Cottage Blog, The Mornington Peninsula Cottages in Rye, Victoria

What Is a “Professionally Operated Accommodation”?

If you’ve been following our blogs, Facebook or website, you might learn that we’re new to this business.

We didn’t believe that it’d take years of experience to make a bed well, and provide a comfy stay.

However it’d be difficult to do it consistently, and ultra difficult to meet every customer’s expectations.

I had been a long time consumer of bed and breakfast. I saw just as many poorly run places as the good ones. Experience of seeing a half eaten sandwich in the fridge, inaccurate advertising, poor response time, the list goes on. One of my friends claimed he saw an used condom under the pillow …. well.

Therefore I dreamed of offering a cozy place like your own home, with a hotel concierge service. What a dream!

No … it must be better than your own home, otherwise why have a holiday, we have to offer an experience… more on that later, about our decorations and renovations.

I must confess that I don’t make my bed everyday. How do I establish and mobilise a team to do their job to a very high standard, consistently?! Here my previous people management experience will add value. But we can’t do it just by ourselves.

We need to engage our customers, learning from the feedback, finding gaps and making plans to improve.

Before we put our cottages on the market, we spent many nights actually living there. I cannot remember the number of small trips I made to the stores, sourcing all the missing essentials. We also let groups of friends staying over, in return of their comments.

Ok ok, they paid the cleaning fees. But there is our time and effort put in, reacting upon all their comments and ideas.

Although we believe most rough corners had been polished. The effort must not stop here.

We must continue to listen, and we beg you to tell us. It’s not just because business lives on positive reviews, it’s because we must be proud of our offerings.

We will also continue learning. We understand that each of our customer’s complain is another disappointed holiday, NOTHING, NOTHING can replace it.

Therefore we take a positive from each of your comments.

An additional mirror outside bathroom to reduce your morning rush, done.

Additional quilts and electric blankets even in summer, done.

Drying rack for your beach clothing, done.

Clearer descriptions, done.

Many more and counting …

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There is a story behind the sheets on our guest beds.

We once naively thought as soon as we can afford a quality 1000TC sheet, our guests would have a good night of sleep.

We thought we could wash them at home.

We were too naive too simple.

Once at a chain big brand hotel, I gave a strange look to the cleaning lady in the hallway. She thought I needed a towel or housekeeping. “May I look at your towels and sheets?” … “Do you wash them here or elsewhere?”

Of course she couldn’t tell me but I saw small leads here and there, allowing me to find a supplier, who taught me so much. Thanks Simba.

We also learnt lessons from the locals. Besides wanting to succeed together with the local business, there is so much to learn from. It’s the community spirit here in the peninsula. From the local laundry we learn the right fabric to use.

Bed making six star hotel — It is not as easy as it seems. Making a bed like a 6 stars hotel.

And of course, our new but fantastic housekeeping team, who was almost in tears trying to make a bed, like a 6 stars hotel, on the top bunk. Trust me, it isn’t easy. YouTube is often a great resource, we watch people making beds fast, 72 seconds for a queen bed in fact; and how to make it nice, folding the corners like a pro butler at The Four Seasons.

Four Seasons Paris Housekeeping Tips

In the time being, please, please don’t hesitate telling us if our beds, sheets, quilts, etc can be more comfy, our shower glass can be shinier… Any comments / ideas / experience to share from elsewhere will also be so appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Spaghettini with Just a Handful of Pipis

Pipi has been one of the favourite ingredients in many cuisines. Both their juice and meat add a touch of magic your dishes. Cooked together with a bit of garlic, chilli and wine, I’m in haven. You have it with your favourite carbs, no matter it’s bread, pasta or rice.

Pipis with spaghettini — The amount of Pipis needed is just what you can hold in both hands. Let’s not eat them all!

Pipis are often found in intertidal zone, in plain English, that’s the shallow water section at our beaches. They aren’t often available in markets, not alive anyway. Many people therefore catch their own.

Pipis are protected and illegal to catch in The Port Phillip Bay. It is permitted in other part of the Victorian coastal waters, in a recreational manner, and with your hands and feet only.

The Cottage Chef loves pipis like many of you, but we also want to promote a responsible way of catching them. They are important part to our food chain and marine life. Let’s protect them so our oceans remain habitable and enjoyable for many generations to come.

So in this blog we demonstrated how a little quantity caught from the ocean beaches of the peninsula, can make a great dish for two.

Find your favourite beach, not in any national parks or environmental sensitive areas of course; there are many ocean beaches within 30-45 mins drive of our cottages. Pardon us as we won’t mention nor promote a particular spot here to avoid it becoming a troubled hotspot.

All you need is just whatever you can hold with your bare hands. You don’t need a bucket, esky, nothing. Catch them, put them in a bag, put some sea water from the same beach. When you’re back at the cottage, put them in a bowl and insert a metal spoon or fork. Our cottages are well equipped with cutleries and kitchen tools. Leave them in the room overnight, the pipis will spit the sand out onto the bottom of the bowl, rather than in your mouth!

Chardonnay Fresh Dill — Don’t forget your favourite white wine, I would pair with a light oak Chardonnay from the Mornington Peninsula, and fresh dill of course!

Ingredients:

live pipis in the shell, cleaned

2 tablespoons olive oil

half onion, finely chopped

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

100 ml dry white wine

pinch of sugar

250 g spaghettini or other long, thin pasta

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill and parsley

dash of lemon juice

Method:

Tip the pipis into a large saucepan, heat over medium heat and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Cook for 5 minutes. Discard any that have not opened. Strain the liquid into a bowl and set aside.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wide shallow saucepan or deep frying pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Pour the wine into the pan and allow to bubble for a couple of minutes. Add the sugar and the cooking juices from the pipis. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and cook at a steady simmer, and allow the sauce to thicken. Place a large saucepan of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
Add the pipis to the sauce and gently heat through. Cook the pasta for 4–5 minutes, or until al dente, drain and return to the pan. Stir the fresh dill and parsley into the sauce, season and pour over the pasta. Toss together and serve in large warm bowls.

Tip: add a few pieces of chilli to spice it up!

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Bruschetta Tomato Basil Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil Green Olive at Red Hill — Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil made with the cold pressed extra virgin olive oil from The Green Olive at Red Hill

The Mornington Peninsula has long been known as our food bowl. Although some of their produce could be found in good Melbourne stores, visiting the farms, meeting the farmers could be a great trip and certainly an experience to share.

Over fifteen years Greg and Sue O’Donoghue have been cultivating their farm in Red Hill. They established a vineyard; built a farm kitchen and store; launched farm classes, tours and tastings; created their own farm brand of food, cordials and wines, which is now known as the Green Olive at Red Hill.

Green Olive at Red Hill Sunny Day Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil — Enjoy a sunny day in the outdoor seating area of The Green Olive at Red Hill. Photo credit: visitmorningtonpeninsula.org

During my wine tasting tour in the Red Hill and Main Ridge region, I always make Green Olive my last stop. Imagine a sunny day, 3pm in the afternoon, after a great meal and lots of tasting nearby, stopover and relax at their vineyard; soak in the sun, enjoy a great cup of coffee and a piece of dessert, kids have fun jumping on their trampoline, perfect!

Green Olive at Red Hill Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil — The Green Olive at Red Hill Shop, great food, coffee, tea, produce and wine.

Last but not least, get their cold pressed extra virgin olive oil. Here is a simple recipe with this olive oil which you can prepare at our cottage, after visiting the vineyard.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil
Make 8 pieces as appetiser

Ingredients
2 ripe small tomatoes, seeded
1 garlic clove
1 tbs of extra olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
8 basil leaves, tear into small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
Baguette French bread
Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for drizzle

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180c
2. Dice the seeded tomatoes into small cubes, mix with 1 tbs of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, basil, salt and pepper to taste
3. Slice the Baguette on diagonal making 1.5cm thick slices, sprinkle with dash of sea salt, drizzle with olive oil
4. Toast the baguette slices about 6 mins or until lightly brown, while it is still hot, rub one side of each slice with garlic
5. Top the baguette slice with tomato mixture, lightly drizzle each slice with olive oil. Serve while still warm.

I would pair this dish with a local pinot or rosé.

Thanks for reading!

What’s on Your Plate Tonight?

I’m very supportive of food technologies as it helps to reduce starvation. But there’re times I’m just as concerned on what I’m feeding my children with. $6 whole chicken that is available in supermarket just weeks after hatching? You get for you pay for …

Along the peninsula you don’t just find quality produce, you can be confident on how it was grown and raised.

The green wedge zone along the peninsula has made our famers proud. Cheese, truffles, olives, apples, honey just to name a few great produce. While it is fruit picking season, we put a spotlight on our berries. A colder than usual start to spring had delayed their ripening. But from the 25th November weekend many farms have started opening to the public.

Strawberry Sunny Ridge Mornington Peninsula Fruit Picking — A child picks his first strawberries at the Sunny Ridge Farm

Australia is a lucky country when it comes to fruit. Many of us still live the Australian dream, having a yard, growing our own fruit which ripen on the trees, rather than on the trucks. This is a luxury many of our big cities neighbours can hardly experience.

Even more fortunately many Peninsula farmers are doing the hard work for us. During season they open their gates and we can pick our own fruit. There is a huge variety and many other fruit produce, like a delicious cider.

Most importantly they’re from trusted sources. Mornington Peninsula Produce promotes locally grown produce, that has been ethically and sustainably farmed, bred or raised.

The 2017 Farm Gate Map is a great resource. It tells you what’s in season at which part of the peninsula. Follow it to avoid disappointment.

Here are our recommendations:

Red Hill Cherry Farm

Ripe N Ready Cherry Farm

Sunny Ridge Strawberry Farm

Fresh strawberry ripen on stem Sunny Ridge Farm Mornington Peninsula — I picked a huge strawberry!

Besides the mouth watering fruits, it is a very good family outing. We’d recommend picking early in the day, to avoid the crowd and the heat. While many of us are used to the city lifestyle, please educate our children and ourselves on the etiquette of fruit picking. At the end these are working farms producing our food. Let’s break less branches, climb no trees; and of course have lots of fun, take lots of pictures and enjoy eating the cherries!

Happy picking!

Cycling along the Rye Foreshore

I can’t recall since when the local cycling scene was dominated by the lycra wearing, leg shaving bunches. I have been one of them, hiding in the slipstream, “sharing” the Point Nepean Road with the locals.

Rye foreshore beach access — Beach access from the Rye foreshore trail

Frankly this is not the only way to enjoy your time on two wheels. There are more than 30 bicycle tracks along the peninsula for all abilities. You can cycle along the foreshore from Dromana to Point Nepean. Some paths are strictly for bikes, but many are shared with walkers and even horses; so ride responsibly.

There is a good bike trail along the Rye foreshore. It suits cyclists of all abilities. You can enjoy this trail with mountain bikes and leisure bikes. For road bike with thinner tires, it should be fine as soon as you pump them up to 110 PSI, and bring spare tubes for the gravel sections just in case. I did fine on my road bike and not yet had a puncture. The trail is very scenic and it passes through many shops and attractions along the foreshore.

The The Mornington Peninsula Tourism website already has good information on this trail, parking and supporting facilities. I won’t repeat them here, rather, I’d highlight some attractions and good cafes along the way.

1840 Rye Lime Kiln Replica

If you make it to here, well done. You are at the west end of the trail. You may continue along the Pt Nepean Road to Sorrento however you will share the road with other cars, please be careful.

Set just behind the sand dunes at the base of Whitecliffs lookout, a replica Lime Kiln has been built by the Rotary & Lions Clubs of Rye in 1989. It has been sited where once the historic ‘Devine Kiln’ stood, as well as an old loading point where bullock teams would drag wagons loaded with bagged lime into the shallow waters, transfer it to barges, then to small sailing ships, to be transported to a special Limecraft Dock which was constructed c 1849, near King Street in Melbourne. This is nonetheless an important history of Rye, describing lives of our early settlers.

A Mini Kitchen

One of my favourite cafe in Rye, a short walk from our cottages and the perfect way to end your ride. Small in size, big in heart, the name actually comes from owner Amy Minichiello. Fantastic cakes and good coffee, refill your sugar intake here.

Flat White Coffee Banana Bread Toast A Mini Cafe Rye Foreshore — Flat white coffee and banana bread toast with butter from A Mini Cafe

Lazy to Pedal? Rent an E-Bike

The Rye Bike Shop offers rental of bicycles and batteries powered e-bikes. They also provide full bike services and sell cycling accessories.

The Rye Bay Trail is an easy ride suitable for cyclists of all abilities. It is a flat trail along the foreshore, which connects Rye to Dromana through Rosebud. The closest access point of this trial is just 250m from our Rye cottages.