Saucy Aussie plans authentic restaurant

Authentic Australian fare doesn't typically include bloomin' onions in the back country, says Rehoboth resident Jane Booth, and she's out to set the record straight.

Hailing from the Australian capital of Canberra, Booth said she is planning to open an authentic Aussie restaurant called the Tuck Shop, which will feature family recipes and imports like Milo, an Australian soft drink, potent Bundaberg rum and Vegemite, the yeast-based spread that no Aussie leaves home without.

"Nothing over here is legitimate, real Australian food," Booth said. "I miss so many things, meat pies with tomato sauce – what you call ketchup – sausage rolls and Vegemite sandwiches are just the start."

The hopeful restauranteur moved to the United States more than 20 years ago and has worked in marketing and real estate throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, producing relocation guides in Maryland before moving to Delaware more than seven years ago.

So far, the Tuck Shop has a name, concept, recipes and menus, Booth said, but she's looking for a partner who has what she lacks: startup funds, a location and experience.

"I think in this area, we have great restaurants and great owners who obviously know what they are doing, and I don't," Booth said. "I have zero experience, but I have great ideas for marketing and menus."

She's looking to expose Americans to the foods people really eat in the outback, including desserts like the Pavlova, which she calls a humongous merengue with real whipped cream and seasonal fruits.

Lammingtons are yet another specialty from down under: coconut-dipped dessert sandwiches on squares of yellow cake with runny chocolate sauce are often sold by students at fundraisers back home, Booth said.

Now, she just hopes the region will be receptive so she can assemble a team with the experience to get this idea off the ground.

Millsboro resident Jacob Burke recently tried Booth's simple Vegemite sandwich, with butter on white bread, and if his reaction indicates the temperature of the town, she's got a winning concept.

"I think it tastes wonderful," Burke said. "I'm not sure what Vegemite is, but I'm cool with it."

Lewes local Paula Pepper said she'd prefer the Vegemite on crackers, and with this feedback, Booth said she's eager to get down to business on the Tuck Shop.

"Knowledge and experience in the restaurant industry is what I'm missing," Booth said. "I'm an ideas person. I need a visionary who can share my inspiration."

For more information, contact Jane Booth at 443-616-4005 or jboothassoc@msn.com.