Out of the challenges of 2020 a new farmgate cafe has opened in Timboon.
Schulz Organic Dairy has relaunched its former Timboon Cheesery farmgate cafe as Schulz Organic Creamery and Cafe.
The cafe boasts a new menu led by former Bibelot, Vue de Monde, Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal patissier chef Hila Perry.
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Ms Perry said after working in many renowned restaurants in Melbourne it was literally a breath of fresh air to work close to the farmer and supplier. "Part of the amazing experience for me is it's a proper farm to table," she said.
"If I need a lemon for the salad I've got a lemon tree outside and when the apples were ripening on the trees we picked them and same with the plums and that all happened in the last three to four months, and that's without mentioning we have the dairy 500 metres behind us and the factory even closer so we get the freshest produce we can.
"Until now I've worked in big restaurants in Melbourne where you don't see the actual farmer, you just see the supplier. To see the farmer and to see the work that's put into it and to be able to speak to my actual supplier... it's quite a unique experience that you can only get in rural areas."
Ms Perry said the cafe had a busy January which had so far continued. "We hope the local community will embrace us and keep coming back," she said. "To see them coming back is the reason we're doing what we're doing."
Front of House manager Alex Kensit said Ms Perry was using the Schultz dairy products in new and different ways.
"It's been quite challenging because the staff have had to find bigger trousers," Mr Perry joked. "One of the star products that we have is our cheesecake which is made with a natural quark and it is flying out the door.
"It's amazing how good it is." Ms Perry began her career in Tel Aviv, Israel, before she moved to Australia to study at Le Cordon Bleu, Sydney.
Schulz Organic Dairy Founder Simon Schulz said the relaunch of the cafe was the first step towards offering visitors a more in-depth, on-site experience of Schulz Organic Dairy's ethos and practices.
