COOKING since she was just six years of age, Crookwell’s Reta Beattie has made a name for herself on the rural show circuit and among Country Women's Association of NSW (CWA) gatherings.
Reta’s food has been warming hearts and winning prizes for decades.
It is also featured in two cook books: Reta’s Anzac biscuits recipe in The Country Shows Cookbook (which also features a photo of the biscuits on the back cover), compiled by the Agricultural Socities Council of NSW and published by New Holland Australia in 2010), while her apple pie is featured in a new book, The Australian Blue Ribbon Cookbook, by Liz Harfull (published by Allen and Unwin), which was released last month
Each year Reta enters her jams, pickles, relishes, Anzac biscuits and of course, her fruitcake, in local country shows and each year she wins – not at all the shows, and not with every entry, but still, she wins.
Reta (pictured with one of her famous show-winning fruit cakes) also has a pretty good track record in The Land CWA Cookery Competition, especially at branch level and always placing at State level.
But for Reta it’s not about the accolades or the win.
“I enter more or less to make up an entry,” she said, in a no fuss manner.
“I don’t enter to win it.”
One of her favourite projects each year is her contribution to the Southern District display in the District Exhibits Competition at Sydney Royal.
For 26 years Reta has been preparing the jams, pickles and relishes for the preserves section.
“This year has been particularly hard as fruit has been harder to source,” she said.
“Usually I grow my own, but I have had to buy in a lot.
“In the early days you could only use all berries with the jams, but now you can use whatever is in season.”
This year she has prepared four jars of pickles or relishes and six jams.
She could easily do more, but to involve other ladies in the district, she invites them to prepare and submit their own preserves.
Reta’s point scores for her preserves go towards the overall Southern Districts’ tally.
“One year I did receive 100 out of a 100, but that is pretty rare,” she said.
“I usually score between 96s and 97s.
“We often come first in the jams and preserves section, but overall we seem to always miss out!
“If there is a slight blemish on the skin, the judges are sure to spot it.
“One year I used an orange with a tiny blemish on the skin and wouldn’t you know it, the piece made its way to the front of the jar right in the judge’s eye!”
In the earlier years Reta didn’t cook to enter competitions as such, it was more to help people out.
“I used to cook for the soldiers at home during the war – either for a send off or a welcome home,” she said.
Her husband, Robert, served in the Second World War, fighting in the 3rd Battalion at Kokoda.
Reta married the love of her life on March 21, 1953 at Coolamon, just outside of Reta’s hometown of Rannock.
She first met Robert when he was carting wheat to her family’s property.
“Bob was one of a few fellas that used to cart the wheat up from Crookwell, but I never thought anything of it until he invited himself to Christmas at our place one year – he hadn’t even asked me out at that stage,” she said.
“Bob was a real character, and he was determined and he wouldn’t back off anything.”
That included securing Reta as his life partner.
After three years of courting the couple eventually married and together had five children.
They had just 23 years together before Reta lost Robert to heart problems.
It was about this time she really threw herself back into her cooking, “to keep myself busy”.
She also began driving a local school bus in 1974 and continued up until about five years ago – she was 78 when she called it quits behind the wheel.
In between driving Reta would come straight back to the kitchen.
“I spend most of my days in here (the kitchen) now,” she said.
Now nearing 83, Reta still lives a full and happy life, her cooking and pleasant nature continually makes an impression on those around her.
For15 years Reta has been making the Upper Lachlan Shire’s official Australia Day cake, as well as being nominated as the Upper Lachlan Shire’s citizen of the year three times.
She also makes about six dampers and 16 dozen Anzac biscuits as part of the CWA’s contribution to the celebration.
Reta has been involved with Crookwell CWA for about eight years as the Land Cookery Competition officer.
She also makes cakes privately for weddings, birthdays, christenings and prepares the senior’s group afternoon tea once a fortnight and the Probus Club morning tea once a month – and the list goes on.
But not one to boast, you soon learn there is more to Reta Beattie than what she’s telling you.
“In my younger years my real enjoyment was knitting and sewing – you know, the fancy needlework stuff,” she said.
“On a few occasions I received the most points scored in the knitting/sewing section at the shows.
“I would get first and second place.
“I still enjoy it, but I don’t get much time anymore,” she says pointing towards a tablecloth she has obviously crafted herself.
“But that’s enough skiting for now,” she says with her signature grin.
