Newsletter

December 2020

It’s hard to believe, but in a couple of months in February 2021, the Wild Food Farm will be celebrating its first anniversary. Normally that means a business has been open for a year and so we have… kind of… but we’ve also been closed twice... and opened three times!! We’re sure you understand exactly what we mean. 2020 has been quite a ride for everyone and at the end of the year, we hope your family and friends are safe and well. 

So here we are on the countdown to Christmas, a New Year and best of all… Summer Holidays.

For those of you who have become regular visitors, it is great to see you back. We weren’t sure exactly how Victoria would emerge from COVID lockdowns and restrictions, but we’re scaling up as holiday home owners and visitors from Melbourne, even interstate, return to Phillip Island. 

Our team has been fabulous through all this uncertainty and even during the shutdowns we’ve been doing some pretty heavy landscape gardening, repairing the grounds from years of neglect and refining our systems in preparation for re-opening. Luckily our core business, the Outback Chef, has never stopped, so everyone has been busy cooking, packing and dispatching to our food service clients all across Australia. We relocated that business to Phillip Island at the same time as we opened the Wild Food Farm and Cafe at Rhyll. Having the two businesses on site, we are able to employ lots of fabulous locals and offer real variety in their day to day experience as they move between the cafe, kitchen, function and dispatch workspaces.

What's Cooking in our Kitchen:

Our homestead Cafe is constantly evolving and you’ve definitely made it clear which items on the menu are your favourites. We’re now open from 8.00am Thursday through Monday for breakfast, freshly baked goods and coffee. Our lunch menu is regularly updated with specials and soon we hope to stay open past 3.00pm. All we want for Christmas is our very important liquor licence so you can enjoy a glass of wine or a refreshing beer with your meal. Our team members have all completed their Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificates in preparation. It’s been a marathon that has taken more than five months, but the finish line is in sight. We hope to be cracking the sparkling to celebrate and then you’ll be among the first to know.

Kev sets the Benchmark... and puts us all in the shade.

Have you spotted our big outdoor timber benches? They’re popping up like mushrooms across our lawns and courtyard, thanks to the handiest handyman on the island, the legendary Kevin Trapnell. Kev takes such a pride in his work, he’s a true professional who always delivers a first class result. Plus he’s a joy to work with. Thank you Kev. You put us all in the shade. The big black market umbrellas, are from our long-time friends at Cottle’s, near South Melbourne Market.

Ready to Launch... 3-2-1 GO:

We’ve also just launched our new website and online ordering service. Take a look around at www.wildfoodfarm.com.au.  You can now request to book a table, inquire about functions in the Rainforest, shop online in our Gift and Produce Store and even order takeaway from our cafe menu. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to access our many services.

We've got you Covered in the Rainforest:

Speaking of functions in the Rainforest, this is Phillip Island’s most unique event space. It’s indoors, but it’s outdoors, or vice versa. The undeniable fact is that it’s an undercover rainforest, complete with its own babbling stream and rock-pool. Take a wander through next time you visit the cafe. It seats about a hundred but can be expanded as required. Weddings and seminars can make use of the entire space. Smaller gatherings like product launches, discussion groups, club meetings and displays can reserve space as required and access meals and refreshments directly from the Wild Food Farm Cafe.

We Walk the Talk:

Our Native Food Trail never ceases to amaze us with the sheer variety of species on site. We’ll have lots more about that in future newsletters, but a special thanks to the members of Cowes CWA who rolled up their sleeves recently to help us trim back a pretty wild plantation of Dianella. A couple of months on, the new growth has produced an amazing display reminiscent of a lavender farm. The flowers are like tiny orchids, delicate and exquisite in their sheer abundance.

We have so many exciting plans for Summer and Autumn and we’ll share those with you as soon as we can. Thank you for your support. We look forward to welcoming you back to the Wild Food Farm as the seasons roll by.

Jude Mayall

The Outback Chef at Wild Food Farm, Phillip Island