Indian with the handcrafted chocolates on offer incorporating Fijian brown sugar and cacao.

The Little Local Co’s coffee shop is well known for its baked goods and coffee, from local premium roaster Cirelli.

The lemon meringue bombs are a hit with customers.

Amy’s own lemon meringue bombs just about fly off the counter, as do a range of other sweet treats such as orange almond cakes and chocolate brownies.

Amy and Neil began their Little Local Co journey as a small catering company and pop-up coffee cart, making appearances at events and local footy matches.

“We had both loved food and coffee and had always dreamed of having our own café one day,” Amy says.

“It took a few years of planning and researching and having a look at potential places in Murray Bridge, but nothing suited us.

“Then we were driving through Tailem Bend’s main street one day and saw a tiny shopfront. We just knew it would be an amazing space for a coffee shop.”

Amy says there is more to Tailem Bend than meets the eye.

“I think people do just see it as a place that you pass by when you’re wanting to get to somewhere else. But if you come into the heart of the community … there are no empty shops in the main street and I think that’s really great.

“There is so much happening in Tailem Bend.”

Header photo courtesy of Glenn Power.

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by brandsa2018

Top 6: 4WD and camping spots in SA

A little bit of mud never hurt anybody.

Whether it’s navigating the dry and dusty red dirt roads of the Far North or taking in the stunning coastlines along the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia offers a whole bunch of landscapes to explore on four wheels.

We’ve done our research and declare these six spots as the best 4WDing playgrounds in the state.

Some of them are dedicated 4WD parks, meaning you’re supporting local family businesses when you visit!

1. JAKEM Farm
Where: Eclair Mine Road, St Ives.

This 4WD park south of Callington in the Adelaide Hills will keep the most passionate 4WDer occupied for hours (or days!)

Just 45 minutes from Adelaide up the South Eastern Freeway, JAKEM Farm features 16 tracks of mostly steep and rugged terrain and overlooking acres of rolling hills.

A number of campsites are also available, and visitors might be lucky to spot kangaroos, wedge-tailed eagles, ducks, turtles and other wildlife along the Mt Barker Creek.

Mostly importantly, JAKEM Farm offers a place for 4WDers to play hard away from national parks or public roads.

Being stuck in a rut is part of the fun! Photo: JAKEM Farm Facebook.

2. Saunders Gorge Sanctuary
Where: Three Chain Road, Sanderston.

This spot not far from the town of Mt Pleasant is a good one for weekend trips, as it’s only 90 minutes from Adelaide.

It’s a private conservation area with a dedicated three-hour Eagle View 4WD Track.

There are a handful of campsites (with drop dunnies!) if you’d like to explore the area over a couple of nights.

The walking trails are a birdwatcher’s delight.

3. Coffin Bay National Park
Where: 60km west of Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula.

The Coffin Bay National Park is one for beach drivers, offering a variety of conditions such as soft sand and narrow, winding tracks.

Much of the park can only be accessed by 4WD. Popular spots include Black Springs, Sensation Beach and Point Sir Isaac.

Follow the route markers, be alert of wildlife (such as wandering emus!) and oncoming traffic.

There are also many walks and hikes through vegetated dunes, up to lookouts, and overlooking offshore reefs.

As for camping, there are four designated campgrounds, with permits to be purchased online or at the Port Lincoln Visitor Information Centre.

4. Loveday 4×4 Adventure Park
Where: Caddy Road, Barmera.

Loveday 4×4 Adventure Park in the Riverland is an 8000-acre property that includes a 14km stretch of the mighty Murray River.

The landscape features clay flats, creek beds, sand hills, steep and stony hills, and sandy mallee scrub.

The Loveday park has a bit of everything – from quiet, serene spots along the Murray, to tracks just waiting to be tackled by hardcore 4WDers.

Camp sites are accessible with 2WDs and caravans.

5. Little Dip Conservation Park
Where: Nora Creina Road, Robe.

Located on the outskirts of Robe on the Limestone Coast is the Little Dip Conservation Park.

The many tracks are sure to give your vehicle a good workout.

Aside from the stunning coastline views, 4WDers can also travel to lagoons and inland lakes throughout the park.

The beach is also popular for fishing.

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6. Flinders Ranges

The stunning Flinders Ranges is arguably one of the best camping and 4WDing destinations in SA.

The many tracks and terrains of the region are suited to 4WDers with the right gear and who know what they’re doing.

The region offers many tour operator and self-drive experiences, including Alpana Station (5km from Blinman) which features two self-drive 4WD tracks.

The Mt Samuel 4WD track is a four-hour journey through sheep grazing country, with challenging mountain ridges and steep descents.

REMEMBER: Stick to the tracks, admire plants and wildlife from afar, take your rubbish with you, leave your pets at home and respect the heritage of the places you visit.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our state by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

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by brandsa2018

Concrete company sets the slab for $10m state-of-the-art plant

Adelaide’s leading independent pre-mixed concrete supplier is months away from opening a state-of-the-art wet batch plant that will help cement the company as a “supplier of choice” in the South Australian market.

The 38-year-old local business, Hallett Concrete, is expecting to open its $10m plant in Mile End in Adelaide’s inner west by September/October, creating about 15 new jobs.

The company considers the wet batch plant to be an SA-first as it will have a production capacity of 180m3 per hour, and will reduce its waste and impact on the environment.

Wet batch cement plants allow for the cement to be mixed at a single, central location before being hauled to the job site in a mixer truck.

A dry batch plant, on the other hand, involves all the materials and water being discharged into a truck, which then mixes the cement during transportation to the job site.

Wet batch plants are seen to create a more consistent mixture within a short space of time and are understood to have a lesser impact on the environment due to dust being contained at the plant.

Hallett Concrete’s cement mixers can be spotted on major road infrastructure upgrades in Adelaide.

Hallett Concrete general manager Nigel Waterhouse says the Mile End facility will become the company’s flagship plant.

He says Hallett’s growth has been driven by the state’s burgeoning infrastructure industry, with major road projects such as Adelaide’s North-South Corridor upgrade increasing demand.

“We can see that SA is a growing economy in this industry and we want to be a part of it,” Nigel says.

“That’s why we’re employing more people, putting on (five) more trucks, and building a new concrete plant with new technology and … less impact to the environment.”

Nigel says the new plant will service the CBD region, as well as the inner western and southern suburbs.

He says recent road infrastructure projects, such as the Darlington Upgrade Project (3.3km of South Road at Darlington), are better worked on at night to reduce disruption to traffic.

“We can see that with those roads we need to do a lot of night works, so we need to have a place with the capability of doing 24-hour works,” he says.

“So moving further down the track, we’re looking at doing more night works which have less impact on transport and commuters during the day.”

Hallett Concrete’s mobile plant at Darlington.

The Darlington Upgrade Project – part of the North South Corridor upgrade – is one of the largest concrete delivery projects in the state.

Other projects that Hallett has poured its cement into include the recently opened The Bend Motorsport Park at Tailem Bend, the Torrens to Torrens roadway and the Nyrstar metals processing plant at Port Pirie.

Other clients include ALDI supermarket distribution centres, and residential building companies such as fellow SA business Fairmont Homes.

Part of the MSP Group of companies, Hallett Concrete employs 120 people across its sites at Dry Creek, Elizabeth, McLaren Vale, Port Pirie and Strathalbyn, as well as across its mobile plant operations.

Concept plans for the mile End wet batch plant.

“We’re constantly growing,” Nigel says.

He says Hallett Concrete chooses to operate in SA because of the amount of work on offer.

“Our company was born and bred in SA and we choose to operate here to be part of the state’s exception growth prospects,” Nigel says.

“We want to continue to be the leading concrete supplier of choice in the SA market.

“We have great faith in the customers and the people of SA.”

Visit I Choose SA for Industry to learn more stories about key industry leaders, why they’ve chosen SA as a base and how the state is enabling them to succeed.

by brandsa2018

Pinot and fondue a perfect match for Hot 100 Wines winner Shaw + Smith

A wine style that’s charming wine lovers the world over will be at the centre of a discovery session presented by an international cheese judge and Adelaide Hills winery later this month.

Pinot noir, renowned for its delicacy and greater simplicity compared to bolder reds, will be on the lips of wine lovers exploring the Hot 100 Winter Harvest’s Pinot and Fondue Discovery Session.

International cheese judge and Smelly Cheese Shop founder Valerie Henbest will host the session alongside Shaw + Smith’s Dan Coward.

The Winter Harvest event on June 29–30 is the final hurrah for last year’s Hot 100 Wines South Australia awards, in which Shaw + Smith’s 2016 Pinot Noir took the crown for being the most drinkable.

The winning 2016 Pinot Noir.

In celebration of the end of the financial year, the Winter Harvest event is bringing back the Hot 100 Wines to be sampled by visitors and tasted in a number of degustation lunches, dinners and discovery sessions.

Shaw + Smith’s 2016 Pinot Noir was named the most drinkable wine out of almost 1400 drops blind-tasted by judges from across the country.

From fog-shrouded vineyards at Balhannah, Shaw + Smith’s Dan Coward sat down with Brand SA News this week to chat all things pinot and why it’s the perfect match for cheese fondue.

“The 2016 vintage was a lovely, easy vintage that produced an aromatic wine with lots of flavour,” he says.

“It’s light and delicate and with that comes drinkability as a young wine, it’s not a wine that you’d wait five to 10 years for. It can be enjoyed in its youth.”

Cheese and Fondue Discovery Session participants will be tasting French Alpine cheeses with three of Shaw + Smith’s pinot noirs, including a 2017 drop, one from its Tasmanian vineyard, and another from a back vintage.

The winning 2016 pinot (which is almost sold out) will be on offer at one of the degustation dinners, and also among the Hot 100 Wines South Australia stands.

Dan says the cheeses will be tasted at room temperature and as cheese fondue.

“Valerie tells brilliant stories about the cheese, I tell people as much about the history of pinot and why it works with the cheese,” he says.

“Our other vineyard (at Lenswood) is 500m above sea-level and we think that’s the perfect altitude, coolness and conditions for a really exciting pinot.

“Classically, you match foods with wines that are from a similar area … we’re not quite like the Alps here but a higher altitude variety like pinot goes with higher altitude cheeses.

“There tends to be higher acidity in higher altitude wines.

“The acidity will clean up your palate and cut through the fat in the cheese.”

Shaw + Smith’s winery and cellar door at Balhannah. Photo by Sia Duff.

Last year wasn’t Shaw + Smith’s first shot at Hot 100 success.

Its sister label, The Other Wine Co, won in 2015/16 with the 2015 Grenache.

Wineries making an appearance at this year’s Hot 100 Winter Harvest include Tomich Wines, Temple Bruer, Mitolo Wines, Howard Vineyard, Golding Wines, d’Arenberg, and 919 Wines.

General admission to the event is $49 and includes a Riedel wine glass.

To celebrate the Hot 100 Winter Harvest, Brand South Australia is giving away two double passes to the event.

Click here to enter before Thursday, June 21, at 5pm (AEST).

For more information on the separate degustation dinners and discovery sessions click here.

The Pinot and Fondue Discovery Session ($40) is on June 29, 7–8pm.

Header photo is Shaw + Smith’s global sales and marketing manager David Lemire, left, owner Martin Shaw and senior winemaker Adam Wadewitz. Photo by Sia Duff.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our state by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

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by brandsa2018

Beerenberg celebrates $14m factory expansion in Hahndorf

Renowned South Australian jam and condiments maker Beerenberg is celebrating the official completion of its $14m factory and headquarters at Hahndorf in the Adelaide Hills.

Sixth-generation family member and managing director Anthony Paech has fired up the new bottling line, processing hundreds of bottles of the food producer’s popular tomato sauce.

The multi-staged redevelopment, which began in 2015, will see the longstanding family company’s production capacity double, securing its long-term future in the country’s oldest surviving German settlement.

The 6500sqm head office expansion includes state-of-the-art factory equipment, allowing 15 tonnes of product (60,000 bottles) to be processed per shift.

Beerenberg managing director Anthony Paech switched on the new bottling line recently.

Anthony says the expansion provides a platform for major growth and stability for Beerenberg’s future.

It currently employs 85 people.

“This is a state-of-art design which enables higher control over the cooking and bottling of product, allowing us to craft an even higher quality of product in larger volumes,” says Anthony, whose family has been working on the Hahndorf land since 1839.

“There is also natural light and a climate controlled modern environment for staff, with the latest safety features.

“Finally, there is a room for expansion which we have needed for some time.”

The facility will be officially opened today (June 5) by South Australian Governor Hieu Van Le.

The project was worked on by a number of local businesses, including Moto Projects, Sarah Constructions, McMahon Services, Michael Watson Architects, and Swanbury Penglase.

“We sought to find a community-friendly approach to expand our Adelaide Hills base into an ultra-modern facility, securing its future in the Hills and gearing it for further international growth,” Anthony says.

Siblings Sally and Anthony Paech outside the $14m new Beerenberg factory and headquarters in Hahndorf.

Beerenberg is also a ‘pick-your-own’ strawberry farm and this summer it attracted more than 80,000 people.

Beerenberg – which means ‘Berry Hill’ in German – has more than 90 products in its range, including jams, sweet and savoury sauces and condiments.

The products are available in 24 countries, on major airlines and in more than 300 hotels worldwide.

The business is run by the three Paech siblings, Anthony, Robert, who is farm manager, and Sally who is marketing manager.

Their late father Grant Peach began selling strawberries from a roadside stall in 1971 after the first strawberry patch was planted near the family home.

The Beerenberg family Robert, left, Sally, Carol and Anthony Paech.

In 1975, Grant and wife Carol launched the pick-your-own strawberries concept which quickly became a thriving tourist destination before new products, including chutney and pickled onions, were added.

In 1980 the factory and shop were built and five years’ later a contract was secured with airline Qantas to serve mini Beerenberg jams to customers.

As the years rolled on the first export deals were made and the brand continued to grow until 2013 when it underwent a major overhaul, leading to a boost in national sales.

Grant Paech died in 2011 after a long illness and is remembered as a pioneer and innovator in the state’s food industry.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our state by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

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by brandsa2018

Eyre Peninsula craft brewery has a crack at oyster stout

An Eyre Peninsula craft brewing company has incorporated a Coffin Bay delicacy into its latest creation – an oyster stout which is believed to be the first for South Australia.

Port Lincoln’s Beer Garden Brewing is preparing to officially launch Angasi, which creator Mark Butterworth says will help showcase the region’s seafood industry.

Mark, a former chemical engineer, says oyster stout has been around for centuries but he believes he’s the first South Australian craft brewer to release the seafood-inspired beverage.

He describes the latest brew as a “relatively smooth, full bodied, English-style stout” with a “pleasant depth of flavour”.

The first batch was made from about 40 dozen Coffin Bay native Angasi and Pacific oysters.

The Angasi stout showcases Coffin Bay’s most renowned seafood – oysters.

Mark says the oyster stout doesn’t have an overbearing fishy taste and that “you won’t be picking oyster meat out of your beer”.

“The process is not too different to a normal brew that we do,” he says.

“When we boil the batch to sterilise the beer, that’s when we add the shucked oysters in a muslin bag, resulting in a smooth flavour.”

“It’s not meant to be drunk cold, but at about 5C-10C. As it warms up it releases a bit of the oyster flavour.”

Mark recently took four kegs of the Angasi to a beer festival in Melbourne and is preparing to launch it officially in Coffin Bay soon.

Beer Garden Brewing owners Janie, left, and Mark Butterworth with brewer Dan Treagus.

He says craft brewers are increasingly experimenting with interesting ingredients.

“There were beers (at the Melbourne festival) that had crushed up snails in it, there was one that tasted like bubblegum and another like Bertie Beetles,” Mark says.

“There are a few extreme ones out there and I guess ours is lumped in that category.”

Mark has been experimenting with oyster stout for some years, and in 2015 “gave it a crack” when he home brewed a batch with half-a-dozen oysters.

In December 2016, he and chemist wife Janie launched Beer Garden Brewing, a brewery that prides itself on sustainable practices and sourcing local products, including Eyre Peninsula grain.

The brewery began with just two beers on offer, and now the oyster stout is one of 10 soon to be slurped up by seafood lovers and craft beer aficionados.

While some might find a seafood-inspired brew unappealing, Mark says those who otherwise enjoy stout would take to the oyster variety.

“We have a coffee stout (brewed with local Eyre Roasted coffee) and people really enjoy that,” he says.

“We’re seeing tastes change on the Eyre Peninsula, people were mainly drinking mainstream beer but in the last 18 months we are seeing people take a liking to craft beer.”

Mark and wife Janie moved to Port Lincoln after working at the Olympic Dam mine near Roxby Downs in the state’s Far North.

Longing for a sea change, the pair had family in Port Lincoln (Mark’s brother works in the oyster industry) and decided the coastal town was the perfect place to raise their three children and pursue their interests in craft brewing.

Visitors can take a tour of the brewery before relaxing with a pint in the beer garden.

The Butterworths are passionate about showcasing the seafood and tourism offerings of their region, and are also dedicated to remaining as environmentally sustainable.

“We have solar panels, we reuse all wastewater from the brewing processes on the garden and the spent grain goes to our head brewer’s cows,” Mark says.

“We want to have as low of an impact as possible.”

Beer Garden Brewing is facing a period of growth, with upgrades to the kitchen to accommodate for greater food offerings for visitors.

It is also upgrading the manual bottling equipment with a packaging line to allow for greater efficiency.

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by brandsa2018

How to make the most of a South Australian winter

Winter – it’s the coldest time of year when South Aussies turn into a glove wearing, red wine sipping and fierce footy barracking bunch.

The winter months bring no shortage of activity across the state with festivals, events and attractions lighting up the city and warming our regions.

From underground outback bakeries, to spotting southern right whales off the coast at Victor Harbor and cradling hot chocolates in cosy cafes, there are hundreds of ways to enjoy the chilly months in South Australia.

Here are 15 of the best!

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1. Get lost in a bookshop
There’s nothing quite like the alluring smell of a book.

In the leafy suburb of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills, you’ll find Matilda Bookshop, a small independent store stocked with new releases combined with something a little bit different.

O’Connell’s Bookshop on Bank Street in Adelaide is another oldie but goodie, with a selection of rare and unique stories to devour.

It’s also Adelaide’s oldest antiquarian and second-hand bookshop.

2. Drop a line
It takes courage to climb out of bed at 4am and have the boat in the water by the crack of dawn when the fish are biting.

But it’s worth the effort, especially in winter – the prime time for King George Whiting.

The Eyre Peninsula, Yorke Peninsula, Limestone Coast and Kangaroo Island are the go-to spots.

Stuck on where exactly to go? Head here.

The underground bakery at Farina. PHOTO: Rob Fairweather.

3. Visit the Farina Bakery
The ghost town of Farina, 55km south of Marree in the state’s Far North has a population of zero, but it’s bakery is roaring hot.

Until July 21, a dedicated band of volunteers, overseen by the Farina Restoration Group, will fire up an old underground wood-fired Scotch oven.

Fresh bread, hot pies, pasties and buns are sold to scores of visitors, who can also explore the town’s ruins, some of which are undergoing rehabilitation.

4. Sip a red in front of a fireplace
Adelaide is a member of the exclusive Great Wine Capital Global Network (alongside Bordeaux, France, among others) so the abundance of fine wine is being poured out of our cellar doors.

Sipping a smooth glass of red in a comfy armchair by a crackling fireplace? Saturday arvo sorted.

Here’s five fireplaces to warm those hands over, plus another five below!

• Café El Estanco (Greenock, Barossa Valley)
• Bendbrook Wines cellar door (Hahndorf)
• Lost in a Forest (Uraidla)
• Ruby Red Flamingo (North Adelaide)
• Wirra Wirra Wines (McLaren Vale)

The Belgian chocolate fountains at Providore. Photo: Providore, Adelaide Central Market, Facebook.

5. Head on a chocolate hunt
South Australia is home to the country’s oldest family owned chocolate maker – Haighs.

Head to either end of Rundle Mall to stock up on choccies then wander over to the Adelaide Central Market.

Here you’ll find Providore and will probably become entranced by the Belgian chocolate fountains.

Twenty minutes up the South Eastern Freeway in Stirling is Red Cacao with its handmade truffles, cakes, coffee, brownies and waffles.

6. Get outside
It can be tempting to stay rugged up with a good book or movie, but when it’s not raining, winter in South Australia is often met with blue skies.

So hit the beach, tackle the Mt Lofty Summit, explore a national park or take your four-legged friend for a walk (and then hit one of these dog friendly venues).

Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard is again hosting Pinot in the Dark as part of this year’s Winter Reds.

7. Hit a wine festival
There is a stack of wine festivals unfolding this winter, allowing wine lovers a chance to try not only the best drops, but local fare and music too.

The McLaren Vale Sea & Vines Festival is on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend (June 9, 10 and 11) offering intimate degustation dinners with winemakers and chefs, winery tours and general lounging around cellar doors.

New wine festival on the block – Sip and Sounds – will take place at the National Wine Centre on July 22.

From July 27 – 29, the Adelaide Hills’ Winter Reds will lure thousands of wine lovers to more than 30 wineries across the region.

Wine appreciators can be spotted at the Hot 100 Winter Harvest at the Adelaide Convention Centre on June 29 and 30.

8. Shop (local of course)
Hit the mall, arcade or your country town main street and buy something special.

Better yet, buy something that’s South Australian made or owned.

Looking for the State Brand will make things easier, or head to the Shop South Australia marketplace which will point you directly to all things SA, including wine, homewares, fashion, gifts, skincare and more.

Set in a private coastal garden in Robe, Trader Jack’s provides a unique and stylish stay. Photo: Robe Lifestyle Properties.

9. Travel
With a long weekend and school holidays on the horizon, a winter break is the perfect opportunity to recuperate and reset.

We’ve said it before, but South Australia offers the best playground in the country, with national parks, beaches, bushland and vibrant city laneways.

From former bacon factories to treehouses, shipping containers and fancy retreats, quirky accommodation offerings are on the rise, giving you more options to stay somewhere cool (and affordable).

We’ve nailed down the top 10 quirky accommodation spots.

10. Get arty
August is the month of the annual SA Living Artists (SALA) Festival, Australia’s largest community-based visual arts event.

Dozens of exhibitions and art showings will unfold across the state in a diverse range of locations from slick CBD galleries to regional exhibitions set before vineyard views.

Also, Colours of Impressionism is still showing at the Art Gallery of SA until July 29.

It’s been a huge hit so far, featuring 65 works by legendary artists Monet, Cézanne, Renoir and Pissarro, among others.

I Choose SA ambassadors Laura and Brendan Carter from Applewood in Gumeracha.

11. Cheers to World Gin Day
Raise your glass to the many craft gin makers in South Australia, including Prohibition Liquor Co in the CBD, Ambleside Distillery at Hahndorf and Kangaroo Island Spirits.

Applewood at Gumeracha has made gin from the hail damaged pear crop and will be releasing it on World Gin Day on June 9 at the Inglewood Inn.

12. Get thinking
We’re about to enter the season of ideas.

Entrepreneurs Week in July is once again showcasing the state’s most innovative start-ups, technologies, workspaces and ecosystem leaders.

The week of e-week events will keep you busy, as will Hybrid World, a digital entertainment and technology event that gives a glimpse into the future of the industry.

The Festival of Ideas is also unfolding on July 12–15, inviting speakers including scientists, journalists, historians, architects, economists and theologians to explore a myriad of topics.

A whale frolics off the coast of the Fleurieu.

13. Go whale watching
Head to Victor Harbor to spot these gentle giants – southern right whales – which return to our coastlines each winter.

Their annual journey to SA is part of the breeding cycle.

The SA Whale Centre at Victor Harbor is a good one to visit for families, featuring interactive exhibits, artefacts and displays.

14. Celebrate the shortest day of the year
The winter solstice is the one day of the year with the least daylight hours and this time it will fall on Thursday, June 21.

The winter solstice brings out a range of events celebrating the long night and first step towards spring.

A winter solstice-inspired pop-up wine event will reawaken the former Royal Adelaide Hospital foyer on June 15.

The SA Wine Industry Association, in collaboration with Food SA, will welcome 15 wineries to the site.

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15. Head to the cabaret

Local, national and international artists will descend on Adelaide on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend for the annual Adelaide Cabaret Festival.

It’s one of the biggest events of its kind, featuring a rich program of classic and contemporary performances.

A colourful collection of burlesque, cabaret dinners, family galas and a piano man will make a weekend of pure entertainment.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our state by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

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by brandsa2018

The company behind the high-tech smart systems on our roads

A decade ago electrician-by-trade Damian Hewitt was working as a maintenance manager in Adelaide’s Holden factory when he swapped the automotive industry for a career in high-tech industrial automation and control.

He joined the Tonsley-based SAGE Automation, a company that has its foot firmly in South Australia’s transport infrastructure sector and is preparing the state’s motorways for the future.

“When I moved across to SAGE I loved it and have never looked back,” says Damian, the privately-owned entity’s national manager of transport.

SAGE Automation believes its technology and ‘intelligent transport systems’ hold the key to reducing road congestion.

In recent years it has deployed vehicle infrastructure communication systems across some of the state’s busiest highways.

SAGE Automation worked on the Heysen Tunnels in 2000.

Almost 20 years ago it designed the safety control system for the Heysen Tunnels, while it also provided the control system for the bridges on the Port River Expressway.

One of its biggest recent projects was delivering an intelligent transport system for the $160m O-Bahn tunnel.

This included the installation of hardware on all O-Bahn buses, giving drivers real-time alerts if they are travelling too fast or too close to the bus in front.

Roadside sensors at either end of the tunnel detect vehicles that are authorised to use the O-Bahn.

“We’ve also delivered the Torrens to Torrens project and we’re working on the Darlington Road upgrade now,” Damian says.

“Probably about 70% of SA’s managed roads, freeways and tunnels have SAGE Automation systems on them.

“Nationally, we’re doing the Monash Freeway in Melbourne and in Sydney we’re working on the Sydney Harbour Bridge’s electronic lane changeover system.

“The answer to reducing congestion isn’t necessarily widening motorways, it’s about using technology.”

SAGE Automation is currently working on smart transport systems for the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

From real-time electronic travel time signs to a smartphone app alerting motorists about traffic delays, SAGE is at the forefront of some of the state’s most transformative technology developments in road infrastructure.

Damian says SA is a national leader when it comes to the standard of technology being deployed on road networks.

“For example, full CCTV coverage has been deployed down the entire Torrens to Torrens upgrade of South Road including thermal video incident detection,” he says.

“No other motorway has that coverage.

“The Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure (DPTI) has also identified that the transport system is critical in emergency responses, so they have battery backups on the entire network.

The real-time travel signs tell motorists how far to particular destinations.

“If there is a state emergency, signage will direct people to where they need to go.”

SAGE Automation employs about 160 people in SA and more than 340 across the country.

It also has offices in India and is working on a global strategy to explore potential for further expansion.

But as far as manufacturing goes, Adelaide is home.

“We manufacture here in Adelaide and we’re seen as an industry leader,” Damian says.

SAGE Automation is also working on autonomous vehicle trials, something Damian says he envisages will become a part of everyday life within the next five years.

The company is working on three driverless vehicle trials, including a shuttle bus at Glenelg, driverless cargo pods at Tonsley and autonomous shuttles at Flinders University.

The smart shuttle stop, the OlliStop will make transport more accessible for aged care and disability groups.

“Our autonomous bus (at Glenelg), includes features tailored to the individual’s needs, particularly around disability and aged care groups,” Damian says.

“The vision impaired can use a voice activated messaging system that announces the arrival time of the bus.”

Damian says these advancements in transport infrastructure technology will boost demand for high-tech manufacturing jobs.

“The amount of change in the industry is going to cause significant disruption, but it’s going to excite high-end jobs,” he says.

“When you start and talk about electric vehicles and software upgrades, it’s going to create real high-end type work for our state.”

Visit I Choose SA for Industry to learn more stories about key industry leaders, why they’ve chosen SA as a base and how the state is enabling them to succeed.

 

 

by brandsa2018

Raw milk cheesemaking on the horizon for regional producers

Four regional cheesemakers have banded together to explore the possibility of allowing South Australian-made raw milk cheese to hit the luxury food market overseas.

The Barossa Valley Cheese Co in Angaston, Hindmarsh Valley Dairy near Victor Harbor, and Adelaide Hills cheesemakers Section28 and Woodside Cheese Wrights have formed a collective to explore the potential for raw milk cheese to enter lucrative national and international markets.

The group, named the South Australian Raw Milk Cheese Collective, recently received a $68,000 grant from the State Government’s Advanced Foods Manufacturing Program to create a consistent approval regime across the industry for the production of raw milk cheese.

It is illegal to sell raw (unpasteurised) milk for human consumption in Australia, however, raw milk cheeses must be approved by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand, and meet certain criteria in maturation time, temperature and water content.

The South Australian Raw Milk Cheese Collective will collaborate with DairySafe SA and the University of Tasmania to establish protocols and validation for category two raw milk cheesemaking.

It’s believed the advancements will help expose South Aussie cheesemakers to a new market and rival with international counterparts.

Production trials and tests will go ahead across the state and are expected to expose challenges associated with unpasteurised cheesemaking.

The four regional cheesemakers have more than 50 years of cheesemaking experience between them.

Barossa Valley Cheese Company managing director Victoria McClurg says the grant will help the collective to access new markets and put SA at the forefront of cheesemaking.

“We hope to give SA the leading edge on cheesemaking by working with DairySafe SA towards unified standards and verification protocols for raw milk cheese production,” she says.

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Tim Whetstone says the goal is to enable high-end local cheesemakers to target the luxury food market overseas and interstate.

The collective also hopes to create new market opportunities and scalable food safety mechanisms, he says.

“This project would see strong collaboration across some of the state’s most highly skilled and passionate cheesemakers,” Mr Whetstone says.

“It is a pleasure to assist the South Australian Raw Milk Cheese Collective access the expertise they need to put other exceptional SA-made products on shelves around the country.”

The world of cheese will be celebrated in Adelaide later this year when Kris Lloyd brings back the popular Cheesefest (incorporating Ferment the Festival) at Rymill Park on October 27–28.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our state by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

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by brandsa2018

Drakes Supermarkets creating 550 jobs for SA

South Australian-born Drakes Supermarkets is building an $80m distribution centre in Adelaide’s north, creating up to 550 jobs.

The project has received the green light from the Playford Council and is expected to create about 300 jobs during construction.

Up to 250 full-time equivalent positions will be created once the centre opens in June, 2019.

The 17ha site at Edinburgh North will incorporate a $12m high tech warehouse picking system.

Drakes general manager Bob Soang says the centre is a major investment in the sustainable future of the local, family-owned business founded in 1974.

“It’s also a long-term investment and vote of confidence in our loyal customers and suppliers,” he says.

“As a local family-owned business we are pleased to create so many jobs in the northern suburbs of Adelaide which have faced many challenges in recent years.

“It will be the most advanced independent distribution and logistics centre in the state and is a key plank of our group’s vertical integration strategy within the supermarket sector.”

An artist impression of the distribution centre, expected to be completed in June, 2019.

Playford Mayor Glenn Docherty says the development is a major boost for the economy to support 35,000 new residents expected to live in the council area by 2026.

“As a gateway to the north, we are perfectly positioned to accommodate this development, particularly with infrastructure development such as the Northern Connector Expressway,” he says.

The 104,000sqm development will have the capacity to house about 23,000 lines of products including grocery, dairy and frozen foods and will include a site suitable for future development.

Drakes’ fresh fruit and veg distribution centre will continue at Pooraka, as will its meat distribution centre at Beverley.

Since being established in the ’70s, Drakes has grown to be one of the largest independent grocery retailers in Australia, with an annual turnover of more than $1 billion and 5500 staff.

It operates 57 stores across SA and Queensland.

Visit I Choose SA to find out how you can support our state by choosing South Australian businesses, products and services.

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