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Savour Tasmania has released its event program, with an exciting line-up of top local, national and international chefs set to present a range of events for all tastes and budgets.

The celebration of Tasmanian produce, wines, beers and ciders will commence on 29 May with the Pop-up PorkStar event at the newly refurbished Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, featuring Colin Fassnidge from The Four in Hand Dining Room and 4Fourteen in Sydney, and Tasmania’s own Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans.

On 30 and 31 May Michelin-starred Belgian Kobe Desramaults will team up with local talent Luke Burgess to present two degustation dinners at Garagistes focusing on naturally produced Tasmanian ingredients.

The Savour Tasmania Long Table Dinner will bring Hobart’s waterfront alive on 1 June with a stellar line-up including Desramaults, Shane Delia from Maha and St Katherines in Melbourne, Giovanni Pilu from Pilu at Freshwater in Sydney and dessert constructor Darren Purchese, from Burch and Purchese Sweet Studio in Melbourne.

Also as part of the Savour Tasmania program, the Tasmanian Red Wine Weekend will be held at Princes Wharf 1 on Hobart’s waterfront on 1 and 2 June, featuring a range of master classes and tastings.

Tickets for all events go on sale 20 March and are available by calling 1300 795 257 or (03) 6221 1700. For further details register online at www.savourtasmania.com.au, or find us on Facebook:www.facebook.com/SavourTasmania or follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SavourTasmania
Savour Tasmania program

29 May – 2 June, 2013

Pop-up PorkStar

Wednesday 29 May

Tasmanian Museum and
Art Gallery Courtyard

6.30pm

$65 per person

Who is the master of the pig – a PorkStar or a TV Star? Find out for yourself at our Pop-up PorkStar event featuring acclaimed Sydney chef Colin Fassnidge and our very own Gourmet Farmer Matt Evans. Known for his refined nose-to-tail style, Fassnidge will take us on an innovative culinary journey. After hand-raising his own pigs at his farm in southern Tasmania, Matthew Evans will treat us to a traditional-style whole roasted beast. Tasmanian chefs Waji Spiby and Terry Clark will be on-hand to continue the local flavour. Featuring tastes of the Huon Valley, including wines and ciders, this stand-up event is more substantial than just cocktails, it’s porktails!

A Natural Meeting of Young Culinary Minds

Thursday 30 and Friday 31 May, 2013

Garagistes

7pm

$195 per person

It’s rare for two chefs from completely opposite sides of the world to experience a meeting of minds on the exploration of natural produce, but this is exactly what has happened when bringing together Belgian Kobe Desramaults and Tasmanian Luke Burgess. Their approach to food crosses the cultural divide to be driven by one thing – determination to take produce from its source to the plate with as much flavour and texture, but as little interference as possible. Their degustation menu with Tasmanian wines is designed to provoke thought, conversation, understanding and appreciation of this amazing meeting of young culinary minds.

Savour Tasmania Long Table Dinner

Saturday 1 June, 2013

Princes Wharf 1

7pm

$95 per person (food only). A variety of Tasmanian wines and beers available for purchase.
Back due to popular demand, with a refined format and some hot, hot chefs is the Long Table Dinner. Bringing together the Michelin-starred Kobe Desramaults, Maha maestro Shane Delia, Sardinian Giovanni Pilu and dessert demon Darren Purchese, along with Basque-inspired Tasmanian Jahan Patterson-Were and a host of local talent, this event is designed to bring Tasmanian produce to the platter with a distinct Mediterranean influence. Each chef will prepare a course or dish for every diner, with platters to share between six people bringing a more intimate feel to the festivities. A wide range of Tasmanian wines will be available for purchase by the glass or by the bottle, and with breads by Daci and Daci, chocolates by Anvers and canapés and roving desserts by the state’s budding apprentices, this event will be a true celebration of Tasmania!

Tasmanian Red Wine Weekend

Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June, 2013

Princes Wharf 1

12-5pm

Tickets: At the door, $25. Ticket price includes tastings, tasting notes, and a Plumm glass to take home.
Tasmania has long been celebrated for its outstanding light-style red wines, and the Tasmanian Red Wine Weekend is a chance for both experienced and novice taste buds to sample a range of reds from throughout the state. Featuring tastings and master classes with Nick Stock and a host of local experts sharing their thoughts, this event is sure to get tongues wagging!  For more Red Wine Weekend program details visit http://www.winesouth.com.au/RedWineWeekendCurrent.html

Industry Master Classes

Drysdale South campus

Thursday 30 May

9am – Colin Fassnidge, Exploring the Pig

Friday 31 May

9am – Shane Delia, Middle Eastern Journey

10am – Giovanni Pilu, A Taste of Sardinia

Official Ambassador of the Byron Farmers Market and Head Chef at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa Gavin Hughes has commenced a regular Market to Table Dinner to celebrate local produce and its creators.

Every Thursday morning, rain hail or shine, Gavin takes guests from the multi award winning resort to the Byron Farmers Market. Whilst Gavin shops guests meet the food producers, tasting and learning about our local foods. Upon Gavin’s return from the market a $49 two course dinner menu is created for that evening.

“We are just loving these Thursday dinners” said the passionate Scot. “There’s nothing more satisfying than spontaneously creating a menu from the best of what you have. We have been receiving such positive feedback and it’s a real joy because the dinner belongs to the producers as well as our team here at the Byron at Byron”.

Hughes gets a feel for the produce coming up by talking with the growers each week. “So when new produce appears, like organic sprouts or exotic fruits, I feel like babies are being born, I feel kind of proud” he said. “It’s a buzz”.

The Byron at Byron Market to Table Dinners feature produce such as John Picone’s black figs, Salumi Australia foods, Matthew Jamieson’s pork, Nimbin cheeses, Donna Harper and Bangalow mushrooms, Imogen’s Farm Limoncello and much more.

Market to Table 2 course dinner $49.

Every Thursday at The Byron at Byron Resort and Spa.
The Byron at Byron is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. Happy Hour is Sunday to Thursday, 4:30 – 6:00pm.
Bookings 02 6639 2111

On any given day 30 million glasses of Australian wine are consumed world-wide but this April the focus will turn to our own backyard. Wine Australia is encouraging Australians to take notice of what the rest of the world already knows and enjoy a glass of Australian wine this April during Aussie Wine Month from 1 April to 30 April.

Aussie Wine Month is the country’s biggest wine festival, presented annually by Wine Australia – the Australian Government authority responsible for identifying and maximising sustainable demand for Australian wine both globally and in Australia.

Wine Australia Regional Director, Aaron Brasher, said it’s time Australians became passionate supporters of their own locally produced wines.

“Australia produces a diverse range of award-winning wines that are enjoyed around the world and is the world’s fourth biggest exporter of wine globally,” Brasher said.

“This April, we urge Australians to get behind Aussie Wine Month and take a trip to a local wine region, try a new Australian wine when dining at a restaurant and enjoy any one of the nearly 100 events happening across the country,” Brasher continued.

Wine tourism in Australia is already playing a significant role for domestic and international travel with approximately 2.4 million domestic overnight trips involving travellers visiting a winery in 2012

Beyond boosting tourism, the Australian wine industry is a $4.3 billion industry that creates over 52,000 jobs, many of which are based in over 65 regional communities. Australia has over 2,400 wineries and over 6,200 grape growers across  65 diverse and unique wine regions

Aussie Wine Month, now in its second year, will showcase all that is unique about Australian wine, including the faces behind the great brands. Events across the country include joining Brokenwood Winery for their Winemaker for a Day event in the Hunter Valley, attending a Yalumba Food and Wine matching event in your capital city and a harvest lunch with MasterChef winner Adam Liaw at Rymill Estate Coonawarra.

For more information about all Aussie Wine Month events visit www.apluswines.com

Executive head chef Tamas Pamer and executive sous chef Julien Pouteau have created an exclusive degustation menu, where each dish celebrates Pepe Saya’s renowned hand-churned butter as the core ingredient.
Available February 25 to March 17, the A Taste of Artisan Butter with Pepe Saya experience features canapés and four courses, such as Shiro Kin Wagyu beef with truffle beef pie, butter roasted airloom carrots and crisp dumpling and a kouign amann dessert, using Pepe Saya’s velvety mascarpone, golden apple and salted caramel ice cream. Each dish will be complemented with wines from around Australia

“We have a great relationship with Pepe Saya, whose passion for local produce and top quality cuisine mirrors our own,” Julien said.
“His beautifully-made butter already has a cult following among Sydneysiders, but the way in which they will experience it through the new A Taste of Artisan Butter degustation will be something new altogether.  Growing up in Brittany in France, I was raised on butter. I used this experience to create a menu of traditional Brittany dishes which will be new to many Australian palates in terms of taste and texture.”

A Taste of Artisan Butter with Pepe Saya is the first in InterContinental Sydney’s new A Taste Of series, whereby the chefs have selected their favourite local producers to celebrate across four themed degustation experiences.
Each of these seasonally-focused menus will be available for a limited duration at different stages throughout the year. Other degustation dinners include: A Taste of WA with Marron Crayfish (May 6 – May 26); A Taste of Perigord Truffles by Lowes Mount Truffiere (July 1 – July 28); and A Taste of Native Bush Tucker with Outback Pride (October 21 – November 10).

Available for $85 per head or $115 with matching wines, A Taste Of dinners will be served from 6.00pm in Cafe Opera, located on level one of the hotel’s stunning circa 1851 Treasury Building. Guests can enjoy the experience in the elegant main dining room or alfresco in the dining court of the hotel’s historic sandstone arcades. Bookings are essential.

For more information and bookings, contact restaurant reservations on 02 9240 1396, www.interconsydney.com.au.

Sarlat is one of the most visited towns in France.

Having travelled extensively in France, Alex Petrovic and Karen Edwards, from Everything Dordogne (www.everythingdorodgne.net) knew Sarlat in the Dordogne Valley was where they wanted to be as soon as they arrived, where they wanted to live and begin their B&B and property service for Australian travellers. The green rolling hills, the dark oak forests and the truffles they produce there and the incredible history of the region.

Of all the towns in the Dordogne, Sarlat has always been the favorite and the one that kept them coming back when holidaying in France. It has been beautifully preserved and offers a real insight into what medieval France must have been like. Sarlat also has a great variety of restaurants, festivals and bi-weekly farmers market which is quite famous in the area.

Top 5 ‘must sees’ in the region:

1. Sarlat and Sarlat Market – Founded in the 12thC Sarlat is renowned as one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe and is simply stunning. The Sarlat Market showcases the best the region has to offer – a food lover’s haven.

 More information on Sarlet

 More information on the Market

2. Canoe the Dordogne from Vitrac to Beynac – This stretch of the river takes you past chateaux and ancient villages – it’s

the perfect introduction to the Dordogne

3. Domme – A Bastide Town where the Knight Templars were once imprisoned. Stunning views of the Dordogne Valley.

More information on Domme.

4. Monpazier and Chateau Biron – Monpazier is a wonderful preserved Bastide town in the south of the region. Lunch in the town square in the summer and nearby Chateau Biron is a favourite and a must!

Monpazier attractions

Chateau Biron

5. Chateau Castelnaud and Chateau Beynac – Two of the great defensives Chateaux of France.

Chateau Castelnaud

Chateau Beynac

‘Eat – Merimbula’ Bring a Picnic Blanket and an Appetite on March 10

The fertile soil and clear waters of the Sapphire Coast have long been known to provide world class fresh produce. In the skilled hands of local chefs and artisans, our region’s harvest becomes an experience to be savoured.

Now local families and tourists alike can experience all of the region’s flavours in one place by packing a picnic blanket and wandering down to the picturesque Fishpen on Merimbula Lake on Sunday March 10.

“EAT Merimbula will provide plated premium local fare from our most accomplished local chefs”, says Natalie Godward from the Merimbula Chamber of Commerce. “We’ll have up to 20 of our best chefs and food entrepreneurs creating something special for the day. Think Kingfish Sushimi, gourmet pastries, giant paellas, mouth watering oysters – and plenty of surprises.”

The foreshore at the Fishpen will be set up as a locavore’s paradise for the day in one of the best settings in Merimbula.

Sapphire Coast Tourism’s Tourism Manager Anthony Osborne adds, “Get hungry and get excited because this is the start of big things to come. The region has so much to offer. Merimbula locals and tourists look out over the lake and right under their noses is a jewel in our culinary crown…the humble oyster. Left or right you’ll see the rich earth that sustains the dairy indutsry and down by the the Eden or Bermagui wharves, a shovel scraping on ice is music to seafood lover’s ears. Us locals, we mostly take it all for granted but I can assure you our visitors don’t. So this is a great way to start jumping up and down about it”.

EAT 2013 will be held on the banks of Merimbula Lake at Fishpen and will run from 10am to 4pm on March 10. Bring a picnic blanket and the family and come on down!

The 2013 Orange FOOD Week program has been released, with a plethora of food and wine related events planned around the FOOD’s marque events. One of the highlights of this year’s FOOD Week is the FOOD Train that leaves Sydney on the 19th of April; destination Orange.

The Week starts with Night Markets, 100 Mile Dinner and Forage concluding with the Sunday Markets in Orange’s historic Cook Park on the 21st of April.
The Orange FOOD Train is set to be a highlight of the week, with renowned foodie and home cook hero, Lyndey Milan, joining the trip.

“The journey from Sydney to Orange is going to set the scene,” commented Orange FOOD President Edwena Mitchell.

“Lyndey is a fantastic supporter of locally produced and prepared food, and will, together with the FOOD Train hosts, introduce and guide passengers through the food of Orange.  She will be joined by Orange locals, including farmers, winemakers and orchardists who will give guests a taste of what to expect during their three days in the region.

“
The Orange FOOD Train is a unique experience that has gained a keen following since its inception.  The journey begins on Friday the 19th of April.

Friday 19 April 2013

Enjoy a light breakfast once the train departs (at 7.10am), with a glass of Orange Sparkling.

After a relaxing trip (and morning tea delivered to the train at Bathurst), arrive in Orange and board the FOOD Train ‘bus’, for Lunch at Sister’s Rock Restaurant and Heritage Orchard at Borrodell Vineyard.Dinner on Friday night will be an intimate affair at the Hard Back Café with renowned chef Michael Manners.


Saturday 20 April 2013

FORAGE – a unique event to FOOD Week comprising a comfortable 3.6km walk with a wine and food station every 500m or so, finishing up at beautiful Orange Highland Wines and Gardens.


Sunday 21 April 2013

FOOD Week Sunday Markets at the glorious Cook Park in the main street of Orange followed by lunch at the Orange Botanic Gardens before heading back to Sydney.

Bookings and full program:  Bookings for the FOOD Traina are essential – purchase at www.orangefoodweek.com.au/events or contact Edwena Mitchell on president@orangefoodweek.com.au.

The full program of events will be released this weekend at the Orange Farmers Markets, and available online from Monday 11th of February 2013.

Price:     $850 inclusive of travel, accommodation, food and event tickets.

Leading Australian adventure travel company, World Expeditions, is launching its 2013 suite of gastronomic adventures with free information nights in Sydney and Melbourne hosted by chef and TV personality, Peter Kuruvita.
Join us in Sydney at 6pm on Tuesday, 26 February and in Melbourne and on Thursday, 28 February to meet Peter and the team of talented chefs who lead the company’s culinary trips, including renowned chefs Hamish Ingham and Somer Sivrioglu in Sydney and Meera Freeman in Melbourne.
According to CEO, Sue Badyari, the keen interest in food evidenced by television programs devoted to the topic has accelerated interest amongst travellers for this type of travel and World Expeditions has responded by expanding its range of culinary suite of trips in 2013.

“Many World Expeditions travellers are looking for a means to really relate to the place they visit,” Ms Badyari said. “They want to actively participate in the culture and history of the country they are visiting and exploring the local cuisine is a great way to connect with a different culture.”
“The type of food grown and the way it is prepared provides an insight into the local way of life and traditions,” she said. “Having our expert chefs on hand during the tours greatly enhances the whole experience.”
World Expeditions’ culinary adventures include: ‘My Sri Lanka’ with Peter Kuruvita, Tastes of the Orient, Morocco with Meera Freeman and theThe Food Lover’s Pilgrimage Santiago de Compostela.
World Expeditions launched its culinary suite of trips in 2004 and, since then, has worked with celebrity chefs such as Joanna Saville, Kylie Kwong, Meera Freeman and Hamish Ingham to take small groups of enthusiastic foodies to a diverse range of destinations, chosen for their culinary appeal and the depth of experiences they offer participants.
More information at www.worldexpeditions.com or call 1300 720 000.

Renowned Melbourne chef, Adam D’Sylva from multi-award winning CODA Bar and Restaurant, will bring his love of great produce to the magical waters of the Great Barrier Reef, when he takes the reins of the Orpheus Island kitchen from 4 – 7 April 2013

D’Sylva will host an intimate group of 34 guests for CODA on Orpheus Island, a bespoke ‘once in a lifetime’ event, celebrating D’Sylva’s passion for flavoursome Asian cuisine and wholesome, locally sourced produce.

Set against the golden sands, pristine waters and stunning sunsets of Orpheus, guests will learn the intricacies behind CODA’s signature dishes by taking part in two masterclasses led by D’Sylva.

Guests will learn from D’Sylva as he creates mouthwatering morsels of crispy-prawn and tapioca betel leaf; aromatic roasted yellow duck curry; and freshly shucked pacific oysters, complemented with daikon, pickled ginger and green chilli dressing.

D’Sylva has quickly built an enviable culinary reputation. Growing up in a mixed Indian/Italian family, D’Sylva began cooking as a child. Heavily influenced by his mother’s love of cooking, his passion for food has led to a coveted career and an enviable culinary reputation!

D’Sylva’s impeccable resume has seen him in the kitchens of the Hilton on the Park, where he gained his apprenticeship; at popular South Yarra restaurant Cosi; as head chef of Pearl under the much awarded and respected Geoff Lindsay; and head chef of Longrain for Martin Boetz.

In 2008 Adam won the Age Good Food Guide’s Young Chef of the Year and as part of this award he was invited to work alongside Thomas Keller at Per Se, one of New York’s best restaurants. Adam has also twice been named the Victorian winner of the Lexus Young Chef of the Year.

Arguably one of Melbourne’s most popular restaurants, CODA opened in June 2009. The menu draws inspiration from across the globe, blending Asian and European tastes and techniques. D’Sylva will soon be opening his highly anticipated second restaurant, Tonka in the New Year.

CODA on Orpheus Island is the second event in the ongoing “Foodie Revolution Series”, an event series that highlights Orpheus Island’s position as a premium food destination and follows October’s Mar y Montaña Spanish Weekend hosted by Marc Albalate of the Robert Burns Hotel.