Food and wine at Stonefields Open Garden Weekend

Paul Bangay’s spectacular garden is not the only attraction at next weekend’s Stonefields Open Garden Weekend, as visitors will also be able to enjoy food and wine on site.

This is the fourth time Paul has generously opened his private garden as a fundraiser for the Kitchen Garden Foundation, but it’s the first time visitors will be able to relax on the lawn overlooking the garden with a glass of wine and bite to eat.

• De Bortoli will be selling a selection of their wines by the glass and bottle, which will be the perfect accompaniment to a platter of Calendar cheeses.
• Plains Paddock will be firing up the barbecue with lamb kofta pides and slow cooked lamb shoulder burgers, as well as falafel pides for those looking for a vegetarian option.
• There will be a range of Daylesford & Hepburn Mineral Springs Co. water and soft drinks for sale to quench the thirst of visitors, and coffee carts for those needing a bit of a boost.
• Then to finish off your visit on a sweet note, Castlemaine’s Icecream Social will be serving a range of yummy flavours such as olive oil and thyme; gold digger (milk chocolate with honeycomb and gold dust); citrus vermouth sorbet; apple crumble;  vanilla; quince and almond.

Purchasing food and drink on the day will not only help quench your thirst and appetite, but also support pleasurable food education in Australia, as proceeds from sales will be kindly donated to the Foundation.

While visitors to the Open Garden Weekend are relaxing on the lawn overlooking the stunning garden, they will also be able to enjoy the mesmerising sounds of the hang drum played by the multi-talented Dr Grant Blashki.

Visitors will also have some comfy seating thanks to Wheat Belt, who have generously donated hay bale covers for the event.

Paul Bangay’s Stonefields Open Garden Weekend is from 10am to 4pm on 16 & 17 April at 20 Belty Drive, Denver, Victoria (halfway between Daylesford and Kyneton).

Tickets are $25 online now, or $30 on the event weekend.

If you are travelling to the Daylesford area for the Stonefields Open Garden and wanted to make a weekend of it, there are plenty of other events happening in the area:

• Paul Bangay’s former property in Woodend – St. Ambrose Country Estate – is opening its gates to the public for the first time in over a decade. The Enchanted Gardens of St. Ambrose at 7 Wood Street, Woodend will be open from 9am – 4pm on 16 & 17 April. Works by botanical artist Craig Lidgerwood will also be on display. Cost: $20 (cash only, no EFTPOS), children under 12 free. Details: st.ambrosefarm@bigpond.com
• The Lake House in Daylesford is holding a Regional Producers Day on Sunday 17 April from 10.30am to 3pm. The day includes market stalls by local producers; a cooking school hosted by Alice Zaslavsky and featuring River Cottage Australia’s Paul West, MasterChef Winner Emma Dean and Forage author Julia Jenkins; wine tastings, and live music. Entry is $12.
• For more information about attractions and events in the area head to Visit Victoria.