À la Louise
Louise Bowers and Mr Bowers left their Melbourne suburban bayside existence in 2014 and replaced it with a small Tasmanian farm. As a food lover, Louise happily discovered that Tasmanians travel metres rather than miles between quality produce outlets. She loves food made from simple and nearby ingredients, along with the chance to talk to the people who grow, produce, cook or nurture it.
Louise Bowers and Mr Bowers left their Melbourne suburban bayside existence in 2014 and replaced it with a small Tasmanian farm. As a food lover, Louise happily discovered that Tasmanians travel metres rather than miles between quality produce outlets. She loves food made from simple and nearby ingredients, along with the chance to talk to the people who grow, produce, cook or nurture it.
À la Louise

Welcome, Mrs Jones

by Louise Bowers
18 Jan 2021

Canned Heat sang about going up the country but canned sardines was on my mind as our little hired campervan braced itself against the pelting rain for a weekend up north. Not a seasoned camper, my accommodation of choice rarely required crockery to...

À la Louise

Dinner with Hercule

by Louise Bowers
03 Aug 2020

The evening brought with it a howling wind from the coast, and an eerie feeling descended upon the now-empty gardens of historic Hawley House. Inside, an international group of guests sat quietly, waiting. A retired longcase clock in the hall...

À la Louise

No choice, no problems

by Louise Bowers
03 Aug 2020

When you drive down the hill and around the bend, the sights of the beautiful Boomer Bay appear on your left. A slow cruise into the small township of Dunalley will deposit you at the bottom of the hill, where the Dunalley Fish Market stands. I use...

À la Louise

Food to go

by Louise Bowers
03 Aug 2020

Franklin, snuggled into the banks of the Huon River about 50 kilometres south of Hobart, is a tiny town with a giant reputation in the world of wooden boat building. It is also surrounded by some of Tasmania’s oldest farms. Franklin is a village...

À la Louise

Beasts without feasts

by Louise Bowers
03 Aug 2020

When you move to an island you become acquainted with wind. Now let me expand on that just a little. When you move to an island, and live in a weatherboard house on a hill, you get to know wind really well. A south-westerly in winter will barrel down my hallway, sending leaves and twigs scurrying along the floor to gather in piles under an all-but-useless door draught stopper.

À la Louise

Evocations

by Louise Bowers
03 Aug 2020

As soon as we pass the Woodstock sign I get that song in my head, “If you’re going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair.” This is the Woodstock on the Channel Highway, on the way to Cygnet. You can wear flowers in your...

À la Louise

Gin is in; ham is glam

by Louise Bowers
03 Aug 2020

For much of its life, gin has struggled with a poor reputation. It was commonly thought to be an unhappy, depressing drink. In the late 18th century, some believed that gin could cause women to spontaneously combust. I headed over to my local gin...

À la Louise

Comfortable stuff

by Louise Bowers
03 Aug 2020

The desire to wear tweed will be great when you visit the historic Clarendon Arms in Evandale. With a theme of all things game (animal not computer), decked out like a British shooter’s inn, this recently refurbished pub cum restaurant come coffee...