Look out for our New Zealand Cousins - Soon to be flooding on here!!

[Nay-nay]

I received this lastest news from Thermomix today - how exciting!! 
Thermomix in New Zealand
Thermomix is officially being launched in New Zealand!
The first group of Thermomix Consultants will be trained in Christchurch this month. Also their very first cooking class on the 27th November. Tell any friends or family you have in the area. If you know anyone that would also be interested in becoming a Consultant in New Zealand please get them to contact Thermomix.
All the best to the New Zealand team!!!

[cathy79]

Imagine all the lamb recipes we'll get soon!  I can say that, being half kiwi.  I was wondering if it was available there.  Maybe I can claim the first demo as in September I demonstrated fruity dream to my NZ aunties and grandparents, who also tasted my strawberry jam, lemon butter and homemade bread.

[Thermomixer]

Thanks Nay-nay.  There is an Italian woman in NZ who bought one recently.  She is on the Italian Bimby forum - she was the first Kiwi on the Italian forum.

[sourdough]

I'm in NZ and would like to know where I can get one. I live in the country so can't attend a demo.

[Nay-nay]

I'm sure if you email or contact head office they would love to put you on to one! 
http://www.thermomix.com.au/index.html

[Thermomixer]

Grace M has just been there doing some training and as ILB says in her post:

http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1104.msg8244#msg8244, Ngaire is the main contact.

But as Nay-nay also says - contact HQ in Perth

[Nay-nay]

Oh - thanks TMXer I just sent Sourdough a PM with that number thinking I wouldn't put it up public and there it is already up. 

[sourdough]

Thanks everyone for the contact details.

There are only 6 consultants in NZ so far, four in the north island and two in the south. I was very lucky to have found one willing to drive the 3 hours to my home and we met yesterday.

My consultant has only had her machine for 10 days and this was her first demo outside a few friends in her own kitchen, so she showed me what they taught in the recent week-end training and cooking class, and we figured out a few more things together.

She encouraged me do some recipes myself to get a feel for pressing the buttons and attaching the components of the machine properly, so together we made raspberry sorbet, garlic and herb dip, coleslaw, milled wheat and made bread rolls, and a pasta dish with beans and grated cheese to sprinkle on top. It was all delicious and being a somewhat creative cook myself I could see endless possibilities. 

After a fun and informative couple of hours I sent her away with some of my sourdough starters from France and Italy, as well as an order for my very own Thermomix. It's due to arrive next Wednesday and I just can't wait!

We also agreed that once she does the training on the varoma she'll come back and teach me about that too, and in the meantime we're going to email each other about the recipes and experiments we try. Oh and I recommended she check out this forum for further tips and tricks 

[judydawn]

Sounds like you got a little beauty with your demonstrator Sourdough - you worked well together, both of you learning at the same time.  Sounds like a good friendship developing there. Some people never see or hear from their consultant after the delivery process is over but that is where this forum steps in - any questions you want answered, just ask. We have some very knowledgeable consultants and wonderful cooks here and there is not much they don't know about the machine or food.

[Thermomixer]

Sounds like you are both going to have loads of fun.

Don't wait for the Varoma demo - just give it a go and surprise yourself.  It is not that hard.

Don't know that we could get sourdough started from France into Australia ??  It is so easy to start our sourdough here that you don't even need dried fruit etc - the unbleached flour has enough yeast that you just have to add spring water and 2 days later it has started to bubble away.

It would be interesting to try breads made from the different starters. 

[andiesenji]

The thing about "foreign" sourdoughs is that over time they are gradually taken over by the local critters.

The "San Francisco" strain is extremely robust and doesn't take long to overwhelm any other starters that are tried in the area.

I'm fortunate here because there are no really strong local strains and with care, I have been able to keep some unusual strains going for many months. 
I am careful to keep the strains separate and do not refresh or work with two different ones without allowing a few days in between.
I have purchased several unusual strains from Sourdoughs International http://sourdo.com/who_we_are.html .

There are two from down your way and I have the "Tazmanian Devil" culture, which has been going for almost a year. 

Another one that I have active at present is the South African which I use with whole wheat and heavily seeded breads.  It is a powerful culture and works beautifully with these heavy doughs. 

I do bake these breads in a brick oven at higher temps than can usually be achieved in a regular oven but have had some success in baking them in cast iron Dutch ovens. 

[Nay-nay]

Glad to hear Sourdough! Look forward to future postings. 

[Georgie]

Any NZ demonstrators on here yet? A Facebook acquaintance of mine is keen to get one (was considering getting one sent over from AU!!) after all my posts about it, hehe. Not sure where in NZ she is.

She's emailed head office but hasn't heard back yet - and who *doesn't* get a bit impatient when it comes to Thermomix?? 

[Thermomixer]

Best to get in touch with Ngaire http://www.forumthermomix.com/index.php?topic=1104.msg8244#msg8244