My Story

The realm of food was opened early in my childhood, being raised in a family with rich food and bountiful gardening traditions. I have memories of pleading with my Mum to let me into the kitchen, which was always met with the response “when you are old enough to clean up after yourself!”.

My first official lesson was at the YMCA on a holiday program when I was seven or eight years old, where I was taught to make scones! Simple yet skilful and a great template for what was to follow.

I had the pleasure of having wonderful grandparents who provided me with a plethora of food experiences.  There was the Ballarat back garden that evokes memories of the sweetest ripe white nectarines, or the trips to collect blackberries in a billy can, or collecting field mushrooms. The making of blackberry and apple jelly, the delight of golden syrup dumplings….

I had a Jewish grandmother who took the time to show me the painstaking task of boning garfish, and who treated me to the sour and salty experiences of pickled herrings.  And I certainly credit her for my intrinsic love of onion rolls or bagels, smoked salmon and chopped chicken liver pate!

I recall decadent dinner parties in the seventies where my parents prepared elegant affairs, and the sneaking downstairs in the mornings for slim pickings of leftovers. Lobster Mornay prepared in clam shells, beef wellington, chocolate truffles and after dinner mints!

I was led through countless wine and cheese regions, and fondly recall the musty smells of maturing oak barrels.  From the greatest Saturday lunches with the footy blaring, crunchy breadsticks and smoked ham with green tomato pickle, to the heights of velvet gnocchi and truffles in a Rome Tratteria.

It was no surprise that my destiny was “all things food” and the pleasure of sharing it.

HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

My career began as a youngster having left university and needing a job. My innate desire to work as a cook landed me at William Angliss College to hone my knife skills and give it a shot.
From there I embarked on a journey to many kitchens and encounters with wonderful hospitality mentors. There were days at the David Jones Food Hall, mornings as a breakfast chef in Brunswick St, mastering Toad in the Hole to the applause of pub goers in England , and fond memories of working alongside Greg Brown of Browns Restaurant and  Bakery fame, who inspired me with his relentless drive, passion and eye for detail.

Many lessons, scars and dishes later, Stir Crazy was born.

This business venture has culminated from stored up ideas and energy, and was sparked through working within the Victorian Farmer’s Market arena. I was taken with the wonderful range of Victorian produce, and drawn to the energetic vibe of its dedicated producers and patrons.

From this backdrop, and drawing on recipes from the people and places I’ve known, I have created a unique range of handmade produce.
I hope you enjoy sharing in the spoils of this experience, and taste the difference of food prepared by hand and with care.
For lovers of the fabulous Mexican film “Like water for Chocolate ”, revel in the pleasures of food and partake if you dare! 

MY PRODUCERS

The range of products embraces many locally grown products, thus supporting smaller family businesses that encourage sustainable farming practices. These producers provide the Victorian public with unique products and I am proud to promote them and incorporate their produce into my own.

BURRUM BIODYNAMICS

Tania and Steve Walter are organic farmers in the North West of Victoria. Their farm in Marnoo embraces cutting edge biodynamic farming, producing nutrient rich lentils, peas, barley, spelt and oats.
They enrich and nurture the soils with their organic farming principles, and encourage healthier environments and products in their approach.
My range of oatcakes feature oats from this property, and the spelt flour in the Rosemary Wheatens is also grown here.
It is so inspiring to know this couple and have witnessed first hand their dedication to the farm.  I love telling customers in particular about the Spelt Grain Oatcakes which feature flour and oats grown from the same property.

burrumbiodynamics.com.au

GO JUST NUTS

Eric of Go Just Nuts has a 6 hectare farm in the Mallee town of Nangiloc. Here he grows crops of citrus, avocado and pistachios.
Eric supplies me with tangelos, blood oranges, mandarins and lemons for my cordial range.
He has an infectious personality and you often catch him joking about with his market customers in his orange wig!

It's definitely happy fruit that goes into my cordials!

gojustnuts.com.au

MOUNT ZERO OLIVES

The Mount Zero Olive Grove is located adjacent to the Grampians National Park, in Western Victoria.  It is owned and managed by Neil and Jane Seymour, who have been producing for the last 20 years.
In addition to harvesting olives, Neil and Jane have nurtured a relationship with the local aboriginals and share a salt harvesting process of the nearby pink lake.

PINK LAKE SALT

50km from the Mount Zero Olive grove at Dimboola is a large pink salt lake. The lake is fed by natural salt aquifers and each summer dries to reveal a bed of salmon pink salt. Mount Zero and the lake’s traditional owners, the Barengi Gadjin Land Council, have been working together to hand harvest a small amount of salt from the lake each year.
An analysis of the salt tells us that it is a concentrated store of natural mineral nutrients, rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulphur, iron, manganese, zinc and copper as well as being rich in beta carotene. This complexity of minerals, provides a complex, well rounded flavour – dissimilar to many sharp refined salts.
Mount Zero Pink Lake Salt is a natural product which varies in pigment from wet to dry. The local provenance of the salt, along with the hand harvesting & natural sun drying and most importantly the salts beautiful flavour and colour are a key fit with Mount Zero’s core principles of regionalism, sustainability and quality.  The Stir Crazy range of products are made with this fine grade of Pink Lake Salt.

mountzeroolives.com

STONEY CREEK

Stoney Creek was founded in 1992 by Fred and Coral Davies, situated near Talbot in central Victoria.  They foster sustainable farming and produce organic flaxseed and flaxseed meal.

Flaxseed, or Linseed is one of the world’s oldest known cultivated plants. It was first used by ancient societies as medicine to reduce swelling, soothe skin conditions and relieve constipation. But in modern times, the small seed has been praised as an important part of a healthy, balanced diet by researchers due to its high source of fibre, essential oils and lignans.

Flaxseeds are a rich source of both soluble and insoluble fibre, protein, and the Omega 3, Omega 6 and Omega 9 fats, and for strong antioxidant benefits from their high lignan content.

The Stoney Creek  Golden Flax seed features in the Gluten Free Flax and Almond Cracker.

LISADURNE HILL