For Melissa Baker there’s no greater joy than cooking with fresh whole foods.
The fermentation fan and owner of Well Goodness Me is one of the dozens of stallholders who will be displaying local wares at Bundy Flavours on Saturday, 6 July.
The annual event showcases the delicious side of the Bundaberg Region through a farmers market and live cooking demonstrations by local and celebrity chefs.
Melissa will be returning to Bundy Flavours for the second time showcasing her signature Well Goodness Me fermented pickles.
“It’s a little bit different to your normal pickled cucumber in that it’s preserved through the process of fermentation,” Melissa said.
“So rather than adding vinegar to preserve, the fermentation process creates an acidic brine which preserves and pickles the cucumbers.”
She said the probiotic rich pickles had benefits for digestion and the immune system by promoting “good gut health”.
“When you eat something with probiotics it has good bacteria.
“By eating a fermented food as opposed to taking a probiotic tablet, you’re consuming a variety of strains of bacteria and benefiting from the nutrients in the food being more bioavailable.”
Markets and cooking demos
Bundaberg Regional Council’s Community and Cultural Services portfolio spokesperson Cr Judy Peters said Bundy Flavours would feature producers, creators, chefs and brewers.
“Bundy Flavours is your one-stop-shop for a wide variety of locally created or produced goods,” Cr Peters said.
“You can pick up your fresh ingredients and leave with the inspiration to cook them after watching local and celebrity chefs in action.
“The full program will be released soon for this not-to-be-missed event.”
Bundy Flavours supports local producers
Melissa said she was a huge supporter of Bundy Flavours and promoting local produce.
“For my pickles I source as much as I can locally from the cucumbers to the chilli and dill,” she said.
“I spend the time driving around buying direct from the local farms, to support local and to know it’s super fresh.
“Bundy Flavours helps residents learn what does grow here and where they can buy it.”
She said she was passionate about promoting the benefits of buying fresh, unprocessed foods.
“The point of starting up Well Goodness Me is to provide a fermented food but also to help give me a bit of a platform to spread the message about eating whole foods.
“I want to help educate people on the importance of using real, whole ingredients and getting back in to the kitchen and cooking.
“When people are at Bundy Flavours they can buy cucumbers, honey and eggs. They’re buying fresh foods that are real ingredients, not processed food with fake ingredients.”
