Tasmanian farmer’s rhubarb bubbly idea attracts reprimand from France

A Tasmanian farmer has earned a firm ticking-off from France after suggesting people could make their excess rhubarb into champagne. Guy Robertson from Penguin, in the state’s north-west, has turned his business over to deliveries after losing all of almost his usual sales at traditional farmers’ markets and festivals, restaurants and in on-farm experiences overnight because of the COVID-19 outbreak. “The first week was the sleepless week,” Mr Robertson said. “Then we realised we could put everything online.” The Mount Gnomon Farm website was born – and Mr Robertson is now busy selling meat, vegetables, and fruit online, as well as products from other local artisan producers. But it was a post on social media that landed him in hot water with the French. He has been including in-season rhubarb in his produce boxes, and suggested anyone who had too much should treat themselves, as he had, by brewing some homemade rhubarb bubbly, which he termed champagne.