July 2008 Newsletter

Dear friends of Safaris,

A very short newsletter this time...

Celebration time!

Our big news is that we are turning 10 years old.

Its such a momentous milestone for Gourmet Safaris, which as many of you know, started as a mad idea that came into my head when my mother's group asked me to take them to a Lebanese restaurant they heard me talking about on radio...the Summerland Restaurant which was then in Punchbowl...a wonderful pinch-yourself-that-you're-still-in-Sydney experience...tables full of delicious fresh dips and salads, grilled meats and seafood...for me and for my girlfriends it was a revelation. We were the only Anglos in a room full of beautifully dressed dark-haired men and almond-eyed women and felt so welcome to be there.

I realised that there is nothing like the introduction from someone who can bridge the gap between culinary worlds - to suggest that you try a little of the fresh oregano salad simply dressed with lemon and olive oil, to tell you that the crumbly cheese is called shanklish and is made frrom dried yoghurt rolled in herbs, to warn you that the creamy sauce that goes with grilled chicken is pure whipped garlic called toum and to go a little easy...to introduce you to the chef and enjoy an evening of culinary adventure.

I absolutely loved showing friends some of my finds and the idea came of doing a series of banquet dinners in exotic restaurants, with some great Australian wines, info kits and recipes to take home. Here's our first flier.

A friend suggested I get a post office box rather than using home and to keep good records (she knows my haphazard way of dealing with bits of paper!) I sent a copy of our flier to the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Living section, where I was doing a fair bit of food writing and bless them - they wrote it up. That Tuesday morning the phone ran hot - I'd finish a call and it would ring again, over and over...scribbling names down and having cheques sent to the post office box.

At that stage I had my son Conor who was 3 and baby Kitty who was tiny and I'd push the pram up to the post box and feel like the most successful businesswoman in the world if there were letters there are crushed is there weren't. Things have evolved quickly from there - now most of our business is via computer and credit card but I like to feel that we are small enough to really look after people and dedicated to giving people the best experience they can have.

After a couple of years I was lucky enough to get a letter from a girl who had come along to one of my safaris at the Rattlesnake Grill in Neutral Bay and who wrote wondering if she could join my team. The team of one in its pyjamas late at night at the computer was getting rather weary (I had another baby Scarlett a couple of years after starting Safaris and I continued to work in television and magazines at the same time - years from now I'll wonder how I did it all but it was all huge fun and great to see an idea realised and people loving the experience).

That letter was from the most organised girl on the planet - Suzy Brien who is manager of Safaris and who, to my amazement looking at her CV - was born in the same month as me two days apart - so much for star signs I thought - why did the organised gene pass me by?

mave-kitty

Turkish-Auburn-001

Over the years we've grown so much - the idea of doing walking tours of areas came up - exploring Sydney's great food villages..then safaris on wheels, visits to some of Australia's best food finds and further afield as well to Vietnam and Greece. We've been joined by some incredible people from many different backgrounds who graciously come and share their food and culture with our guests on safari.

To celebrate our double figure birthday, come and join us at Summerland Restaurant - now in Bankstown - for a Lebanese banquet with wine, music and good company...all at 1998 prices!

We look forward to seeing you...and thank you for your support over the years - what a large lovely family we have amassed!

Maeve and Suzy and all at Gourmet Safaris

Gourmet Safaris

is 10 years old !

and we'd like to invite you to come and celebrate this wonderful milestone with all our guides, extended family and friends at:

Summerland Restaurant
457 Chapel Road Bankstown (some parking at front of restaurant and side streets)

on Saturday 26th July at 7.30pm for a fabulous Lebanese banquet dinner, music and dancing.

Per person(at 1998 prices) $50

RSVP as fast as you can please: suzy@gourmetsafaris.com.au

We hope you can join us.

Maeve

join our mailing list