From produce to page turner: Daniele Wilton and her mother Jonette George have just released a new book on the Yarra Valley and the Dandenongs.
A SIX-week food and wine tour of the Yarra Ranges, all in the name of work?
Sounds like wishful thinking — but for one mother-and-daughter team, it was the next step in their business venture.
Melbourne writer Jonette George and her daughter Daniele Wilton became entrepreneurs through a 'gap in the book market — producing food and wine lover's guides for regional areas around Australia.
Their latest is an exploration of the outer-east. Their book, Produce to Platter: Yarra Valley and The Dandenongs, landed in bookstores on October 15 and is being stocked at wineries and cafes throughout the region.
It's the latest in a series of similar books that started with Produce to Platter: Mornington Peninsula — which sold more than 20,000 copies — and was followed by focusing on Daylesford and the Bellarine Peninsula.
The pair spent six weeks travelling around cafes, restaurants and wineries in each region and wrote a book that gives the reader a taste of the culinary delights and the local history.
"It's something that locals are really proud of and something that tourists can take home with them as a souvenir," Ms George said.
The idea came when she and her daughters were living in Queensland and there was a downturn in the economy.
"Mum was publishing up in Noosa when the financial crisis hit and we thought, why don't we just go back to Melbourne?" said Ms Wilton.
Ms George also didn't want her daughter working for a large marketing firm when she graduated, so the pair combined their skills to create their own business.
They are now planning Produce to Platter books for Tasmania, South Australia and off-the-beaten-track localities such as Kashmir and Malta.
Produce to Platter, Yarra Valley and The Dandenongs is available at all major book stores and is retailing for $34.99.