Food & Drink

One of the pleasures of food and drink is that they are often a shared experience – think about the times you’ve gotten together with friends and exchanged interesting ideas and opinions. In addition to having enjoyed a good meal, you left the table better informed with most senses more than likely fulfilled. Our Food and Drink section is all about the unique, best practice experiences on the Mornington Peninsula. In this section we like to inspire and inform readers with a mix of stories from around the Pen.

Red Hill Truffles

It’s a sunny, chilly autumn afternoon and Jenny McAuley of Red Hill Truffles is preparing for the busiest season of the truffle calendar. ”The truffle season starts at the beginning of June and runs for 12 weeks,” explains Jenny. “The truffle starts growing in the ground in the first week of December and it takes until the first of June to grow and ripen. The fungus grows on the root of tree, and the tree likes the fungus because the fungus kills the grass around the tree that competes with it for the sugar, water and elements it needs to thrive.

Essence Food for the Soul

When chef husband and wife team Jim and Melanie Houston got married at the Portsea Hotel, little did they know that 10 years later they would buy a business across the road from the Portsea Hotel and live in it with their three children for the best part of a year. That business is now known as Essence Food for the Soul. As chefs, life for Jim and Melanie was busy, particularly with three young children. The long hours took a strain, and they were ready to make a lifestyle change within the food industry. Sometimes everything falls into place and you find the ideal scenario, and this wholesale food business was perfect for the chef team. Essence Food for the Soul is all about the best quality produce made into delicious, heat and serve meals that help the time poor to eat well.

Georgie Bass Cafe & Cookery

Welcome to Georgie Bass, the latest food experience in the heart of Flinders that combines a café & cookery. Inspiration for the name comes from George Bass, the legendary sailor who accompanied his good friend Matthew Flinders when they were charting Bass Strait to Tasmania.

Vulcano Gelato

In 2008, Vulcano Gelato opened in Rye with the single hearted aim of improving the quality and taste of the universally loved authentic Italian gelato and granita. From our perspective, gelato is the prefect buffer; there’s such an emotional response when you even think of it & when you combine it with the Rye Pier, bay beach & carnival it becomes a powerful combination. We love gelato & we love Vulcano Gelato, we love Rye & we love that they’re all on the Pen.

Stillwater at Crittenden

Stillwater at Crittenden is the restaurant and cellar door arm of the Peninsula dynasty that is Crittenden Estate. It must have basically named itself. All the feelings and images provoked by the word ‘stillwater’ aptly apply – it’s tranquil, it’s relaxing, everything’s fresh. Whether you visit for a tasting, a meal or as part of a weekend stay at the adjoining villas, the focus is on providing a unique experience with the opportunity to relax and indulge.