Tasting Australia goes punk with fiery lineup
The full program for the May foodie festival was released today, with event highlights including a European punk chef takeover and a fire-filled night at Tandanya.
More than 150 events across SA make up this year’s Tasting Australia programme, Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison announced today.
The festival will take place between May 8 and 17 and will feature international and local talent, such as arkhé’s Jake Kellie cooking alongside Stockholm chef Martin Kjäll.
Aboriginal-owned and operated cultural centre Tandanya will host an event called “Under One Sky” featuring Bundjalung chef Mindy Woods, Africola’s Duncan Welgemoed and Sugar Man pastry chef Alex Crawford.
They’ll be joined by Sarah Glover, who splits her time between Sydney and the United States and focuses on cooking by fire.
To close the festival in an Australian exclusive showing, a European chef collective called Punk Royale will take over Good Neighbour in Victoria Square.
Good Neighbour is a wine by concept by the Mitolo Family Farms, the latest addition to the Town Square hub that shows off SA’s best food options each year.
Punk Royale is a group of self-described ‘disruptors’ – chefs that opened their first hole-in-the-wall spot “on the dodgier end” of Stockholm’s Söder borough in 2015.
From beginning with “caviar on the back of your hand, vodka in your glass and an atmosphere that couldn’t be explained”, the group then expanded to Copenhagen and Oslo and gained international acclaim for their fine dining with laid-back flair.
The Scandinavian chef collective will take over Good Neighbour for their southern hemisphere debut with six food stations and six paired drinks.
Of course, South Australian wine will be on show with casual tastings dubbed ‘matchmakers’ sessions, with eight wines on show of different varieties across the weekends.
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This year’s festival is curated by Africola chef Duncan Welgemoed, who says the program is “shaped around the shared experiences that unite family, friends, food, beverage and the land we call home”.
“This year, our most loved hospitality venues are implemented more than ever before and new elements such as Good Neighbour presented by Mitolo Family Farms in Town Square will showcase the creativity and excellence of our industry,” he says.
Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison says the annual foodie festival “reinforces South Australia’s standing as the national leader in good food and wine”.
“Through immersive and authentic food and drink experiences, Tasting Australia creates lasting memories that can only be found here, while giving our producers a powerful platform to celebrate the quality and diversity of South Australian produce year‑round,” she says.
