On the Grapevine WITH BARB LOVE
Hello everyone, welcome to On the Grapevine. This is designed to be a newsy, chatty column that offers you an opportunity to discuss with me your views, news and happenings.
It is for you and it is about you and the community, so have your input and tell me what you, your family members or organisations are up to.
Tell me what you would like to read about and how I can make this column interesting and informative.
I can be contacted at onthegrapevine@cobramcourier.com.au or by phone on 0402 858 877.
— Barb Love
The Lefty Bakery and more
Barooga has a somewhat unique business in town.
From 6am to 2pm Tuesday to Saturday The Lefty Bakery offers the most tempting array of gourmet pies, delicious cakes, slices and sumptuous donuts complete with fantastic fillings you cannot find elsewhere.
After 2pm and with the bakery equipment, glass showcases, cabinets, benches, drinks fridges and a coffee machine all on castors and wheeled back into the kitchen, the spacious area takes on the vision of a spotless laundromat open to the public until 7pm.
The brainchild of owner and pastry chef Tim Cantrill and his wife Belinda, the couple has been overwhelmed with the support received from Barooga residents. The micro bakery opened quietly on December 1, 2021, with little fanfare and Tim beams as he relates the pride the pair shares in its success, “we are over the moon and the locals have just been amazing with their support”.
Coming to the area approximately 12 years ago, Tim began an apprenticeship at the Strathmerton Bakery owned by Belinda’s uncle at the age of 22 after helping the baker out one night when he was shortstaffed and discovered that he just loved it.
Before meeting Tim, I felt I should put his bakery talents to the test and bought a chunky beef and pepper pie. It was delicious, filled with tender chunks of slow-cooked flavour-infused beef. Among other varieties on the pie menu are Chicken Sate’, Carbonara and Lasagna. Yes, that’s right Carbonara and Lasagna pies.
“I believe if we are to attract people from Cobram and surrounding areas, we need to offer something different. Innovation is the key and making quality products rather than something that is ordinary is important or people won’t travel across the river to see us. Our costs are greater but I am proud of what I make and responses have been fantastic,” Tim said.
Quality control is vital and in the hands of Tim and Belinda’s four-year-old son Dyson. “He is our chief taste tester and offers his suggestions,” said Tim with a broad smile.
The life of a baker requires Tim to work while the rest of us are sleeping and begins at 9.30pm and generally he has cleaned up and is ready to head home by 9am the following morning. It’s a long shift but he loves it.
Not certain how many coffees are consumed during the shift but again Tim has done his research and discovered Honeybird Coffee from Mount Beauty, a relatively local coffee company that sells a variety of quality beans which bakery assistants Sheree (Ree) Bailey and Vicky Wilcox happily transform into your favourite take-away coffee.
The business is indeed a family affair with Barbara McMahon, Tim’s mother-in-law, running the laundromat and also assisting in the bakery when needed.
The Lefty Bakery, run by a lefty, is a ‘two in one’ business that has lots to offer, so why not drop in and grab a delicious treat for the kids. It’s next door to Australia Post in Vermont St.
St Joseph’s School celebrates 100 years
In 1922 St Joseph’s Primary School was officially opened by the Sisters of Mercy to provide students with quality Catholic education.
Today the school can look back at its achievements over the past 100 years and in celebration and recognition of this momentous period in its history would like to construct an outdoor amphitheatre within the school grounds.
To accomplish this, the school needs your help to raise funds through the sale of engraved pavers. Therefore, it is asking past and present students and their families to support this historic event with a donation of $100 towards a paver with their name engraved upon it or $170 for the names of their family as a lasting reminder of their involvement in the school.
The fundraiser will continue until May 20 and hopefully the amphitheatre and pavers will be completed by the end of the school year for 2022.
• Please contact the school on 5872 1573 and request a form for your engraving details.
First point of call at CFA
John Parnell of Katamatitie has lived in the Moira Shire area all his life and in his position as Brigade Support Officer (BSO) at Cobram CFA he knows the main roads, the back roads, the bush tracks and everything in between, because it’s vital that he does.
Time can mean everything to those in the firefighting service and John takes his role seriously and five minutes lost by taking the wrong road could end in tragedy. It is his responsibility to ensure that all volunteer units are properly equipped to deal with an emergency call-out and understand the situation.
‘My role is to make sure the units have everything they need and that our volunteer members arrive home safely to their families,” John said.
With 36 years in the fire service as a volunteer and 17 years as a paid BSO where he looks after 27 brigades across the shire from Barmah to Peechelba, John is pleased to say, “We’re in the best catchment area with the Murray and Ovens Rivers a big part of it”.
Reflecting on the summer period that has just ended, John said: “This summer has been pretty quiet, actually it’s one of the quietest I have seen, high humidity, not high temperatures or hot north winds.”
Cobram has 30-40 volunteers, men and women who have undertaken courses to become qualified and who take seriously the role of protecting their community.
Enrolling in the firefighting program requires a huge commitment from volunteers who undertake a range of courses from six weeks up to six months based on all aspects of firefighting training, fire and operational knowledge plus the practical side of using equipment on the three vehicles housed at the station. The pumper is a $600,000 modern firefighting unit used in house fires, motor vehicle accidents and supporting the SES, a $300,000 tanker is used for wildfires, bushfires and structural fires and breathing apparatus while a smaller $200,000 tanker is used in river country where larger vehicles cannot gain access. All different, but volunteers must be familiar with each one.
While John does not go on callout with his teams at Cobram as he is required to oversee and manage everything from the station, he is, however, a volunteer and Captain of Katamatite CFA and attends grass and structural fires in his location. John also works in the aircraft unit.
“I love the CFA and giving back to the community. It’s a good organisation and like a large family really,” said John. While the CFA takes up most of his time, John also umpires local football, in the GVFL, MFL and Kyabram leagues, training two nights a week.
‘’It’s a good outlet for me from everything else,” he said. John is married to Dossie and they have three sons, Thomas, a trainer/stable manager involved in harness racing, Bradley works in horticulture with Moira Shire and Daniel is an apprentice greenkeeper with Cobram/Barooga Golf Club.
• Footnote: If anyone is interested in learning more about volunteering for the CFA, please contact John Parnell on 0427 903 500 and have a chat.