Robertson – Fill a Picnic Basket
Crop and Swap
Meet local growers and gardeners as they get together to share their crops and conversation at the Crop Swap every Saturday morning from 9am outside Rockabellas Roadside Diner. This fun, local food exchange is all about community while making the most of excess produce to do away with wastage. Bring something home grown or home made to the table and you’re free to select as much as you like from the pool of local produce which varies each week and season by season. For visitors to the village, its a great sense of the community and country hospitality that Robertson is renowned for.
Hours: Saturday 9-10am
Address: Rockabella’s Roadside Diner – Shop 1, 74-76 Hoddle St, Robertson
Contact: 0422 000 770
Email: plim@people.net.au
Wild Raspberry Paste
When visiting the Southern Highlands, make sure you pick up locally grown Wild Raspberry Paste made from native raspberries. A unique and delicious paste that is the perfect accompaniment to cheeses, wines and desserts and essential for an indulgent cheese board or moorish addition to a picnic spread.
Pick up a 500g jar while selecting your cheeses at the Robertson Cheese Factory. Wild Raspberry Paste is also available at Eling Forest Winery, Centennial Vineyards and Il Topolino.
Contact: 0423 167 448
Email: posterhaus@gmail.com
Rockabellas Diner
Rockabella’s Roadside Diner
The homemade morsels on the countertop of Rockabella’s Roadside Diner are the ultimate ‘grab and go’ picnic treats. As full of fresh local produce as they are delicious the selection changes daily, depending on what’s in season. Think maple glazed bacon and sweet potato muffins, delicious dips with hand-cut corn chips, fluffy country scones, freshly baked lemon meringue or apple berry pie, and inspired country cakes and slices like zucchini and pistachio with butter cream icing. Plenty of gluten free and vegetarian options and of course, great takeaway coffee!
Hours: Wed: 8am – 5pm, Thurs: 8am – 5pm, 5.30pm – 11pm, Fri-Sun: 8am – 5pm
Address: Shop 1, 74-76 Hoddle St, Robertson
Contact: (02) 4885 1889
Email: elladibella@yahoo.com.au
Robertson Country Market
Find farm fresh goods and authentic home-style country cookery from boutique producers you simply won’t see anywhere else. The village market is held on the second Sunday of each month in the School of Arts grounds on Hoddle Street. Many of the local small farmers are so busy in the fields that this is their only opportunity for selling direct to the public. Here you’ll find the potatoes that Robertson is famous for, intensely aromatic local organic garlic in season, a mouthwatering assortment of country style preserves and chutneys, dried fruits and fruit leathers like local peach and native fig from Fruitgrub, as well as comfort foods like farmhouse apple teacake and when the time is ripe – tarts made with Robertson raspberries.
Hours: The Robertson Country Market is held at the School of Arts on the 2nd Sunday of each month excluding January from 9am-2pm.
Address: Robertson School of Arts, Illawarra Highway, Robertson
Contact: 0408 238 575
Website: http://www.facebook.com/RobertsonCountryMarket
Local produce for sale
Robertson Pie Shop
Choose from 24 varieties of piping-hot pies made with melt-in-the-mouth, flaky pie crust and fresh local ingredients – from old fashioned favourites, like steak and kidney, steak and onion and chunky beef to something on the spicy side, like Tandoori Lamb, Thai Chicken, Hot Chilli or Moroccan Beef. Family-sized fruit pies like local peach, cherry or wildberry & apple are ideal to share and picture perfect, dusted with confectioners sugar.
Perfect for a picnic in the countryside are the Chunky Beef Bourguignon in red wine sauce and delicious little Portugese Tarts. There’s even plenty of shaded picnic tables with valley views for a picnic on-the-spot.
Hours: Monday to Friday – 7.30am to 6pm, Weekends – 8.00am to 6.00pm, Public Holidays – 8.00am to 6.00pm
Address: 4400 Illawarra Highway, Robertson
Contact: (02) 4885 1330
Email: enquiries@robertsonpieshop.com.au
Website: http://www.robertsonpieshop.com.au
The Old Robertson Cheese Factory Dairy Store
Offering tastings of an extensive selection of ‘off the farm’ cheeses, sourced locally and from around the world, The Dairy Store is a must for anyone planning to picnic in the Highlands. Other gourmet goods on offer include jams, chutneys, condiments and pickles made with seasonal produce from the surrounding farms, freshly baked artisan breads and lovely old fashioned sweets. The in-house gelataria is renowned for its creamy gelato made with fresh local fruit and certified organic milk from neighbouring dairy farms.
Address: 107 Illawarra Highway, Robertson
Contact: 02 4885 1168
Yelverton Truffles
The world’s most coveted truffle, the Black French Perigord, is now available during harvest season direct from Yelverton Truffles at Robertson. From June to August, the wonderfully aromatic tubers can be ordered fresh from the farm, whole or cut. The Truffiere also produces a limited supply of sought-after Burgundy Summer Truffles.
Hours: Please refer to the website to see when the next tour is running.
Contact: 02 4885 1924
Email: info@yelvertontruffles.com.au
Website: http://www.yelvertontruffles.com.au
Jamberoo Mountain Farm
Jamberoo Mountain Farm is an ethical and sustainable producer of pasture-raised premium quality beef and eggs. By using a rotational farming system that works with the natural grazing habits of their animals they produce top-quality food from their paddock to your plate with a difference you can taste.
Find their delicious eggs at a wide range of places in the Southern Highlands including Friendly Grocer Robertson, Mauger’s Meats, Rockabellas, Robertson Cheese Shop and Moss Vale Railway Markets.
Contact: 0422 520 215
Email: nfeggans@hotmail.com
Website: jamberoomountainfarm.com | Facebook.com/jamberoomountainfarm/