As smooth zesty citrus dances across my taste buds and my teeth crunch through delicate meringue and crisp biscuit, I ascend into food-lovers’ heaven. “Now,” I think to myself as I tuck into my eighth delicious course, “I know what the fuss is all about”.
I’d never been to the renowned Gate to Plate degustation luncheon at the Grafton Showground before. Frankly, I thought anyone who paid $150 for lunch was certifiably insane. Nor had I any interest in being stuck in a bus with a whole heap of strangers for the food trails.
This year, experiencing the weekend-long festival of food turned my preconceptions upside down.
The weekend begins on Saturday morning, me sitting in my car across from the Grafton Regional Gallery, feeling slightly anxious about fitting in with the older crowd. Most also appear to have travel partners, and I am on my own.
I walk across the road, and to my surprise I immediately slip into relaxed conversation. The bright morning sun warms my back as the friendly company warms my soul, melting away my uncertainties. “This,” I tell myself, “is going to be a good day”.
Two buses arrive – one destined for the Woolgoolga area, the other for the Lower Clarence. I file onto the bus bound for Yamba with around 20 others. After a quick roll call, we are on our way.
Our charming tour host Antony Perry announces the first stop will be Espresso Botero, at Maclean.
As we step off the bus at Botero, we’re bombarded with the rich, intoxicating aroma of roasting coffee. Eager hands take fresh cups of brew. Sipping of the smooth blend incites moans of approval. It’s without doubt one of the finest cups of coffee I have ever experienced.
So how is such a heavenly beverage created? Botero owner and boutique coffee guru Danny Young explains the intricacies and skill of roasting and blending beans, the vital first steps to creating any great coffee. It’s fascinating to listen to how much knowledge is involved, from achieving just the right temperate for optimum caramelisation, through to selection of beans from different regions to create desired characteristics. Each coffee-growing region of the world offers unique characteristics in its beans: chocolaty Indonesia; acidic Central America; savoury Kenya; fruity Ethiopia; caramel Brazil; and malted Columbia.
Danny also excitedly shares with his guests his plans to expand his business, which is already supplying many tonnes of high-quality boutique coffee each year to establishments from the Gold Coast to Port Macquarie.
Happily caffeinated and filled with an abundance of new coffee knowledge, we file back onto the bus, carrying gifts of freshly ground boutique coffee, and special blends of tea.
Next stop, Antony advises us, is another Clarence Valley success story, Palmers Island Mulloway.
The waters of the Clarence River glitter in the sunshine to our left, as the bus bumps along Yamba Road under clear blue skies. Expanses of green cane open up to our right, punctuated by paddocks of yet-to-be-sewn brown soil. I’m acutely aware that while the beauty of the scene is pleasing to my eyes, this rich environment is also largely responsible for much of the deliciousness awaiting our palates.
The bus pulls into Palmers Island Mulloway, passing several large ponds where the fish are farmed, some covered by black netting. As we alight from the bus, owner Andrew Carroll greets us with a warm smile. We seek out the shade of a large shed, where Andrew shares some of the experience and knowledge behind his highly successful venture.
At the heart of his success has been his decision to pioneer an area of little research – land-based farming of mulloway, also known as jewfish. Previously, industry had focused on farming the breed in cages in clear waters, but to Andrew this seemed illogical as mulloway were bottom feeders, preferring murky waters. Since embarking on his new venture in 2007, mimicking nature has been at the heart of his approach, reaping huge rewards in vastly improved yields and growth rates.
Palmers Island Mulloway are highly sought after in high-end restaurants, with around 90 per cent going to the Sydney market. The gourmet fish is also offered sporadically in some Clarence restaurants, and at Clarence River Seafoods in Maclean.
Somewhat disappointingly, however, Andrew does not have a fish on hand to show off, neither do we have the opportunity to sample its talked-of culinary excellence. I suggest to Andrew perhaps he could dive into one of the ponds Bear Grylls style, to fetch one for us in his teeth. Unfortunately, my suggestion is laughed off. He reveals, however, that his popular and versatile fish will be on the menu at the Sunday degustation luncheon, adding a qualifier that, “if it doesn’t taste good it’s not the fish – it’s the chef”. Pressure’s on, Tony Young!Onto the bus again, and on to Causley Fresh Deli in Yamba.

At Causley’s deli, we are greeted by Jess and Karl and the shop’s staff, who dole out an abundance of samples of produce on offer. The tiny shop is filled to overflowing with eager taste-testers, nibbling spicy Bangalow salami, irresistible Nicholson’s relishes, delectable oils and vinegars, and heavenly fudge and chocolate.
We’re bestowed generous gift bags of goodies, before wandering on to Wato’s Fish and Burger Bar for lunch.
Our mouths are set watering by the delectable entrée of Yamba breads with home-made dips created by Sevtap Yuce, as we sit in the fresh open air in Yamba’s CDB. The keen cooks in the group snap up copies of Sevtap’s hardcover cookbook, that reveals the simplicity of creating such wonderful treats. Trays of fresh, fried flathead, calamari, potato scallops and chips are served out, topped with a juicy crisp Yamba king prawn.
Personally, I’m not sold on the fish or calamari, but as I check my perceptions against those on tour with me, I find that I am a ‘fish out of water’, so to speak. “Best calamari ever,” spruiks one impressed diner. “That fish, you could tell how fresh it was – wonderful,” says another.
Relaxing in the afternoon sun, we chat happily, sharing tales and perspectives on a range of topics. It’s a stimulating and wonderful way to while away the time, my prior anxieties about fitting in but a distant memory.

Finally, we file back onto the bus. I sigh in satisfaction at a day well worthwhile, and daydream contentedly to pass the time as we head back to Grafton.
At the Grafton Regional Gallery that evening, Antony exchanges his tour duties for the celebrity chef hat, and guides the gathered crowd of around 50 people through the simple process of creating ricotta cheese at home. As he cooks, he also tells the crowd of his decision to pack up his successful Sydney restaurant and move to Yamba, to start a new venture, Irons and Craig.
“The food culture in the Clarence Valley is fantastic. There are producers doing amazing things, hidden, just there under the surface,” he says excitedly.
Among those is Southgate dairy, Big River Milk, which has begun bottling its own milk to supply direct to the Clarence community. Antony, while using the Southgate milk in making his ricotta, urges those gathered to support the local dairy, and “keep the cows happy”.
Fresh ricotta is then spooned onto ripe red Pillar Valley tomatoes, and shared among the crowd. A matching wine is also poured out into awaiting glasses, with others opting to enjoy a Grafton Bitter.
Chris Irons, from Causley Fresh, then delivers a crash course on barbequing mushrooms with chorizo and scallops, as well as paprika prawns with pickles. Both delicacies are wolfed down, accompanied by another matching wine.
Yamba’s Peter Nicholson takes to the stage, revealing how easy it can be to make chocolate Belgian Mousse – thanks to his own packet blend of the finest ingredients, including Harwood sugar. The emerging aroma elicits moans of anticipation from those offered a smell of the mixing bowl. More wine is distributed. Several more chocolaty deserts are created and set up on display, before the ravenous crowd is unleashed upon them.
Danny from Botero also expands on his previous talk on bean roasting and selection, to give some expert insight into the brewing process.
I call it an evening, and head home for a night of rest in preparation for the next day, and the degustation lunch.
At 12noon, the team of six chefs gather in the kitchen area of The Barn at the Grafton Showground, to go over the final details of the mammoth service ahead of them. Much of the hard work has already been done with many hours of preparation and planning involved, but no-one wants to leave anything to chance so close to the moment of reckoning.
The murmur of conversation grows ever louder, as The Barn fills with expectant diners.
It’s time for official speeches, including major sponsor, Karl Causley, of Causley Fresh, who reveals why he puts $10,000 each year into the event to promote local produce.
Karl uses a political analogy – appropriate, considering the event is the day after the federal election.
“I see spending my money like making votes. If I can vote 10,000 times for something I support and believe in, why not. Every one of us votes every day when we spend our money. If everyone could take their money and spend it locally, this money would then in turn be spent in local businesses. It has a significant flow-on impact,” he says.
Then, it’s onto the food. First, we’re presented with Clarence River Fishermen’s Co-op prawns, marinated in a citrus aoli with a summer salad of pickles ginger, capers, dill and apple, prepared by Tony of Watos. The prawn salad is topped with a big juicy oyster, and it’s the oyster I try first. It bursts under pressure of my tongue, flooding my mouth with its delicious saltiness. The salt is balanced the sweetness of its dressing, and it is absolutely divine. The salad mix proves to exceed my expectations of the good ol’ prawn cocktail, with a unique complexity of flavour that compliments but doesn’t overpower the abundant natural flavour of the renowned local prawns. Glasses are filled around the tables with sparkling chardonnay.

Before long, another treat is delivered to tables – an antipasto platter created by Catherine Moloney of Limonata in Grafton – offering an assortment of honey smoked trout from Ebor, fresh Eungai buffalo mozzarella, Northern Rivers prosciutto di parma, Limonata’s own tomato relish made with Pillar Valley tomatoes, picked cucumber, and hand-rolled grissini. It must have been good, because the vast majority of it is gone by the time I take a few photos! Glasses are splashed with verdelho, the intense aroma and flavour savoured by wine connoisseurs and amateurs alike.
The interval between dishes is filled with equally delicious conversation and interactions, before once again waiters are bringing more fine food to tables. This time, it’s Ausbuff Stuff slow-roasted buffalo, finely crafted by Mary Drum of Caperberry Café. As I tuck in, I note the meatiness of the beef is countered by the sweetness of spiced peppered figs. There is also a wonderful contrast between the smooth creamy Eungai Persian feta, and crisp bread. “Delicious,” I conclude to myself. The comments of those around me concur. Of course the dish is accompanied by another wine – this time a viognier, described as having a “mosaic of fruit and citrus flavours with a stunning bouquet of apricots”.
Although I’ve now consumed three courses – adequate in most circumstances – the spacing and size of the delicacies means I still have ample appetite to further fill myself with deliciousness.
I continue also to fill up on stimulating conversation, catching the ear of Gate to Plate committee member Rod Watters as he passes. Rod reveals that 238 of the 320 tickets for the long lunch were sold in the first 59 minutes of going on-sale. The promotion of local produce and chefs is widely talked about in relation to Gate to Plate, but Rod adds there is another vital benefit of the event.
“You know the real story of this? Most of the wait staff is from TAFE. They come along, have to have training, get a certificate, and it gives them points towards their hospitality course. How many times can they participate in an event that serves eight dishes to 320 people?” Rod tells me.
Soon comes the moment of judgment for Tony Young, in preparation of the Palmers Island Mulloway. He poaches it, and serves the flavoursome fish on a light yellow Thai style curry, with shallots and coriander. For me, the bold flavours are an appealing combination, and I finish the dish with much relish.

    
More wine is poured – known as gewurtztraminer. By now a rich rosiness has risen to the cheeks of many and annunciation has become somewhat challenged. I am tempted to amuse myself by asking those so affected to pronounce for me the name of the latest offering of grape origin. In the sake of politeness I resist the urge.
A sensational sorbet infused with Lanitza limes is enjoyed next, thanks to the creative genius of Jeff and Robyn Smith, of I-Scream.
The fate of the three little pigs is sealed at the hands of the next dish by Murray Challacombe – slow cooked Merryville Farm pork belly, fennel chipolata, and crispy salumi pancetta with onion caramel brussels sprout and apple cider jus. A big bad wolf myself, I thoroughly enjoy this meaty little offering.
But it is the next two dishes that rocket me to food-lovers’ Nirvana. The experience and talent of Gate to Plate head chef Erin Brown is evident in the other-worldly playground of culinary discovery she plates up. Northern Rivers Meat Co-op veal rib is encrusted in Russian garlic, Dijon and thyme, accompanied by potato Anna with truffle butter, baby carrot, snow pea, roast beetroot, balsamic onion and mushroom. Each item on the plate in itself offers a rich and wonderful taste experience, but it is in exploring the possible combinations of flavours that I fall in love with this most wonderful creation.

Finally, when I think my food experience can’t become any more sublime, dessert is served. Amy Colling sounds like the name of an average everyday person, but I can tell you from the taste of her sweet heavenly creations, ordinary she is not. As smooth zesty citrus dances across my taste buds and my teeth crunch through delicate meringue and crisp biscuit, I ascend into food-lovers’ heaven. “Now,” I think to myself as I tuck into my eighth delicious course, “I know what the fuss is all about”. The spine-tingling pleasure continues as I plunge into the creamy white chocolate and mixed berry semifreddo and almond praline, served with plump Challacombe strawberries and Costa berries. Finally, when I think my senses can take no more, I am indulged by triple choc brownie layered with milk chocolate mousse, minted fondant, and raspberry coulis. 

If fine food is your thing, the annual Gate to Plate degustation luncheon is a must. It is an event that has to be experienced to know how truly wonderful it is. Yes, I am speaking like a fanatic, brainwashed by the hedonistic pleasures that tempt the soul.
“Come, join us. Eat!” You won’t be disappointed.