Katherine Chernov

January 2016

Happy New Year ! We hope it's been a happy and safe time for all. Our January events kick off on Sunday January 3rd at the Ocean Grove Community Market - Kingston Reserve 8am - 1pm. We've got all our condiments as well as lots of summery flavours in the cordials. Blood Orange season has now ended and some limited stocks will be available - be quick if you're after this flavour. Stocks will not last ! Otherwise this month - lemon, ginger, lime, 50/50 (orange & lemon), pink grapefruit and passionfruit will be available. Thursday January 7th - We're back at St Kilda Twilight Market - on the grass right next to Luna Park. Cordial concentrates and sparkling bevs on tap will be available. Come and see us at this busy and colorful local market……live music, entertainment, delicious hot food and a quirky mix of vibrant stalls, 5 - 10 pm. Saturday January 9th - Port Arlington Mussel Festival - this event is now in the tenth year and it's growing quickly year by year ! Record numbers are set to attend this January. The festival will run all day from 9 - 4pm. We'll be there serving MBK sparkling beverages to keep you cool and refreshed. Come and say "hi" ! Sunday January 17th - Drysdale Community Market 8 - 1pm, located next to the sports fields, this pretty setting is home to a great little market. Produce, handmade goods, gifts, handcrafts, coffee, local honey, pet treats, live music and more. We love our spot in this market - under the big trees near the coffee van - perfect !! Saturday January 23rd - St Kilda Farmers Market - cnr Lakeside Dve & Fitzroy St - this is a hub of gorgeous produce and high quality artisan goods - coffee, take out food, flowers, muesli, chocolate and of course MBK condiments, cordials and sparkling bevs on tap. 8 - 1 pm - see you there !  Sunday January 31st - Queenscliff Community Market - located on the reserve next to the ferry. This market is a perfect day trip on the ferry from Melbourne - full of gourmet goods, handmade gift items, delicious take out food and gorgeous homemade ice cream. We'll be there with plenty of condiments for your summer BBQ's and general entertaining. And of course, cordials for your cocktails, as well as sparkling bevs on tap. Happy holiday time ! *Photo taken on the Lorne foreshore. Our Lorne stockist is "Foodworks" right opposite the caravan park - Lemon, Blood Orange, Pink Grapefruit and Ginger MBK cordials available here. Check them out - perfect for summer / beach entertaining !    

Happy New Year ! We hope it's been a happy and safe time for all.

Our January events kick off on Sunday January 3rd at the Ocean Grove Community Market - Kingston Reserve 8am - 1pm. We've got all our condiments as well as lots of summery flavours in the cordials. Blood Orange season has now ended and some limited stocks will be available - be quick if you're after this flavour. Stocks will not last ! Otherwise this month - lemon, ginger, lime, 50/50 (orange & lemon), pink grapefruit and passionfruit will be available.

Thursday January 7th - We're back at St Kilda Twilight Market - on the grass right next to Luna Park. Cordial concentrates and sparkling bevs on tap will be available. Come and see us at this busy and colorful local market……live music, entertainment, delicious hot food and a quirky mix of vibrant stalls, 5 - 10 pm.

Saturday January 9th - Port Arlington Mussel Festival - this event is now in the tenth year and it's growing quickly year by year ! Record numbers are set to attend this January. The festival will run all day from 9 - 4pm. We'll be there serving MBK sparkling beverages to keep you cool and refreshed. Come and say "hi" !

Sunday January 17th - Drysdale Community Market 8 - 1pm, located next to the sports fields, this pretty setting is home to a great little market. Produce, handmade goods, gifts, handcrafts, coffee, local honey, pet treats, live music and more. We love our spot in this market - under the big trees near the coffee van - perfect !!

Saturday January 23rd - St Kilda Farmers Market - cnr Lakeside Dve & Fitzroy St - this is a hub of gorgeous produce and high quality artisan goods - coffee, take out food, flowers, muesli, chocolate and of course MBK condiments, cordials and sparkling bevs on tap. 8 - 1 pm - see you there ! 

Sunday January 31st - Queenscliff Community Market - located on the reserve next to the ferry. This market is a perfect day trip on the ferry from Melbourne - full of gourmet goods, handmade gift items, delicious take out food and gorgeous homemade ice cream. We'll be there with plenty of condiments for your summer BBQ's and general entertaining. And of course, cordials for your cocktails, as well as sparkling bevs on tap.

Happy holiday time !

*Photo taken on the Lorne foreshore. Our Lorne stockist is "Foodworks" right opposite the caravan park - Lemon, Blood Orange, Pink Grapefruit and Ginger MBK cordials available here. Check them out - perfect for summer / beach entertaining !

 

 

Christmas Drinks

We've got your Christmas drinks sorted !!

Thanks to one of our happy customers for this gorgeous pic - Blood Orange Cordial & Soda enjoyed at a recent picnic. Try adding a splash of Blood Orange to Vodka & Tonic, champagne cocktails or Campari. Blood Orange season will finish soon - don't miss out !

Passionfruit & Vodka Spritzer

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 30 ml Vodka and 60 ml of MBK Passionfruit Cordial. Fill the glass with soda and serve with lime slices on top.

Pimms Fruit Cup

Fill a tall glass with ice. Add 30 ml Pimms and 60 mls of MBK 50/50 Cordial*. Fill with tonic and serve with thin strips of cucumber, mint and sliced strawberry. This was one of our favourites last Christmas.

*50/50 is our homemade version of orange and lemon Kia Ora "fruit cup" cordial.

Summer is here and it's almost Christmas. Enjoy the festive season with these gorgeous drinks. Neighbours and friends will love these !

Enjoy !

Katherine

 

 

Carob Smoothie

I'm not sure why I've had so many questions recently about carob ! So I decided to post this really delicious recipe.

Warning - carob is not for everybody. I have a friend who swears that it tastes like dirt ! We happen to love it. But then, we grew up on carob, lentils, homemade muesli, vegetarian lasagne and so many other things that left us labelled as "very alternative". We weren't vegan or paleo. We didn't subscribe to any one particular label. My mother was, and still is, simply very creative. I clearly recall a sweet treat that would now be labelled "frozen, raw, vegan, blueberry cheesecake" - that was considered really odd indeed. How times have changed !

So try this out....

Put the following ingredients into a blender:

1/2 cup soy milk, 2 tbsp carob powder (we like the brand in the photo), 2 tbsp natural yogurt, 1 tbsp honey, handful of frozen raspberries, pinch of cinammon

Whiz together and enjoy !!

 

December

We're so excited that tomorrow marks the official start of summer ! And there's plenty happening. Here are some of our December dates for the diary:

Thursday Dec 3rd - Goldsbrough Lane Farmer's Market - located in the heart of Melbourne's CBD right near the corner of William & Bourke Streets - all under cover 4:30 - 7:30pm

Fri Dec 4th - St Louis Twilight Fair - Dolphin St, Aspendale 3195 - $5 entry and free champagne or wine at the entrance. Loads of Christmas gift ideas !

Sat & Sun Dec 5th & 6th - Piccadilly Market - Deakin Waterfront University, Geelong. 9:30 - 3:00 pm both days. Giant Christmas Market - over 100 stalls with high quality, unique goods.

Sat Dec 12th - Elwood Farmer's Market - Elwood College, Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood. 8 - 1pm. Plenty of fresh produce and gourmet goodies for Christmas hampers.

Sat Dec 12th - Carnegie Handmade Show - cnr Neerim & Grange Rds, 10:30 - 3:30. This Christmas Market showcases a fantastic range of unique, handmade gifts.

Sun Dec 13th - Chevron Market - 601 Heaths Rd Werribee 10 - 3pm. Giant indoor Christmas Market bursting with creative and handmade, beautifully designed gifts and gourmet food items.

Thurs Dec 17th - last Goldsbrough Lane Market for the year - this one will be busy ! 4:30 - 7:30 pm, we'll be in our usual spot under the glassed in area outside the Goldsbrough lane shops, Melbourne CBD.

Dec 19th & 20th - Essendon Designers & Creators Market. Ukraine House, Russell St, Essendon. 10 - 3 pm both days. This giant Christmas Market has some really high quality, beautifully designed items.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our Christmas markets. Please feel free to make any enquiries via our contact page.

Roll on summer !

Katherine

 

 

Almost Summer.....

       

 

 

 

 

After a busy day recipe testing in the kitchen, the fragrances of so many ingredients are in the air....rhubarb, blood orange, rose petals, lavender, juniper, cinnamon, star anise and more. New flavours and products are almost ready for the summer months.

Don't forget - Queenscliff Music Festival is on this weekend. We'll be there serving up MBK sparkling beverages to keep you thirst quenched throughout the festival. Saturday November 28th & Sunday November 29th, foreshore area.

November

November kicked off on the 1st in our usual space at the Ocean Grove Community Market. We were lucky to have great weather for the extended Cup weekend and big crowds. It's cordial season and currently available flavours include - Lemon, Blood Orange (only available for a couple more weeks) and Pink Grapefruit. More flavours will be available as the weather warms up !

Thursday November 5th marked the official launch of the newest Melbourne market - right in the heart of the CBD in Goldsbrough Lane. It was a pleasure to meet Melbourne's Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and chat about local produce and small artisan makers - see pictures on our Facebook page. It was a warm night with a lot of tropical rain. It was quite spectacular watching the rain while we were all setting up under the large glass roofed courtyard area. The event was very well attended by the local legal community and the popularity and novelty of a Farmers market in the city, was apparent. This market will be held fortnightly until Christmas 4:30 - 7:30pm - all under cover and surrounded by great shops and cafes. It's a must visit in the lead up to Christmas. We appreciate the support of the Lord Mayor with this original City of Melbourne initiative.

November 7th & 8th we'll be at Whittlesea Show serving up our own sparkling bevs all weekend. Cordial concentrates will also be available for purchase, or may be ordered. This is a wonderful event organised by the Whittlesea Agricultural Society. The show has rides, animals, showbags, food and drinks and is a great family day out.

Friday November 13th - the Ripper Twilight Fair held at Ripon Lea Primary School, Carrington Grove, Ripon Lea, 4 - 8pm. This vibrant event includes loads of pre Christmas shopping - jewellery, candles, gourmet foods and more. We'll have a large selection of all our currently available products - jams, chutneys, cordial concentrates and sparkling beverages on tap to keep your thirst quenched !

Saturday November 14th - Elwood Farmer's Market held at Elwood Secondary College, Glenhuntly Rd, Elwood, 8 - 1pm - fresh produce, meat, cheese, baked goods, macarons and MBK jams, chutneys & cordials.

Sunday November 15th - Drysdale Community Market - this market is in such a picturesque setting. It's worth visiting with a picnic ! There's a really good variety of stalls and we look forward to seeing our Drysdale customers again - sorry we missed you last month while at the Geelong Show !

Saturday November 21st - Marymede School Carnival, South Morang 10 - 4pm. This fair is massive - huge number of stallholders and big crowds. We look forward to seeing everyone we met last year !

Saturday & Sunday November 28th / 29th - Queenscliff Music Festival - great line up again, of talented musicians for this year's festival. This event seems to be getting bigger each year ! We'll be there all weekend with drinks on tap throughout the festival.

We look forward to seeing you at one of our events in November.

Katherine

 

 

Summery Cocktails

The warm weather is here and it's time for some delicious cocktails ! Here's a recipe for one of our favourites - Blood Orange Campari...

Fill a tall glass with ice

Add 30 ml Campari and 60 ml MBK Blood Orange Cordial

Fill the glass with soda. Garnish with strawberries, mint and Blood Orange slices. Stir & enjoy!

*All MBK cordials can be added to cocktails for a delicious finish. Add a splash to Gin & Tonic or Vodka & Tonic. Stay tuned for more delicious recipes on the way !!

Royal Geelong Show 2015

We are so honoured to have been awarded Best Exhibitor in the Hall of Agriculture, Royal Geelong Show 2015. It's been a fabulous few days. Thanks you for having us in your show and your demo kitchen. We loved meeting everybody and great to catch up with some of the local media folk. Thanks Bay FM 93.9 Geelong for having us on your show.

For all my Waterman ancestors who lived on the land, this award is for you !

October 2015

October 2015

Firstly - a big thank you to all our regular and new customers from The Royal Melbourne Show. Thank you for all your purchases, compliments and so many well wishes !! It was a great event.

October is shaping up to be a very busy and exciting month. The Royal Geelong Show starts tomorrow and MBK is featured in the Victorian producers section. The show dates are Thursday - Sunday October 15th - 18th inclusive. Our new product Beetroot & Blackberry Jam was incredibly popular at the Melbourne Show. It will also be available at the Geelong Show. This product is designed to accompany your favourite cheese platter. It is especially good with blue cheese - we highly recommend the French St Agur variety - mmmm delectable ! It is a gorgeous combination of the slightly earthy tones of beetroot fused with the natural sweetness of the blackberries. We also highly recommend this product drizzled over a tender roast lamb. We are located in the Hall of Agriculture at Geelong - stop by and say "hi".

For all our Carnegie customers, sorry we won't be at The Handmade Show this month. Orders may be placed and will be delivered after the Geelong Show.

Later in October, we'll be at our usual location in the St Kilda Farmer's Market (not to be confused with The Peanut Farm Market !) - corner of Lakeside Drive & Fitzroy St, Saturday October 24th 8 - 1pm. This lovely local market offers a wonderful selection of locally baked bread, artisan chocolate, cured meats, cheeses, flowers, coffee and of course MBK jams, chutneys & cordials - concentrates and "on tap".

On Sunday October 25th, we'll be back in our usual spot at the Queenscliff Market - right opposite the delectable Gozleme stand - our favourite market lunch ! This market, located right at the entrance / exit of the Queenscliff Ferry makes for a perfect day out. The car can be left behind and an enjoyable day can be spent eating and browsing in this charming seaside town.

On Thursday October 29th, we'll be at a new farmer's market located in the heart of the CBD in the legal precinct. This will be a perfect summer twilight event in the lead up to Christmas, with a fabulous line up of gourmet goodies and gifts. Stay tuned for details.

On Saturday 31st October, we'll be at The Upwelling Festival. This is an annual festival held in Portland and is a celebration of all things maritime. This festival is a whole day event with something for everybody - live music, gourmet food & wine, arts, crafts and events for kids.

Our online store will be up and running later this month - well in time for your Christmas planning.

We love our Spring / Summer events and look forward to seeing you at one of these.

Stay sweet !

Katherine

Welcome!

Welcome to MBK. We are so excited that the launch of this website coincides with our first time stand at The Royal Melbourne Show - September 19th - 29th, 2015. We are being featured in the Victorian Producers section of the Woolworths Pavilion. There's a fantastic line up of exhibitors showcasing the best of Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Our cordial products have been enormously popular. We have two flavours on offer to taste and purchase at the show - Lemon or Blood Orange. Blood Orange only has a very short season - be quick. This product will sell out! Eftpos and credit card facilities are available throughout the show, as well as at our markets.

We're very excited that after the show, our online shop will be available. We will also be posting all events in the lead up to Christmas. We look forward to hearing from you or seeing you at the show.

Thanks for your patience while we're at the show.

Stay tuned for October events.

Katherine