Meaghan Coles
One of Australia’s most exciting food festivals – Tasting Australia – will return next year with an all-star lineup of chefs, including the return of international guest chefs to the South Australian event.
Tasting Australia will welcome Norway’s Heidi Bjerkan and the United Kingdom’s James Lowe and Gill Meller, appearing alongside local heroes Karen Martini, Paul Carmichael, and Justin James, the chef behind Adelaide’s Restaurant Botanic which took home this year’s Restaurant of the Year prize at the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards.
The event, which will run from Friday 28 April to Sunday 7 May, will see more than 150 events spread across all 12 regions of South Australia; from Adelaide to regional South Australia.
“Tasting Australia attracts some of the most talented chefs in the industry, and we are thrilled to have an exciting lineup of international, national and local South Australian chefs in the program,” says co-director Darren Robertson of Three Blue Ducks fame. “The partnerships between local food producers and venues including working farms, breweries, drinks makers and tourism operators is what makes this event so special.”
The festival will kick off with an opening night wine party, where you can treat yourself to a cocktail mixed by Best Bartender Australia 2022, Nick Tesar of Melbourne’s Bar Liberty, or a frosty beer from local brewers Pirate Life.
Tasting Australia 2023 will also see a new experience, the Chef’s Table, arrive at The Dining Room in Town Square, allowing ticket holders to get up close and personal with top chefs as they showcase the magic of their craft in an intimate 20-person setting. Drawcards include Justin James, Simon Bryant, Paul Carmichael and Jung Eun Chae.
After proving a hit last year, Tasting Australia Airlines will return to combine opulence with adventure with a flight across the Flinders Ranges. The experience includes an overnight stay in the heart of the Flinders Ranges and dinner curated by Duncan Welgemoed and Mark Best. Ticket holders will then have the opportunity to spend the day on Kangaroo Island for a series of unique experiences with chefs Mark Labrooy, Melissa Palinkas and Dylan Pitallo.
Tickets are on sale now via Tasting Australia’s website.
The Details
Event: Tasting Australia 2023
Dates: Friday 28 April – Sunday 7 May 2023
Location: Adelaide and regional South Australia
Cost: Varies
