Beautiful beaches, fascinating history and stunning food and wine make the Bellarine Peninsula a popular retreat from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne city. Despite its proximity to the CBD – only an hour’s drive – the Bellarine is home to a bounty of passionate producers.
Episode guide: Bellarine Peninsula, Channel 7, 5.30pm Saturday 19 April
A gift from the sea
A land of plenty
From the valley
Floating fishmarket
Featured businesses
More information
A gift from the sea
The premiere Victorian episode of Mercuro’s Menu opens at Portarlington, a picturesque spot on the Bellarine famous for its mussels.
On the waterfront Paul meets up with the guys from mussel growing and processing company Sea Bounty, who invite him to help harvest this succulent shellfish. On their return Paul takes his catch over to the Ol’ Duke restaurant where he transforms them into a scrumptious dish.
DPI helps Sea Bounty monitor water and mussel quality to satisfy food safety standards for growing, harvesting and holding shellfish through the Victorian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program (VSQAP). The program, developed by DPI Fisheries Victoria, has been running for 16 years and is regarded as the best in Australia.
DPI is assisting the growth and development of mussel farming in the region through a staged release of 1,700 hectares of marine water for the purposes of aquaculture. The department is also working with industry to produce hatchery mussel seedstock at the department's award-winning research facilities at Queenscliff.
DPI is also involved in the development of the Bellarine Seafood and Wine Touring Route with local industry, tourism groups and local and state government agencies.
Fast facts:
- Victoria is one of the largest producers of mussels in Australia
- Portarlington is known as the mussel farming capital of Australia
- Portarlington's mussel farming festival in January attracts around 10,000 people every year
- The mussel farming industry operates 36 aquaculture licenses under the Victorian Fisheries Act 1995.
A land of plenty
The selection of produce available on the Bellarine is legendary, so Paul takes a look at what makes this area so special and visits a couple of local producers.
First stop is Lonsdale Hydroponics where truss, cherry, Roma and loose tomatoes are grown in abundance under the watchful eye of Andrew Pearson. And who could resist a bowl of beautiful, ripe, red strawberries? Certainly not Paul as he visits the Wallington Strawberry Farm.
Next we meet local sheep farmer Terry English, whose lucky flock spends its days whiling away the time under the vines on the spectacular Bellarine Estate.
DPI's Agribusiness Group helps the strawberry industry flourish in international markets by providing expert advice and information about export opportunities.
Fast Facts:
- Strawberries have grown commercially in Victoria since the 1940s
- Victorian growers produce more than 10,000 tonnes of strawberries from October to May each year
- Victorian strawberries have an annual gross value of $22 million.
From the valley
After visiting Terry’s sheep, Bellarine Estate owner Peter Kenny takes us on a tour of his vineyard, where all the vines are sheltered from the harsh winds in a protected valley.
Later, Paul meets up with head chef of the renowned Julian’s restaurant, Graham Henderson. The two show off their culinary talents by taking the cooking outside and creating their favourite lamb dishes with the vineyards as a stunning backdrop.
Floating fishmarket
The next destination is Queenscliff, the jewel of the peninsula. Queenscliff’s claim to fame is built around its fishing fleet, and Paul couldn’t resist spending the day on a fishing trawler with local fifth generation fisherman, Bill Cull.
But there is another side to this wily fisherman: on Sundays he transforms his boat into a floating shop and sells his catch to the locals from the pier!
Fish lovers often ask Bill if his fish is harvested sustainably. His answer involves DPI. Local fish populations, including succulent snapper, come from fish stocks monitored by DPI Fisheries Victoria, ensuring a sustainable commercial fish supply for the future. Bill has helped monitor stocks by tagging snapper from his vessel.
Fast Facts:
- Victoria’s commercial fisheries began in the 1840s, during European settlement
- Victorian commercial fisheries produce about 5,576 tonnes with an annual gross value of $87 million
- About 90 tonnes of snapper worth $640,000 is commercially caught in Victoria each year
For more information on this episode and the mouth-watering dishes created visit the Mercurio’s Menu website (external link).
Featured businesses
- Sea Bounty - ph: (03) 5257 1343, email: info@seabounty.com.au, website: www.seabounty.com.au
- Ol' Duke Hotel - ph: (03) 5259 1250, website: www.theolduke.com.au
- Lonsdale Hydroponics - ph: (03) 5258 2665
- Wallington Strawberry Farm - ph: (03) 5250 1541
- Bellarine Estate - ph: 5259 3310, website: www.bellarineestate.com.au
- Julian's Restaurant - ph: 5259 3310, website: :www.bellarineestate.com.au
More information
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As seen on Mercurio's Menu
Who can resist a bowl of fresh, ripe strawberries?
Succulent lamb
A day in Portarlington
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