Sweet Envy & The Female Factory

This weekend I had a girl date with my friend S.
We both really enjoy the simple things in life like coffee and cake, so we chose to start our Saturday afternoon at Sweet Envy (info here).
Located on Elizabeth Street in North Hobart the outside looks plain and neat but inside is a hidden treasure trove of amazing, colourful, wonderful sweet treats!

 I definitely had a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory moment!

 I'm a cupcake fan and my choices were seemingly endless.

They also have a selection of beautiful tarts, cakes and pastries as well as ice cream, lollies and biscuits.  Basically everything sweet and delicious.

I (finally) opted for the PBJ cupcake and the hazelnut caramel brulee - two cakes is just necessary sometimes.  

 

And S had the St Honoron.

 

 

And the Dexter tart. 

 

Everything in Sweet Envy looks amazing and I was very impressed with the obvious attention to detail and the amount of effort that must have gone into producing all of these wonderful specimens.

If I'm honest the cakes I chose could have done with a bit more flavour for my palette but I don't just eat with my palette. For me eating is an experience and the setting, the smells, the service and the sweetness were all just spot on.

My general rule for restaurants is like my rule for movies, I might like a restaurant but the real test is if I would go back, just like a movie. I might enjoy the movie but would I buy it on DVD? 

I would definitely buy Sweet Envy on DVD! A cupcake and a coffee is super reasonable and the setting is my idea of heaven!

After our fill of cake, coffee and gossip we went in search of a bit of Hobart history and found Cascades Female Factory. 

Between 1788 and 1853 approx 25,000 women convicts were transported to Australia mainly from Great Britain and Ireland. Around half of these women were sent over to Tasmania and were placed into one of five female prisons in the state. 

The Female Factory in South Hobart ran from 1828 to 1856 and is known to have held over 5000 female convicts and their children in this time.

 We took a guided tour of the site which I cannot recommend enough - the site itself is relatively small but the knowledge of the guide along with the amazing restoration of the site paints a sad but enthralling picture of the lives of these women.

 

If nothing else, do the tour because it offers access to the matron's cottage which has pictures and information about daily life. I love seeing what they would have eaten - so basic but it fascinates me.

For me Tasmania's convict history has always centered around the men at Port Arthur but The Female Factory gave me a real insight into the lives of women at that time and I really connected with that.
Go and have a look - take a tour if you have the time/money. You wont regret it. Info here.

I would never consider myself a history person but this has really got me interested in learning more about Hobart's history and having sites like this so close to us is just such a privilege. If anything it makes me so grateful that we have the Hobart we have today!
 
Do you have any favourite historical spots in our city? I'd love to hear some from locals!

Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival

Tasmania otherwise known as the Apple Isle has a rich apple growing heritage and this year it was celebrated like no other with the first of what hopefully will become an annual event, the Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival. 

The festival combined the tradition of wassailing (an act of drinking and singing to the health of the apple trees with the hope they might thrive and produce a bumper apple harvest) and the local food and beverage vendors in a weekend of eating, drinking, singing, dancing and general merriment! 

On the approach it looked like a great big party in a field. Exactly what I was hoping for!

And when we got closer my suspicions were confirmed! 

Hay bales and fire barrels lined the fields and groups of wrapped up revellers drank mulled cider and hot chocolates to keep warm as children played in the hay and adults toasted to winter.

 

Before long the lure of the food took hold of me and off we went to partake.

Tacos from Taco Taco were first up, pulled pork with cider slaw (on the right) and Korean beef brisket with apple and red cabbage kim-chi (on the left). I totally love pulled pork and it was great but I didn't taste any cider in the slaw, the beef was my clear winner, sweet, meaty and delicious. I could have easily eaten twenty BUT there was so much more food to try!

 

Cheese fondue from the Bruny Island Cheese Co - udderly delicious (pun very much intended).

 

Meat pie with rhubarb chutney from Nicholls Rivulet Organic Food Farm - this may not look much but trust me it was fantastic, without a doubt the nicest of anything I tried that tender meat nestled in the most perfect pastry with that tangy, sweet chutney it was seriously moooovalous (too much?!)

Desserts were up next and I headed straight for Lady Hester's sourdough donuts.

I had heard that they were pretty fantastic from reliable sources at Dark Mofo Winter Feast and they certainly looked the part.
I opted for chocolate and salty pistachio and it was really delicious but the filling began and ended on the outside and I could have definitely handled a a bit more deliciousness on the inside.

I also got to try the triple berry and white chocolate tart from Cygnature Chocolates which was berry, berry, berry good (I'm done - I promise!).

When the food was eaten and the rose cider (from Dickens Cider House)  was finished we headed outside where the darkness had set in and the dancing had begun. 

We retired to the music hall for a good olde knees up. Unfortunately the camera changed placed with the mulled pinot (from Two Bud Spur) and we danced the night away to a truly amazing reggae band - I didn't get the name so if anyone knows do tell!

I didn't get to try food and drinks from all of the vendors but I heard that Tasman Quatermasters had some pretty epic wallaby croquet's, did anybody try them? 

Also I saw that Crumb Street Kitchen, The Apple Shed  and Mountain Pepper Pizza had some impressive menu items - too much good food! Tasmania should definitely have more food festivals, I would be a willing customer!

Margate Train

Weekend mornings mean special breakfast to me and special breakfast means pancakes! When in Hobart for me there is non better than at the Margate Train.

For those who don't know Margate Train is Hobart's last passenger train The Tasman Limited and these days it stands just before the small town of Margate about 20 kilometres South of Hobart. It's carriages are re purposed into compact shops, including a book shop, sweet shop, and a deli.  It's cute, fun and has stacks of character.

The front of the train is for kids (big and small!) to play on and I generally take full advantage of this however it was a bit rainy when we visited so I opted for a little bit of retail therapy at White Doily Lane - you can check them out here.

My main reason for attending is the Pancake Train located in the original dining cart.

Inside one end of the pancake train there are wooden long tables and small two people tables but if I were you I'd ring ahead, book and secure a first class spot, the comfy seats and  booth style seating are most definitely worth the phone call!  You can find their website with contact details here.

Let's talk about the pancakes, check 'em out!

Seriously fluffy, seriously syrupy and seriously delicious. You can choose from a delicious menu of sweet and savoury pancakes as well as equally yummy things for the anti-pancake people out there (I know, anti-pancake is most definitely an oxymoron in my book). They also offer gluten free, dairy free and egg free options which is pretty cool - however I haven't had a review of these. This surely means I need to return in the name of research?!

The staff are great, friendly and professional even when the train gets super busy (which is does!) and it's really reasonable on the old wallet if you're not prepared to spend a fortune. 
If there isn't any seating inside grab a spot on a very cheery bench on the grass and enjoy your food there.There are also a couple of non pancake food stalls around the site so even the fussiest of eaters will be pleased! 

Margate train is a great little stop of on the way to the ferry terminal at Kettering and a great spot to take tourists, family and friends for something a little quirky and special. 

And if you need any more persuasion to take a trip to Margate just look at these pancakes again, they are ready for their close up!  

Anyone got any other suggestions for pancakes around Hobart? I've heard Mount Elephant Pancakes is pretty special but it's a bit too far for me to travel, actually, pancakes might just be worth it!