Lovely to have Yarra Mayor Claudia Nguyen here for morning tea today. And Clare sent her home with some coriander seeds to plant.

Do you make your own wine?

The Meet the Makers showcase returns this year, taking place at Preston City Hall, 284 Gower Street, Preston, on Sunday 19 March from 12.30pm – 4.30pm. The event celebrates Darebin’s local home winemakers and artisans and will also feature stalls, demonstrations and live music.

The skills, knowledge and traditions of Darebin’s wine makers are valuable reminders of our journey and the character that it adds to our neighbourhoods.

This year, homemade wine can be entered into the competition. All wine varieties can be showcased and entered for judging on the day.

Below are the details to register.

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TERMS OF REGISTRATION

When preparing your entry please ensure:

• All bottles must be cleaned and sanitised. This can be achieved by cleaning the bottles with hot soapy water, then applying a food grade sanitiser.

• Hands must be washed regularly with soap and dried with paper towel.

• All bottles must be closed tightly.

• Please observe best food handling practices when preparing your entry.

• Guidelines are available here: www.health.vic.gov.au/public-health/food-safety

• All entrants into competition must either Live, Work, Study or attend a Seniors Club in Darebin

• Entries will be judged and Prizes awarded during showcase, Sunday 19 March.

• Entrants are required to submit 5 – 6 bottles for sharing with the public at the showcase

• You may enter more than 1 type of wine, but no more than 5 per maker.

• You must register your entry no later than 28 February 2023.

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 ENTRY FORM

Please tick one:
Y / N     I work in the City of Darebin
Y / N     I live in the City of Darebin
Y / N     I study in the City of Darebin
Y / N     I attend a Seniors club in the City of Darebin (If so, which one_________________________)

Name_____________________________________________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________ P/C____________________________

Phone number______________________________________________________________________

You may bring a friend to help you with the tastings at the showcase.
Lunch will be provided for you and your friend.
Please let us know if you or your friend have any specific dietary requirements: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Wine / entry information:

Category___________________________________________________________________________

Type______________________________________________________________________________

Vintage/Year_______________________________________________________________________

Tell us about your wine:

This year, you may drop off wine to the venue ahead of the showcase on Friday 17 March between 11am – 4.00pm or bring it with you on the day.

Access for set up on the day:
11.00am – 12.00am
Preston City Hall, 284 Gower Street, Preston.
Car parking will be provided at rear of Council, access via Kelvin Grove. 

Please contact Amanda with any queries or questions via email Amanda.Palmer@darebin.vic.gov.au or phone 0401 626 260.

Last week we were pretty thrilled to have a delivery of new bowls, plates and serving platters - thanks to Jika Jika Community Centre (our friends down the road) who somehow linked into a big catering clean out that was happening at the MCG, and kindly picked up a pallet of goods and shared some with us.

We are now in the process or reevaluating our plates and bowls etc, and working our way through washing the inherited items and finding them a place to live at ACC.

So … thanks Jika friends, and isn’t it super that these sorts of resources can get reused/rehomed in the community.

On Sunday night we helped Friends of Baucau cater the 3rd of 4 February concerts held down at the Fairfield amphitheatre. It was a lovely evening, relaxing music, super weather and … great food!

The Portuguese tarts sold like hot cakes, and we also sold out of the mains on offer.

The profits from the food will go towards supporting on the ground activities in Timor-Leste - which is fabulous. They do great things like helping women start town cooperatives and supporting young girls to train as teachers etc.

It really is lovely to be working in partnership with this local but international organisation full of committed and passionate community minded locals.

And … also, FYI we have a new stock of their coffee. Beans and ground. Pop past ACC or Juliette’s milkbar if you’ve been feeling deprived!

Hi Leanne here! As you probably know, on Friday mornings we have an open house at ACC, where people come along and craft and make things in the shed, and garden with Clare etc. … and then at 11.30am we get together for morning tea in the garden - and a laugh and a chat. It’s really lovely to keep up regularly with neighbourhood friends over food and a cuppa - some people enjoy it so much they come along just for the morning tea part of the session!

This year we’re wondering if there is anyone in the community who would be interested in volunteering to cook/coordinate our morning tea/early light lunch.

At morning tea we generally have:.

• Something sweet (cake, biscuits etc.)

• Something savoury (toasties, spanikopita, sausage rolls etc.)

• Fruit (whatever is in season), and

• Tea 🫖 and coffee ☕️ of course.

On Fridays we open at 9.30am. The role would involve cooking and then setting up some platters and loading up our trolley with all the things (catering for around 15 people) … and sending it out into the garden at 11.30am. Our cooking volunteers are of course very welcome and enthusiastically encouraged to join in morning tea as well.

We’re flexible about how the volunteer role(s) could unfold … Maybe a couple of people could work together, or a couple of people could alternate weeks or one person might like to commit weekly and run the whole thing.

Also … if you aren’t available on Friday mornings but enjoy baking perhaps you’d like to cook something at home and drop it off regularly? This would be super helpful and lovely too!

We have a budget for the program to cover the food costs, so there is no cost to volunteering - apart from your time (which I am sure will be rewarded with appreciation from those who attend).

If this sounds like something you might enjoy contributing to, please let us know! You can email Leanne here. And … include your phone number so we can have a chat. That would super!

Thanks in advance.