Shine the Light | Orange FOOD Week 2025

​SHINING THE LIGHT ON LOCAL PRODUCERS
A handpicked series of show, tell and taste workshops highlighting the iconic flavours of the region’s produce. Local producers and cooks create food conversations, and share their special tips, tricks and samples. Learn about the produce, hear inspiring stories about their personal journeys towards sustainability and taste delicious samples.

​Enjoy a glass of Tamburlaine Organic Rose for the perfect finish to the morning and take the opportunity to purchase the produce to take home.

Sunday 30 March: Virgin Olive Oil & Cheese
Molly's Grove is a beautiful boutique olive grove located in Moorbel near Canowindra.  Mark and Sue simply fell in love with a farm and the 400 olive trees on a visit to the region. Today, seven years later, they are successful boutique producers of Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, and they’ll share the challenges of that journey with you.

SJ’s Second Mouse Cheese business is a magical story about how a one-day cheese-making class started her on the journey to Artisan Cheesemaker. All eight of SJ’s cheeses are 100% handmade and produced using the best milk, sourced from local family-owned independent dairies and there’s a surprise ninth cheese – the Italian Job!

Monday 31 March: Apples, Cherries & Pork

Paula is an inspirational third-generation orchardist and owner of Thornbrook Orchard and Hillside Harvest Orchard and Produce Store. Enjoy an apple tasting as Paula explains which apples work best for eating or cooking.  Share her insights on the benefits of the wide variety of fruits that thrive in the fertile volcanic soil of Orange. 

Aidan and Felix began their apprenticeships at the Trunkey Creek Family Farm as teenagers, and now are proud owners of Trunkey Bacon & Pork. They use only Australian 100% locally grown pigs to produce hormone free pork products – bacon, ham, porchetta and more. And it all started with one lonely pig!

Tuesday 01 April:  Busy Bees and Fermentation
Clare’s is a family success story of beekeeping for more than 36 years. Clare from Beekeepers Inn explains the health benefits of honey-based products, including beer, and the significant positive impact bees make on our environment and produce. The Inn traded from 1859 to 1877 and was the Cobb and Co. horse changing station between Bathurst and Orange. Great history!

Bianca from The Orange Fermentary tells her very personal story about how and why she produces fermented drinks and food commercially.  Made from locally sourced ingredients and 100% Australian owned, Bianca's products have proven to optimise gut health by providing both pre-and pro-biotics.  This is a story not to miss!

Thursday 03 April: Gourmet preserves & fresh Gelato
Richard from Franklin Road Preserves tells a wonderful story of his journey from a backyard overgrown with cucumbers to a thriving business using a wide range of organically grown yummy fresh ingredients. The eggplant chutney (Brinjal Kasundi) is to die for, as is the roasted tomato sauce.

When Sarah decided to open Spilt Milk, the first fresh Gelato store in Orange, she was alone in believing that it would become such a success. She spent three months in Italy perfecting the craft then brought this knowledge to Orange. Surrounded by excellent local seasonal fruits readily available to make more than a dozen fresh flavours daily, Spilt Milk has developed more than 170 unique recipes from scratch.  It really is cool!

Friday 04 April: Saffron & Sophie Hansen
Angela tells her story about the challenges of turning Argyle Australian Saffron into an iconic and sustainable business, and why Saffron is an alluring spice with a place in everyday life. Gold Medal Winners in the Harvey Norman Delicious Awards 2021, the story about their amazing journey, and harvesting at 5.00am in winter will delight you! 

Sophie Hansen is one of Australia’s favourite contemporary country cooks, an iconic food writer living on a farm in Orange with her family. She is a communications expert, works the family farm and teaches social media workshops. Her fifth cookbook, What Can I Bring was released last year. Sophie shares with us stories, ideas and inspiration from her treasured cookery books.

Hear their stories, taste and purchase their wonderful products with a glass of local Orange wine to finish a fun and educational morning.