YOUNG Wrattonbully mother Susie McLachlan loves nothing more than sitting around a shared table with family and friends.
Out of this love of food and entertaining has risen a burgeoning new business - Cornucopia Farm.
From her farmhouse kitchen on the SA-Vic border, Ms McLachlan has been handcrafting gourmet popcorn, sold across the Limestone Coast region and in Adelaide.
She has created three flavours - toffee and sea salt, rich cocoa and toffee and her favourite, sweetly spiced toffee. McLachlan is working on expanding the range into savouries.
The former Melbournian moved to the area about a decade ago after meeting her husband Andrew.
Her new venture is a big change from her former career at Christie's Auction House but occupied with two children, she was looking to overcome the social isolation.
About two and a half years ago, she had an epiphany while peering out the kitchen window.
"I used to make nibbles for friends which were popular, particularly for Christmas presents, and thought if I tweaked it in a couple of small ways I could actually sell them," Mrs McLachlan said.
"From that moment on I have never wanted to do anything else. I have been so excited about it."
The Cornucopia Farm label brings together various facets of her life, including a background in art history.
"The esoteric reason is, in Dutch history, the Cornucopia was a symbol of harvest, and then there is the obvious reference to corn," McLachlan said.
She sees popcorn as a "quirky alternative" to taking a cheese platter to social occasions with family or friends.
"It is not that easy to have people here but I can take a bit of what we do here further afield," Mrs McLachlan said.
"It is really something to have with drinks but people tell me they can eat a whole packet themselves, which is fine too."
She found it daunting to start locally but the response eased her fears.
"It is quite expensive because it is handcrafted and takes time to make so you have to withstand that but I have looked and there is nothing else like it," Mrs McLachlan said.
She is now refining the production which sees the whole kernel air-popped moments before being gently stirred through a rich, dark toffee made with no artificial additives or ingredients. Then comes spices and seasonings.
It takes about 2.5 hours to make 24 bags of gluten-free popcorn.
Mrs McLachlan says the process is "really fun to do".
The first stockist was The Veg Shed in Naracoorte but it is now available at Amber Ridge cafe and nursery in Apsley, Vic, Penola IGA and the Two Lucia's gourmet delicatessen in the Adelaide Central Market.
