A visit to the local Kiama Visitor Centre yesterday, and a review last night of the subsequent bookshelf full of brochures that we collected, led to one of the most divine – literally! – days we’ve had so far. Foodscape Tours were rather pricy at $140 per person, so we decided to create our own Foodfest tour of the delicious-sounding town of Berry and its neighbours Nowra and Gerringong, our itinerary being:
1. Sourdough Cafe, Berry
2. Milkwood Cafe, Berry
3. South Coast Providores, Berry
4. Berry Tea Shop, Berry
5. The Treat Factory, Berry
6. Jindyandy Mill, Nowra
7. Butterfactory Cafe, Pyree
8. Riverside Strawberries, Nowra
9. Coolangatta Winery, Shoalhaven Heads.
Sourdough Cafe
www.berrysourdoughcafe.com.au/
As soon as we walked through the door of this charming cafe we felt like we had walked into a different country, in the most positive way possible. From the paved floors, high loft ceilings and vintage stove to the displays of edible delights along the counter and countless staff dressed in charming matching aprons, we loved every second of our visit. After debating over the menu, we opted for the following:
– Cured salmon, horseradish creme fraiche & pickled onions on freshly baked bagels
– Brioche french toast, poached rhubarb and orange with passionfruit butter
Well, where do you begin to describe something you’ve never tasted before? The French toast was like a cake – both in its incredibly soft texture and the massive size which was more like a whole loaf than a slice – and the rhubarb and orange sauce, served like a cold soup, provided the most tantalising balance of hot and cold. Topped with the passion fruit butter, it was an absolute delight to eat.
Milkwood Cafe
After stuffing ourselves at the Sourdough Cafe, we decided to walk around Berry for a while and try to convince ourselves we were wearing some of it off. As we passed the Milkwood Cafe we realised it was a branch of Sourdough and so with some relief passed it by. Perhaps we were in for more than we bargained for on our Foodfest!
South Coast Providores
Located on the main street, South Coast Providores South Coast Providores produces mouth-watering relishes, chutneys, conserves and other tasty delights.
Berry Tea Shop
The Berry Tea Shop obviously sells a variety of teas, but also other tea-related goodies such as teacup cosies, crafty household items, and pots in the shape of the Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa and even Winnie the Pooh. The shop wasn’t our cup of tea – yes, that was terrible – and so we moved on.
The Treat Factory
It has a very unassuming front, and could easily be passed over, but The Treat Factory is where we spent the bulk of our money today. With all manner of chocolate sweets, lollies and chocolate-coated goodies that you try to tell yourself are good for you (chocolate covered cranberry anybody?), you’ll spend a good deal of time here working out just how much you want to buy. And don’t miss the one-metre high flower creation in the corner which is 100% chocolate. The Factory is separated into two shops, so make sure you hit up both! We walked out with two bags of goods, and drove away tasting the most divine ice cream we’ve ever had – pear and rhubarb crumble.
Jindyandy Mill
We weren’t quite sure what to expect here, except that it had a shop called “I’m In Heaven” lolly shop. It sounded promising, and there were plenty of those sugar sensations that we all grew up with, but other than that it was a bit of an odd place with a strange mix of shops and so we decided to keep going.
Butterfactory Cafe
Our drive to this stop didn’t take as long as we thought it might, as it’s located stepped back from the road but right next door to Jindyandy Mill. It looked beautiful and peaceful, but we couldn’t handle the thought of more food at this point in time!
Riverside Strawberries
Quite a few websites talked about this location, but after various Google searches and attempts to spot any kind of signage on the roads, we couldn’t find any evidence of this tourist spot at all. Apparently located somewhere on the shores of Shoalhaven River, we were quite disappointed at not finding it.
Coolangatta Winery
We have always admired wineries and their stunning surrounds, and Coolangatta Winery is no exception. With convict-built accommodation options, restaurant and golf course, you could stay here for as little or as long as you like.