Food & Drink

THE Margaret River wine region welcomed its newest microbrewery late last month with the opening of the $10 million Saracen Estate/Duckstein microbrewery.

REFURBISHING and opening two small bars in less than six months wasn't exactly how Brendon Aitken expected his business plans to develop.

WE do indeed live in a land of confusion. As the dust begins to settle, through the smoke and destruction of the great credit crunch of 2007/08, we can begin to observe the debris that unfettered and under-regulated consumer capitalism has wrought on th

LEAVING the corporate cocoon to set up their own gourmet food store was challenging for the owners of the newly opened Turban Chopsticks; but the former human resources advisor and accountant don't miss their former life.

NOT many people could differentiate an Australian sparkling from a French champagne.

Perth-based Mission NewEnergy Ltd has produced first bio-ethanol from non food agricultural waste material, which sets up the company to produce the fuel from a range of low-cost and readily available feedstock.

MOST hospitality operators would agree that finding a good lease isn't easy in Perth these days, especially in prime locations.

WINNING an award can be a good way to get a business known and increase of customers; but White Salt owners Tim and Claire Leech say it's also a great staff retention tool.

HAS the growing metrosexual culture changed the way we make beers? Low carbohydrate beers haven't exactly taken Australia's beer market by storm; in fact it's hard to think of a low-carb brew that's made much of a mark in the past couple of years beyond F

FOUR years after it started training food industry employees, Victoria Park-based provider Australian College of Training is preparing to export its services to New Zealand and Asia.

THE corner of Bulwer and Lake streets in North Perth is becoming a Mecca of upmarket Asian food, with venues such as Nahm Thai and Nine Fine Food taking the offering to a new level.

THE founder of popular Leederville burger bar Retro Betty's, Michael Wiss (pictured), is involved in a legal battle over intellectual property rights with the owners of Retro Betty's Innaloo.

What is your favourite holiday destination? My favourite holiday destination is Broome, and in particular, Cable Beach Club Resort.

TEA and scones, coffee and cake - where would civilised society be without them? The latter in particular is something of an institution in egalitarian Perth, which is forging a reputation nation-wide for the quality of its brews.

INDIAN food has taken an extravagant and upmarket turn in Innaloo with the Gosavi family's newest venture, Bollywood Rest.

A MID-DECADE housing industry boom in Australia, fuelled by an ultimately destabilising rate of population growth, diverts scarce resources, including funds, away from much more productive sectors of the economy.

JOLLY Good Indian restaurant owner Dean Bedi says having his head chef quit unexpectedly was the best thing that ever happened to his business.

October 3 Melville Toyota Pink Ribbon Ball, sponsored by Worldwide Online Printing. Run annually by Momentum Women's Forum that raises money to support breast cancer research.

AMID the clamour for a more cosmopolitan approach to the café and cuisine culture in Perth, a new CBD venture has opened without much fanfare, but with a whole lot of Melbourne vibe.

CHRIS Isaak will be performing at the next Leeuwin Concert Series, to be held at Leeuwin Estate Winery in Margaret River.

THE Brisbane Hotel won the Hotel of the Year award at the Australian Bar Awards competition held last week.

ROCHEBARON, Le Caviste de Scey, Occelli Crutin, Serve & Bell St Maure Caprifeuille, Mauri Taleggio, Queso San Simon - surely for even the most dedicated foodie at least one of those names doesn't ring a bell.

Spring has sprung THIS year's Spring in the Valley festival, to be held on the weekend of October 11 and 12, will feature events at more than 50 Swan Valley food, wine and art venues.

KERRY and Tracy Brown have a message for their fellow hospitality and tourism operators in Mandurah - lift your game and prepare for an influx of business.

THERE are some changes on the cards for two Fremantle eateries.

TOWN planner Brian Hunt spent a lot of his professional life working to develop the Swan Valley region, so perhaps it was no surprise that he would eventually turn his knowledge of the area, and his passion for wine, into a business.

Traditional continental delis with a wide variety of cheese on offer, dozens of different cold meats and an Aladdin's cave of exotic imported products, are not so common in Perth anymore.

A number of Western Australian finalists featured in the 2008 Australian Gourmet Traveller Awards, with East Perth's new fine dining destination Restaurant Amuse, Must Wine Bar sommelier Emma Sputore and the glamorous 1907 bar among those in line for top

David Cooney, the entrepreneur who brought Van's Sidewalk Café to Cottesloe and Aubergine to South Fremantle, is continuing on his campaign to bring good coffee and food to suburban Perth with a new venture in Nedlands.

As many as 21 2006 vintage rieslings from all over the world will be showcased at the third annual Howard Park international riesling tasting and lunch event, to be held on October 4 at Howard Park

Companies often fail because of a shortage of cash, even while they're profitable.

WA Cleanskin Cellars is on a roll, launching a third venture, in Malaga, with more outlets in the pipeline.