Goose on the Loose salami wins accolades at Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards

Headed-up by Adrian Greygoose, Goose on the Loose was born out of the Bowen Mountain resident’s love of home-made smallgoods, as well as a perceived lack of good-quality salami and mettwurst made “this side of the world”.

Mr Greygoose makes a whole bunch of salami types from his manufacturing plant in Penrith, distributed through head office at North Richmond, including the flagship

Duck & Juniper which makes up 30 per cent of their overall sales.

They also make Wild Boar & Fennel, Venison & Cranberry, and Kangaroo & Chilli varieties, just to name a few.

While the supermarket on Old Bells Line of Road in Kurrajong and the markets at Richmond Park are currently the only local outlets to pick-up some of Mr Greygoose’s handmade products, he aims to have Goose on the Loose smallgoods sold all around the country by the end of the financial year.

As such, the team has spent the Winter displaying their wares around the country and food and wine shows, including the Royal Hobart Fine Food Awards where they recently took away Bronze, Silver, Gold and Champion Delicatessen Product prizes - essentially ‘sweeping the board’.

“The bulk of our business at the moment is food and wine shows, but we’re moving more into wholesale,” Mr Greygoose told the Gazette.

“We’ve got about 40 retail outlets stocking the salami, with a target of making that 400 by the end of the financial year.”

The business has been running for four years and has “grown dramatically” to employ three full-time staff members and seven casuals, Mr Greygoose said.

He was one of the first stall-holders at the Richmond Good Food Markets, and still rents a regular store space there to this day.

The business started as a hobby. “It came from our love of salami and smallgoods, and the fact that it’s very difficult to get decent salami this side of the world,” Mr Greygoose said.

“I’d been making [salami] at home for years, and I was taking time out from my original career, because I’d been unwell, when someone suggested I ought to make salami to sell.”

Last year the Royal Agricultural Society (which puts on the Sydney Royal Easter Show) awarded two bronze medals to Goose on the Loose products, for their Duck & Juniper Berry salami and Kangaroo salami - a fantastic result for a company in only its third year.

They went on to win a number of accolades at shows around the country - including their most recent high-stakes wins at Royal Hobart - and at time of writing the Goose on the Loose crew is close to wrapping-up its months of show circuitry for another year.

(That is, after attending Handmade Canberra, Parramatta Food and Wine Show, Brisbane Good Food & Wine Show, Wahroonga Food & Wine Festival and the Norton Street Italian Festa over only two weekends!)

“It’s absolutely bedlam,” Mr Greygoose said, adding he’s looking forward to a short break before the Christmas “silly season” begins, after which time they’ll prepare for another crazy year of travelling around the country and spruiking their artisan foods.

Mr Greygoose said the best way to eat his salamis is platter-style - sliced thin and teamed with cheeses, and sundried tomatoes and crackers, for example.

“The Duck & Juniper is quite a meaty style of salami so it’s best to eat it on its own and match it up with cheese,” he said.

“The Kangaroo & Chilli salami goes well with a nice soft cheese, and the Pork and Truffle - which is a bit more oily - goes well with a nice sharp cheese like a crumbly cheddar or parmesan.”

We’re salivating just thinking about it.

Goose on the Loose smallgoods are made from 100 per cent Australian-sourced ingredients, and can be bought from the Kurrajong Friendly Grocer, Richmond Good Food Markets, or online at www.gooseontheloose.com.