While Sydney’s lockdown has obviously hit local businesses hard, those in the regions have also been suffering. Interstate borders are closed, tourism from Sydney and other urban centres has been non-existent thanks to stay-at-home orders, and on-again-off-again lockdowns and restrictions have also impacted the regions’ economies. Throw in the impacts of the 2019 bushfires, as well as droughts and floods, and it’s pretty clear regional New South Wales has done it tough for a while now. We can keep them thriving by buying their stuff online in the meantime. Here’s six to support – from oyster sellers to winemakers and olive producers – until we can get back out there.
East 33, north and south coast
A plate of creamy Sydney rock oysters (SROs) paired with an icy bottle of white wine or a glass of champagne is an unbeatable dining-out experience. The next best thing? Getting fresh NSW oysters delivered directly to our homes by East 33, one of Australia’s largest producers and suppliers of premium SROs. East 33, a collective of Australian oyster farmers, was founded in 2019 to service the restaurant industry more efficiently. The name refers to the latitude at which the bivalves are commonly grown. Prior to Covid-19, the collective supplied SROs from a network of farms along the NSW coast (from areas such as Wallis Lake, Port Stephens and the Manning River) to more than 500 restaurants in Sydney. Now one of the country’s best suppliers will deliver a variety of packs to your door, each showcasing the flavour profiles of different regions in NSW.
It offers next-day delivery of its oysters, shucked or unshucked, to selected Sydney suburbs. Prices start at $59 for the two-dozen packs. All you need to do is decide which drop to pair them with.
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SIGN UPHusk Distillery, north coast
Distiller Paul Messenger has given Caribbean rum culture a distinctly Australian twist on his cattle and cane farm, located amid the lush greenery surrounding Mount Warning in northern NSW. His premium, farm-to-bottle rum is made from freshly crushed cane juice. While the first harvest was maturing in 2012, Messenger began working on what is now his signature Ink Gin, which is steeped with butterfly pea flower to give it a distinctive blue hue. You can buy Husk’s gin and cane spirit online, or opt for curated gift packs ideal for lifting the lockdown blues. The Perfect Serve Ink Gin pack ($100) contains a bottle of gin, a four-pack of Strangelove Tonic and dehydrated citrus to garnish, while the Man Cave pack ($100, which of course any gender can enjoy) features a bottle of rum, Capi ginger beer and a bar mat.
Kangaroo Valley Olives, Kangaroo Valley
A two-hour drive south of Sydney, Kangaroo Valley Olives is a boutique olive producer located in the region of the same name. Olives are handpicked from the company’s surrounding groves before being processed nearby. Shop online for plump and juicy olives jarred with a range of herbs and spices, from the Armana (coriander seeds, cumin seeds and black peppercorns) to the Athena (roasted garlic) to Mediterranean Salsa Verde (green herbs and garlic) and the classic Milano (basil, rosemary and garlic). You’ll also find condiments such as bread and butter pickles and balsamic vinegar, or you can go all out with a hamper, which includes olives, sweet and savoury tapenades, dukkah, pickles and beeswax wrap.
Whisk & Pin, Blue Mountains
Renowned for its gourmet muesli, Whisk & Pin also serves up a wide array of other deliciousness running from condiments, conserves and spices to cooking sauces and rubs. Hedge your bets with one of the generous hampers from this small bakery set in the heart of Katoomba, which sources its ingredients from local growers. The Ultimate Pancake Hamper has all the ingredients for a bang-up pancake breakfast, including a range of light and fluffy pancake mixes in various flavours, a cast-iron pancake pan, mixing bowl and whisk, and honey to drizzle over the top. Or choose the For The Muesli Addict hamper, with muesli and granola mixes, orange-blossom honey and dried fruits. Savoury options have not been neglected, running from the Middle-Eastern Marvels hamper to the Italian Cooking and French Flavours options, with the latter including a bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory, the Riverina region
The Riverina region is known as the “food bowl” of Australia, but thanks to the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory, the “sweets bowl” makes an equally appropriate moniker. Situated in the historic Junee Flour Mill, built in 1935, it offers an array of hampers designed to satisfy the sweetest tooth. Chocolate lovers can choose from the aptly named Chocoholics Hamper and Dark Chocolate Favourites, while the Official Taste Testers pack contains an array of licorice, honeycomb and rocky road.
The fun stuff comes in the form of freckle and rocky road DIY kits.
Ross Hill Wines, Orange
With a high altitude and rich volcanic soil from nearby Mount Canobolas, the Orange wine region enjoys ideal conditions for producing cool-climate wine. Established there in 1994, Ross Hill is carbon-neutral and follows sustainable principles in all aspects of the winemaking process, including using natural fertilisers, grazing sheep on vineyards between harvest and harnessing indigenous yeast cultures. Sample the results with a bottle or two from Ross Hill’s website, where you’ll find everything from the entry-level Jessica rosé to the Pinnacle Series Blanc de Blancs and the top-of-the-line The Griffin ($95), a full-bodied and firmly structured red.
Additional reporting by Tristan Lutze.
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