By ALESHA CAPONE
TO say Bob McKibbin’s kitchen rules would be an understatement.
For the past few years, Mr McKibbin has been cooking up a storm before the Burnside Retirement Village Annual Fete.
With the event approaching on Sunday 23 March, Mr McKibbin has once again been busy creating his renowned preserves and jams.
Mr McKibbin’s proud wife Pauline said her husband’s preserves sold out faster than it took to say two-fruit marmalade.
When Star visited the couple last Thursday, Mr McKibbin had already made up 170 jars and bottles for the fete.
“I will probably have 220 for the fete, all told – and it all goes,” Mr McKibbin said.
With most of his products priced at $3 a jar, buyers at the fete can snap up a bargain whether they fancy corn pickle, chilli plum sauce or cumquat marmalade.
“I have made them for 20-odd years now,” Mr McKibbin said.
“When I was working I didn’t like the taste of pickles at the supermarket, so I started to make my own.”
“I just got into it as I went along, I experimented and had a few mistakes along the way.
“I judge it by taste, I might change it a little bit as I go along.”
Mr McKibbin started selling products at the Burnside fete after a lady involved with the event tasted his preserves and suggested he take part.
“The greatest satisfaction is when people come back the next year and ask for the one they had the year before,” Mr McKibbin said.
Ms McKibbin said she had offered to help prepare the preserves, but her husband insisted on doing the work himself.
“I help clean up some of the mess and I’m the tester,” she said.
The Burnside Retirement Village Annual Fete will be on from 9am to 3pm Sunday 23 March at 16 Nicol Ave, featuring stalls, plants, bric-a-brac, toys, homemade cakes, books, paintings, a sausage sizzle, raffles, spinning wheel prizes, children’s face-painting, a magician, furniture and Devonshire Teas.
