New Beginnings: Fresh hops, new cheeses, fixed freezers and a welcome to our new vegetable purveyors.
Autumn isn’t usually associated with ‘new beginnings’ per se, but we can assure you that this little post-summer and pre-post-autumn is the best time of the year for produce... and beer. With the hop harvest completed some weeks back, all around the state we’re seeing the release of new, fresh-hopped beers. Harvest is no exception, with Seven Sheds launching their brew this week. More on that shortly. Plus Arisa has a new vegan cheese out, it’s the first week for our new veg purveyors, and after a freezer crisis last week, our favourite ice-cream truck is a confirmed starter this week. Plenty going on, let’s have at it.
It’s a new week at Harvest
Well, every week is a new week really, but there is much that is new to celebrate this week.
First up, we’re here to make all Steve’s Veggies regulars aware that they had a position change! Don’t fret; all that goodness is right there waiting for you; It’s just in a different spot. Please join us in extending a warm Harvest welcome to Hmong-cum-Steve’s Veggies. As we’re sure you read last week, Steve’s has been taken over by these extremely experienced and hard-working folks, ensuring continuity. We’re eternally grateful for this. In fact, we had the pleasure of visiting the farm earlier this week. We had wanted to visit for some time, and when we did, the pride, hard work and dedication were obvious.
There are 3 generations farming this fertile land. Keeping you in plentiful supply of the freshest produce money can buy. We love to bang on about it, but having witnessed it all first-hand, we’re here to tell you it’s true: shopping at Harvest is putting your hard-earned directly in the pockets of those doing the work. Not into the coffers of a conglomerate. So please, this week, use your eyes, your feet and your wallets to support these fine folks.
Fresh Brew
Next up in the new category is Willie Simpson, 7 Sheds Brewery, and the “Summer of the 17th Hop” Fresh Hop IPA. Many claim these days to produce ‘hand-crafted’ beers, but few take the same hands-on approach as 7 Sheds. From the hop growing to the bottle washing, to the labelling, to the sale at Harvest. Willie has had a hand in it all, and it shows. This grapefruity, piney, aromatic number has been made with 100% Cascade hops, harvested on March 3rd and added to the brew the following day. That is, of course, after they had been ‘blitzed’ with… wait for it… a whipper snipper! The mental imagery this conjures up is fantastic, as we’re sure the result will be. We’re very excited to give it a whirl at knock-off.
Would it go well alongside Artisa’s new products, ‘Rosie’ and ‘The Derwent’? We can’t speak to this right now, but we’re certain we will after we taste both this week. Beer matching is tricky business, but a good rule of thumb is that, if you have two delicious things, it’s likely they’ll be OK together. Within reason, of course. No-one is suggesting chocolate and pork sausages are a match made in heaven. Scoopy has a new freezer, 7 Springs has a new site, and we’ll bet the farm that Ritual will have a new blend on the go. If not, well if nothing else, tomorrow is a new market day.
Thanks for reading, and thanks for shopping at Harvest. In these uncertain times, your support means the world to us here in the office, and even more to our amazing stallholders.
You’re the best. See you tomorrow.