A year ago I ventured overseas and backpacked through a handful of countries, stopping to look at art and eat some of the most delicious food that has ever been in my mouth.

One of my favourite places to eat was Spain. There are next to no businesses that honour the tradition of tapas when you order your drink without charging you for them (and to be honest, when I found one that did I spent 3 days in a row there drinking vino rosado and feasting on all the free food the man would give me. He didn’t speak English and I could only order a wine but I’m sure he knew I was there for his free food and he did an amazing job of filling my belly!)

The Tapas, the seafood, the paella! Of course some of the best wine I have ever tasted paired too well to describe … but what do we have here that even comes close!?

In mount gambier there is slowly but surely an increase in the diversity of multiculturalism coming through in a variety of restaurants about our town.

Once you have eaten good food however there’s no turning back!

On The 19th of May, Thyme at the lakes will be hosting their first Spanish themed night – A Spanish taste of thyme.

You don’t have to fly to Spain like I did to get your laughing gear around some of the most delicious Spanish tapas in the world! Just book yourself in for a night of fine dining here with us at thyme and we will ensure you get a Spanish twist of thyme!

Jamon – this is absolutely everywhere in Spain. Try it with truffle salami toasts ….

Rosemary skewers with monk fish and bacon.

Baby calamaries pocketed with rice and Mediterranean vegetables

Confit duck and pulled pork croquettes

Catalan chicken (Catalonia is a part of Spain where they speak a different Spanish but don’t tell them that) very confusing… but their chicken is the … er … bees knees.

Grilled leek and sardines

Chorizo and red wine. No word of a lie… I literally just started salivating.

Octopus

Escalivada custard (traditionally a savoury vegetable custard served warm like an omelette ) mmmmmmmmmmmmm

Fried Manchuria cheese. Droooooooool.

Spanish inspired lamb ribs – these are de-lic-ous! With a Pedro xiemenez glaze (Spanish sherry) flavours literally to die for. Not you… the lamb.

These are just a bunch of our favourites … but don’t take my word for it. Put your happy pants on (you know, the ones that make you feel good AND expand as you do) grab yourself a ticket via our Facebook page before they all sell out and pop into thyme for this Spanish fiesta of mouth watering flavours and Spanish tradition!

Oh and the wine … always with the wine.

Working here at thyme over the last week has been a little more exciting than just waiting tables and pouring drinks.

Leading up to the 7 course degustation extravaganza, specifically designed for a few of our VIPs; we have seen Nick bring an array of different foods into the restaurant and I’d say all of them, he has encouraged us to try.

I’ve eaten green ants; chewed their little heads and faces right off. Crushed them between my teeth and sucked out the citrus-like flavour from their tiny little bones.

Ive eaten crocodile (which I’ve eaten before) but this time it was cooked 3 different ways, a far cry from the crocodile on a spit I tried in Vietnam! …. I’ve learnt about which parts are good to eat and what are better ways to cook it. Did not smile at one during this process.

Ive hovered around in the kitchen waiting for my chance to eat dusted lamb with Pedro sauce and caviar (but not together). I have enjoyed sucking the last bit of flavour out of the little lamb bones and discovered that black caviar is quite salty in comparison to others I have tried.

I’ve watched dry ice smother tables like butter on crumpets and witnessed some of the fanciest and tastiest food imaginable come straight out of the thyme kitchen – right here in mount gambier.

The seven course degustation menu boasted a taste of thyme – mushroom panna cotta, confit duck & pulled pork terrine, heirloom vegetables and pate got the party started.

One of my favourites was the garden of Atlantis. Smoked octopus, ceviche of scallop, caviar, nori miso infused edible sand with a crayfish foam tasted amazing & looked like somewhere king Neptune or his Greek mate Poseidon would live.

Crocodile 3 ways was backed up with a Spanish inspired Lucindale dusted lamb cutlets, Pedro ximenez glaze with spinach potato and pine nut!? Are you salivating yet?

For those of you that have tasted our strawberry & white chocolate sphere – prepare yourself to be a little jelly. Salted caramel & passionfruit sphere is our old favourite younger and even more delectable little sister.

The icing on the cake do to speak was a light dessert dish called I’m puzzled; vanilla & honey comb Panna cotta with elderflower & pommie granite jelly.

OMG.

Thyme provides something different every single time. Even on our regular menu you will discover tea smoked quail, cutlet & braised goat with mandarin.

So next time you are planning a get together that involves eating and drinking… give us a call. I’m sure nick would be only too happy to feed you some extraordinary dishes and I would possibly get the chance to eat and taste yet another array of strange but wonderfully cooked creatures! #carnivoreforlife

When we spoke about blogging for a whole 3 seconds this week in between frantic organisation; planning, Christmas function organising; table moving, chair stacking, cutlery counting; menu collaborating, bon bon placing and good old hard working blood sweat and tears … I think nick mentioned something about Christmas and it got me thinking …

What does it mean to you?

I personally do not like to participate in the mass celebration of Christ… I used to love it sick but now … not so much. I don’t have children either so I don’t have to pretend there is a Santa. I used to enjoy wrapping presents and putting up decorations too but again now …not so much. So what does Christmas mean to me?

Now, that I work in hospitality again … a time for long hours. Split shifts. Long nights … setting tables. Reminding patrons it is not a good idea to tip your drink over your friends head … or gracefully and certainly the polar opposite to silently; claiming somebodies stashed drinks to be your own.

The vibe at our place changes – just for a bit. People get excited and people get happy. We have functions and photobooths, set menus and djs. When you love where you work, having functions is like inviting people into your home (ok so you have to pay for your food and your drinks ha ha ) but we look after you, feed you, help you, get you an extra fork if you need one, call you a taxi or make sure you aren’t eating anything you shouldn’t …

during this time we are super busy, we get tired but we don’t complain. We love where we work and we love what we do. We know that we too will get to spend some time with those we love, to eat some delectable food and drink some fine wine (beer, cocktail or selective other favourite beverage of all time) soon enough … but leading up to these couple of days off … we will do our best to make your family gatherings, Christmas functions or casual luncheon something to enjoy.

Please don’t steal our table decorations.

Please don’t mess with the taps on our toilets.

Please reframe from taking things off the walls and breaking them.

Please don’t heckle our DJ.

People tend to sometimes overindulge when someone else is fitting the bill.

Who are we to judge? I just don’t want a $10,000 fine so please… behave yourself.

We love to have you experience all the good things at thyme at the lakes.

We try our best to provide you with a dining experience like no other you will find in mount gambier.

We pride ourselves on providing a service to you to ensure that you enjoy your night, feel relaxed and leave being 137% satisfied with the thyme experience.

We like to hear how much you enjoyed eating a particular meal (or what you think we could improve on to ensure you have the best time ever!) and we also like to hear about what you’ve been up to since you last dined with us. ..

the thyme team is like a family.. you have been invited into our home.

We also run like a “Finely oiled machine” I heard a happy customer say recently …

so Christmas to me is now ensuring that everyone that walks through our doors leaves with a full belly, feeling happy and impressed with the relaxed but sophisticated atmosphere and satisfied with the delectable flavours and options on our menus.

We at thyme thank you for dining with us this last year … we wish you and your families a very merry Christmas what ever that may mean to you, filled with love and surrounded by those most important to you – remembering and being thankful for what we have and looking into 2018 with a positive hopeful and happy attitude. We hope that if you dined with us you behaved yourselves and you left with a full belly. We cannot wait to smash in this new year and we all look forward to you dining with us in the near future.

Drive safe on the roads,

Eat as much as you can.

Love the thyme team xx

When I first worked with Nick Katris a good 15 or so years ago there weren’t a lot of specific dietary needs a restaurant would have needed to cater to.

The majority of requests were systematically from that of a “fussy” eater or someone who was on a diet to lose weight or keep fit. To be honest, even these requests were far and few between.

Nowadays; we see more and more extreme dietary requirements. Some of them fickle. Some of them life threatening.

People allergic to peanuts, egg, pork, particular preservatives or the colour yellow. Vegetarians, vegans, people who only eat white meat, people who only eat red meat. Then there’s pescatarians (what are these people up to anyway? Seafood is still an animal – it’s like they wanted to go vegan but didn’t want to miss out on prawns. ?) my cousin is a vegan – she has a rule: she won’t ever eat anything that used to have a face. Good rule. But wait – there are people allergic to shellfish!

People who avoid sugar, saturated fat and carbohydrates. Lactose intolerant people, onion haters and my new inconvenient and unexpected favourite: gluten intolerant or even more painful; celiacs.

Being gluten intolerant or a celiac is literally a pain in the arse.

I never really understood what it was all about – a hip new diet, a quick way to get skinny or something that other people had to worry about. Not me. I can eat what I want.

To be honest, I dislike even saying the word gluten, thinking about gluten or talking about gluten. (Not to mention what parts of me hurt if I shove something in my mouth containing it!)

I’m tired (legitimately physically and psychologically!) of hearing about it, asking about it, avoiding it and not eating it. I’m sure the kitchen staff (as accommodating, supportive and unbelievably helpful they have been during this life changing and confusing time) are keeping a tally of how many times this word comes out of my mouth and I’m sure captain nick is only a couple of shifts away from making the “I said gluten” jar a permanent fixture in the kitchen where half of my wage will end up. Guaranteed.

But now I have no choice. I’m actually too scared to put anything in my mouth.

I’ve become an avid, slightly obsessive reader of food labels and have had to quickly learn about what it is; where it hides; what it’s made from and things that can be made from it.

After a short spout of denial, I started thinking about all the foods that were no longer an option.

I’ll start with the obvious: bye bye cereals, pastries, pizza and garlic bread like I know it (although I hear cosmopolitan do a crazy good gluten free base!) see ya later anything that’s crumbed, anything containing wheat, barley or rye. Cheerio cherry ripes, crackers and coloured popcorn! Catch ya round cakes, muffins, donuts and anything that has flour in it. Oh, not to forget … what has become a favourite of mine for hangovers because of all the yummy vitamins hiding in it (for those playing along at home dip finger in jar and eat) but something that I grew up on. That’s right – Bye bye vegemite. My “level Australia” just dropped to minus 3715497.

The list is never ending … practically everything has gluten.

I however consider myself extremely lucky.

Besides the unbelievable fact that I can still have wine, cheese and meat…

I spend a lot of my time in an amazing restaurant where not only the head chef encourages us to taste his food but has crafted a delicious menu that has so many gluten free options on it you’ll never be stuck for choice or left wondering if you’ll feel like someone kicked you in the guts moments after you’ve eaten a starter.

The majority of main meals on the menu are gluten free. The gravy : gluten free. Seafood dishes, steaks, oven baked cheese, salads and vegetables: ALL GLUTEN FREE. The lunch menu has GLUTEN FREE options.

Sides and desserts: GLUTEN FREE. Fruchoc inspired pudding. Yes. This bad boy is GLUTEN FREE. If you don’t like fruchoc … are you even south Australian!? Raspberry and white chocolate sphere, mango splice pannacotta, affogato and house made truffles??! … you guessed it; GLUTEN FREE.

The thyme kitchen team select only the best quality ingredients they can get their hard working little hands on. A fair chunk of it: GLUTEN FREE.

So all is not lost … with the help of my thyme team mates, I’ve started the long road to understanding what I can and can’t put in my gob on a permanent basis. I can eat confidently knowing that they are all looking out for me and my new uninvited compulsive dietary needs. A firm “no” tends to do the trick if I even remotely look like I’m going to eat something with gluten in it but to be honest… in comparison to how many times I eat something at work: it’s not that often!

I have also through a necessity had to learn to better understand food and what gets added to what in the kitchen. I can confidentially recommend (as can the rest of the front of house staff after hearing a few weeks of my whinging) gluten free options and alternatives for people with other allergies. If you’re ever unsure – ask us.

Congratulations to the thyme kitchen team. I cannot put into words how excited I was to find that most of what comes out of the kitchen is gluten free.

Thank you for helping me.

You’ve once again out done yourselves.