Welcome to Sharing The Table…
What a year it’s been!
I’m writing this en route to Hobart where I’m so excited to be speaking tomorrow, as part of the annual fundraising breakfast for the Royal Hobart Hospital.
Travel has been a large part of life for me again this year and although it can take its toll physically, I find the heartening stories people share along the way leave me ultimately uplifted at the end of each day. While I’ve travelled around the country with Penguin, for the release of Maggie’s Kitchen, the number of people I’ve heard such beautiful stories from has made me swell with pride.
At every function I have spoken at, I have been so proud to hear from people just how much they’ve loved the experience of visiting the Farm Shop; of the true friendliness of my team and genuine hospitality. It’s wonderful, especially knowing that the Farm Shop team are so continually busy from one end of the day to the other, that because of their sheer belief in hospitality and what we’re doing, the ‘Barossa welcome’ continues to shine through.
I’m not sure how many of you know that we’re a relatively small company, just 65 employees between our production facility and the Farm Shop, and every single one of them has had, with me, the biggest year ever.
We’re always trying to be better, always trying to excite you with extensions of the range, like our vegetable pates, which I’m hoping you’ve had the chance to try? I know when something is really right when my family continually ask for it to be brought home and the vegetable pates have certainly been on the regularly requested list! Having said that, all the grandchildren from 1 to 12 years love the Pheasant Farm Pate above all else…
Speaking of extending ranges, the most repeated feedback while I’ve been travelling has been about our ice creams, and in particular where to get hands on tubs! So as well as directing everyone to the web for our list of retailers I tease all and sundry about next February when another flavour will be added to the range - Lemon and Orange Curd - and how it’s probably my favourite of all… well, for the moment!
It has been just great to get so much feedback across the book tour, it continually overwhelms me how much I gain from meeting so many people and I can’t help but think just how lucky I am.
