G'Day UK 2009

With UK cooks demanding more from their food and wine, Australia has stepped up to the challenge by using the launch of a new initiative called G’dayUK to raise the profile of Australia. Planned for June 2009, G’dayUK will be a vibrant celebration of all things Australian, including some of the gourmet food and beverage offering for the ‘time-poor’.

Around 2.6m British single girls admitted to passing off an entire meal prepared by friends and family as their own in order to impress a potential partner while on a date at home." 1 In a bid to make cooking and entertaining easier for these time-poor cooks, Australian producers are creating products to make it even simpler to cook up tantalising menus at home whilst saving both money and time. So, for some speedy inspiration when planning that next dinner party, look out for the following quick, easy treats from Australia that are widely available in the UK:

The G’dayUK Quick & Easy Menu
Welcome guests with a touch of summer by adding a Wild Hibiscus flower to a glass of sparkling Australian wine. Place one in a glass and let the bubbles stream off, subtly unfurling the flower and at the end of the drink, eat the flower that has delicious raspberry & rhubarb flavours (Whole Foods, Selfridges & Co, and Lakeland as well as independent gourmet food stores RRP £6.99, www.wildhibiscus.com)

While guests wait for dinner, roughly chop some warm bread and serve with a selection of Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oils. With a wide selection of styles available, from mild and fruity to robust and peppery, there is an oil to suit every taste. Nolans Road organic ‘Robust’ or ‘Delicate’ varieties (Harvey Nichols, RRP £13.50 www.nolansroad.com ). It’s a favourite of Nigella Lawson’s, “I’m mad for this incredible Nolans Road organic olive oil; it’s the best thing to come out of Australia since Kylie Minogue.”

1 Source: survey published in June 2008 by Apetina cheese.

For the more adventurous, why not try infused oil such as the Dash Wild Blood Lime or Tangerine Extra Virgin Olive Oils and also their fragrant Dukkah products, made from aromatic herbs with premium nuts and spices giving a fresh Australian flavour to a traditional dukkah. (All available on-line through Olly Oils – Wild Blood Lime oil RRP £11.25; dukkah available in three flavourways RRP £4/100g , www.ollyoils.com and also available at Esley & Bent, Borough Market, London) (www.dasholives.com.au)

Australia is also famous for its Macadamia nuts and with the health benefits of nuts well documented, there’s never been a better time to try these high quality nibbles (widely available at all UK supermarkets, www.macadamias.org.uk)

For those wanting to watch what they eat, Waitrose stocks a range of original Bhuja snack mixes which are gluten free – look out for this new product on shelf in a store near you. (Widely available including Sainsburys and Waitrose RRP £1.99, www.majans.com.au).

Australia is renown for its fusion cuisines, so once your guests have relaxed, impress them with a taste of Thailand: an authentic tasting simmer sauce from Passage Foods. These handy sauces serve 2-3 and are made with all natural gluten free ingredients making them not only amazingly easy to prepare but also exceedingly Moorish. (Widely available including Tesco and Morrisons RRP £1.49, www.passagefoods.com).

A refreshing lager is always good with spicy foods, so offer guests a Coopers Pale Ale with its fruity, floral characteristics (Majestic, Booths and Tesco RRP£1.39-1.69, www.coopers.com.au)

If there is still space for dessert, try a pudding made from the prize-winning recipes of Pudding Lane. Serve Macadamia Nut & Brandy pudding hot with fresh cream or, for an Aussie twist this summer, thinly slice the pudding cold and serve with a cheeseboard and sweet, crunchy Pink Lady apples for a more unusual dessert. (Available through Porter Foods www.porterfoods.co.uk, Real Food Direct www.realfooddirect.co.uk, RRP£10.55, www.puddinglane.uk.com)

-ends-
07 May 09

Notes to editors:
About G’dayUK:
G’dayUK 2009 is supported by the New South Wales, Queensland, Victorian, South Australian and Western Australian State Governments, Austrade, Qantas and Tourism Australia in conjunction with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Wine Australia, Australian Business and key private sector sponsors.

For more information on G’dayUK, products, images and samples, please contact:
Ann Burton, CUBE Communications
Tel: 0208 401 5506; Email: ann@gday-uk.co.uk; Website: www.gday-uk.co.uk

For more information on Australian products available within the UK, please contact:
Julianne Davis, Austrade
Tel: 020 7632 0075; Email: julianne.davis@austrade.gov.au; Website: www.austrade.gov.au