Where did your passion for cooking and gourmet food come from?
As a child we always had delicious food on the table, Mum was a great inspiration along with a wonderful godmother and others. ?I continued cooking when I went on a working holiday in Scotland, as a young 20 year old, in shooting and fishing lodges. Fresh produce was abundant and I loved learning to use the fresh ingredients to cook for my guests. ?I continued to follow my passion for food at the Country House at Belltrees (3 yrs.) and then in my catering business (25yrs) and now at Coolah Creek with our guests at workshops and retreats.?
What's the ethos behind your range?
My product is all about sustainability, using what I have growing in my garden and what I am fortunate to be given. Sharing what I have is incredibly important to me.
How did you come up with the name for your business?
We came up with the name after a round table discussion with close friends and a bottle of wine. The Cooking Tree has many yummy branches?and my logo depicts that.?
What do you love about where you live and how does it influence your creativity?
We love the unique location at the head of the Coolah Creek valley as its beautiful and inspiring.? Living here influences my creativity. My business is a mix of necessity and creating product with what I have at my fingertips.?
Why do you think your brand, The Cooking Tree products stand out from the crowd?
My products come about from abundant seasons and the love and care put into them. Often hand harvested and prepared by me with my family and friends assistance.?
Tell us about your events and retreats.
Everything we do at Coolah Creek is done to share what we have and so I can do what I do best. The events come about from connections with like-minded creators who want to share what they do and their journeys. ?I love collaborating.?
Why are you happy to collaborate with Country Culture?
Because we will have fun and I love what Country Culture stands for. ?
If you would like to follow Jillie's journey, join her community on
@coolah.creek
@onmykitchenbench
At this stage of my life, for me personally, Mother’s Day is a celebration. However, I totally acknowledge that it’s a bittersweet and sometimes very sad time for others. Being in the gifting business, however,...
Read More
As we approach Administrative Professionals Day on May 3th , let's take a moment to honour the incredible team members who work tirelessly behind the scenes to keep things running smoothly. Here are some sim...
Read More
Angela recently travelled out to beautiful Orange to discover and meet with talented, resourceful, self-made producers. In this interview with Richard Dowling, she discusses the origins and inspirations of ‘Fra...
Read More
As we approach International Women's Day, we're highlighting female-founded products and their inspiring stories. Our curated gift box includes products from Notely, Nina Bailey, Deva Cacao, Yaye, and Murphy & ...
Read More