Bone’s beans taste of the past

LOCAL toastie tzar Tim Bone will be sharing his secret to baked beans with a modern twist as part of this year’s Heritage Harvest Weekend.

Hosted by Sovereign Hill, the festival will celebrate seasonal food with masterclasses from renowned chefs, local producers, and retailers.

Tim Bone, owner of Tim’s Toasties, will be running a masterclass on Australian favourite baked beans using local produce such as chorizo from John Harbour butcher, bacon from Salt Kitchen Charcuterie and barbecue sauce from Salis Foods, all accompanied by 1816 Bakehouse sourdough bread.

“It’s going to be nice and interactive and I’m looking at getting people up to give me a hand,” Bone said.

“I want everyone to be able to have a taste after it and it’s going to be pretty intimate.”

The baked bean mix will also be available to try in a Tim’s Toastie which will be for sale over the weekend.

Bone said his inspiration came from food on the goldfields.

“I’m trying to replicate the baked beans that the miners would have cooked back in the 1850s during the goldrush where they would have had their billy of beans boiling away over the open fire,” he said.

“I just couldn’t get past of my head the idea of the open campfires they would have had back at the goldrush.”

“That’s where I want people’s heads to go during by masterclass but also showcasing the beautiful produce we have to offer in Ballarat.”

An ongoing focus for Bone is to celebrate all the tasty offerings Ballarat has to offer.

“Local produce is something I really try to showcase as much as I can,” he said. “Our foodie scene in the last few years has absolutely boomed and we’re competing with Melbourne.”

Bone’s classes will be held Saturday, 27 May and Sunday, 28 May at the Carver and Dalton Auction Rooms at Sovereign Hill.

Tickets can be purchased at sovereignhill.com.au and include free entry to the museum.