It’s Passata/Preserving & Wine Making Season!

Posted on by Brent

Welcome to 2020. First of all, we hope that you and your family are well after the devastating fires that rocked our nearby neighbourhoods. We hope the remainder of the summer is kind to all.

Despite the unfortunate weather, crops are producing a bounty of flavourful produce that, in some cases, is too much to eat! So why not kick your preserving game into gear?

Let’s take a look at how to take advantage of your abundance with some good ol’ fashioned preserving of these popular local crops…

Got Excess Tomatoes?

‘Tis the season to be preserving, saucing, and turning your abundant harvest into lasting pantry goodies!

Whether you’re jamming, canning, or planning a saucy sensation, we’ve got you covered.

And when it comes to traditional Italian passata, the only way you’ll come close to a creation “just like mama used to make it”, is to use the right equipment. Whether it’s bottles, jars, or presses – we’ve got you covered.

Start Whining!

Well, not literally..

We think that the fruit of your labour is best served in a glass with friends, which is why we stock a comprehensive range of wine-making supplies.

And in addition to a full range of products, we offer FREE pH and alcohol testing, and an equipment hire service for those wanting to test the waters, first. 

It doesn’t matter what level you’re at – we cater to all. So come in to see your local experts in all things wine making and let us make sure your next drop a memorable one – for the right reasons! 

Despite the heat, tomatoes and grapes are ripe for the picking, so be sure to get in while the flavours are ‘bellissimo’, preserving them for lasting enjoyment by all.

Remember, our experts are just a phone call away should you get stuck. That’s why we’re here – to take your cooking (and lifestyle) to the next level with only the best advice, kitchenware, and leisure products for your home. So in 2020, expect to see more news from us, more handy tips, and a growing range of products from your favourite, local,culinary experts. 

Until our next update, Live it up!

Now Open 7 Days!

Posted on by Brent

Want to view our range first hand or have the ability to ‘çlick & collect’ your web purchases? No problem! Our retail store & warehouse is located at 159 Vincent Road, Wangaratta 3677.

We’re now open 7 days a week for your shopping convenience. We encourage our shop visitors to leisurely peruse all of our range at their own pace then speak with our staff about how we can assist with your next indoor or outdoor project. We take great pride in our many working displays and presenting all of our quality products in a clean, spacious environment. Our premises is also armed with ample onsite parking for trailors and longer vehicles, so don’t hesitate to stop by if you’re traveling through the area.

Click here for a virtual tour of our store.

Trading Hours

Monday-Friday – 8:30am-5:30pm
Saturday – 8:00am-1:00pm
Sunday – 9:30am-12:30pm
*CLOSED ALL PUBLIC HOLIDAYS

Salami Season 2019

Posted on by Brent

Salami making season is upon us again. It’s time to dust off your sausage stuffer and order your supplies in anticipation of those first frosty mornings in June.

The 2019 version of our salami & sausage making price list is now available for download via the link below:

Click here to download your copy

This price list also doubles as an order form! Simply specify the quantities of each product you require, fill out your contact details and then return this form to us asap to secure your stock. We also encourage customers to utilise our online store to quickly and efficiently place any orders.

Make Your Own Ham This Christmas

Posted on by Brent

There’s nothing tastier or more satisfying than serving your very own smoked ham for Christmas lunch. Here’s our step-by-step guide to making your own from scratch.

Ingredients & Equipment Required:

Curing your Ham:

1. Mix your maple ham cure with water to make the brine. You need approximately 130g of cure per Litre of water. You will need enough brine to completely submerge your ham in your container / tub.
2. Injecting your cure – use your brine pump or injector to inject your ham with cure/brine as deeply as possible. For a proper cure, you need to inject the equivalent of 25% of the weight of the ham. Eg. If your ham weighs 4kg, you need to inject it with 1 litre of cure/brine. Inject the ham all over until it won’t retain anymore brine, make sure you get right along the bone.
3. Completely submerge your ham in the brine, then place it in the fridge to cure. How long you leave it to cure in the fridge will be determined by a) how large your cut of meat is and b) how salty you like your ham. For a rough guide, cure your ham for 24 hours per half kg. So for that 4kg ham, leave it in the fridge to cure for 8 days. Turn every 24 hours. That said, 10 days is usually more than sufficient for any full leg of ham.
4. Remove from the fridge and rinse with fresh water. Soak in a tub of fresh water for 30 mins. Rinse again.
5. Put back in the fridge on a plate / rack uncovered for 24 hours.

Cooking your Ham:

1. Pre-heat your oven or smoker to 120°C. You can cook it slower or faster depending on your preference, but we’d suggest you stick within a range of 100-140°C.
2. If you’re using a smoker, we’d suggest Maple, Apple or Cherry wood chips or chunks
3. Test your internal temperature constantly. Your ham is ready when it is 68°C throughout internally.
4. Allow to cool for 2 hours.
5. Store wrapped in a tea towel or Ham Bag in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

Shop Now – Enjoy Now – Pay Later

Posted on by Brent
Did you know we offer the convenience of Zip & Afterpay for in-store and online purchases?

What’s not to love about taking home a purchase and then paying for it 2 months later! “Too good to be true”, “there’s gotta be a catch”, these are 2 common things we hear skeptical customers say, the answer? Nothing! Retailers pay sale commissions to these companies so they leave the hip pockets of consumers alone.

How it works:
  • Make and receive your purchases from our store as you usually would.
  • Choose Afterpay or Zip in the checkout process.
  • Afterpay – Pay over four equal installments, due every two weeks
  • Zip – No set payments, pay the day after your purchase or at the end of the next month
  • Pay nothing extra when you pay on time for both

Start ticking names off your Christmas gift list now………..and pay for it next year.

Wangaratta’s BBQ & Outdoor Cooking Paradise!

Posted on by Brent

The smell of fresh cut grass and sizzling snags must mean Spring is in the air! Our range of gas BBQ’s, charcoal grills and outdoor cooking solutions just keeps getting bigger, we’re sure there’s something to suit every budget and backyard. If you’re in the market for a new BBQ make sure you pop in to our showroom and let one of our BBQ enthusiasts show you around. Not local to Wangaratta? We’ve still got you covered! You can shop our entire range via our website and have it delivered to your door. Talk about hassle free!

We Are Moving! Shop 2 / 159 Vincent Road, Wangaratta

Posted on by Brent

We are on the move! As of August 1st 2017 we will trading from shop 2/159 Vincent Rd in Wangaratta. We have maximized every inch of our current location leading to our decision to seek a bigger new home, the extra floor space will allow us to further expand our product range, display items more effectively and generally better service customers. Please note that we will continue to trade from our current premises until the last couple of days in July, barring any mishaps this should mean that we are able to keep the days we are closed during the transition to a minimum .

Home Brew Supplies Now Available!

Posted on by Brent

This news article is a little bit behind the times(only 3 months late), but after much toil we now offer a comprehensive range of home brew supplies. We always envisaged adding this element to complement our current products, a lot of similarities exist in the processes used in home brewing, salami making etc and it was a natural progression, especially considering the lack of these products available locally.

We have worked hard to ensure we offer a very solid core range of products for beer, spirit & wine making(seasonal) enthusiasts, anyone new to brewing is encouraged to come in and take advantage of our “expert” Paul’s knowledge and passion for all things brewing.

Our first couple of months of trading have been exceptional highlighting the need for this locally, it’s certainly exciting to now lay claim to being Wangaratta’s only home brew specialist! If you live close enough we invite you to come and check out the range for yourself, if not you have the luxury of online ordering to any pocket of Australia and beyond.

Store Now Open!

Posted on by Brent

We took another big step in our growth as a business by opening our bricks and mortar retail store in our home town of Wangaratta, Victoria on the 2/3/15. We are located in the iconic former Dimetz Jewellers shop at 99 Murphy St. The move to the main street has certainly allowed us to showcase our products and better service our customers both locally and internationally. Although we initially had our doubts the feedback and general consensus among our customers has been fantastic.