Currently Australian gourmets/gastronomes/epicureans (notice I didn’t say foodie … damn) are salivating about the biggest food event in our history. April 5 will see chefs and restaurateurs from all over the globe descend on Melbourne for the World’s 50 Best Restaurant Awards. But where to after the intense food high is over? Noosa of course. Noosa Food & Wine on May 18-21 specifically.
In Australia we do exceptionally good food festivals. Noosa Food & Wine is the ideal blend of 45 enthusiastic chefs and 50 winemakers coming together on Australia’s favourite beach and surrounds for three days of feasting, grazing and munching through over 40 events.
A number of events are already sold out from the official opening cocktail event at the NF&W HQ the Beach Tipi Club, Hastings St Long Table Lunch and Make Peace with Wine on Makepeace Island. But there are still many events with room for a few more.
Starting on the Thursday, Noosa Springs Golf & Spa Resort will host Courses on Course with different food or wine to try at each hole while playing against some of Oz’s most well known chefs. Bondi Icebergs come to Noosa for Sunday lunch at Rickys is guaranteed to be a chilled afternoon of grazing with the Noosa River as backdrop.
One of the perennial crowd favourites – the Board Riders Breakfast will be at Sunshine Beach this year with chefs hanging five from 7am with breakfast at the Surf Club from 8. Ben O’Donoghue will be your host. Bernadette O’Shea hosts Champagne Masterclasses on Saturday and Sunday at Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort where you learn how the food you eat will change the taste of the 5 champagnes featured.
Over 3 nights, Ian Curley and his team from Melbourne’s French-style bistro slash public house French Saloon will serve up a multicourse tasting menu with matched wines from Catalina Sounds Sound of White Vineyard.
Expect a lot of what makes French Saloon one of the hottest tickets in the world’s most liveable city. The décor at Ian Curley’s restaurant is decidedly Parisian with linen cloths and bentwoods. The Melbourne menu? Classics like roast chicken and moules-frites and devilishly good Cape Grim hanger tartare with truffle. French Saloon on the Beach will be all about sharing unfussy food with the cool sand between your toes.
Throughout the weekend, The Woods brings together over 50 of the country’s best wineries with local cheesemakers, producers and saluministis, and their outstanding fare to sample while the sun goes down. Melbourne’s Adam D’Sylva will host The Infiniti Table where you can share unconventional food and wine pairings.
Friday night sees Andy Davies of Locale share the kitchen with Ben Williamson of Gerard’s Bistro and Paul West of the River Cottage Australia for A Seafaring Adventure. All the way from Margaret River the queen of biodynamic (and delicious) wine Vanya Cullen will oversee the exceptional wine list. There will be raw bars, fire pits and wood ovens groaning with fresh local seafood paired with Cullen Wines.
A number of events are already sold out from the official opening cocktail event at the NF&W HQ the Beach Tipi Club, Hastings St Long Table Lunch and Make Peace with Wine on Makepeace Island. But there are still many events with room for a few more starting at just $40.
And during all that indulgence it’s good to know that $1 from every Noosa Food & Wine ticket sold is donated to the Courier Mail Children’s Fund.