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Tourism Australia announces chef ambassadors

Tourism Australia has announced three chef ambassadors...

Peter Gilmore, Ben Shewry and Neil Perry.

Courtesy Tourism Australia

Ben Shewry, Peter Gilmore and Neil Perry have been named as the chef ambassadors in Tourism Australia’s Restaurant Australia campaign.

The chefs, from Melbourne’s Attica, Sydney restaurant Quay, and the nation-spanning Rockpool, respectively, will design and cook the menu for the campaign’s crowning event, the Invite the World to Dinner gala at MONA in Hobart, Tasmania, where 80 of the most influential people in the culinary world (read: chefs and journalists from overseas) will be shown what Australia can do in the kitchen when the gloves are off.

“I think the dinner in Hobart is a real opportunity, before an audience of the most influential culinary journalists from around the world, to say ‘this is where Australian food is right now’,” says Gilmore.

The event, which takes place in November, will mark the culmination of Tourism Australia’s eight-month push to put Australian dining into the international spotlight – an initiative the new ambassadors are keen to support.

“The most important message is the fact that our food is world-class and exciting, with amazing produce and innovative ideas,” says Perry. “Hopefully that all comes together on the night.” 

The trio say they’ll pull out all the stops to make sure visitors leave Australia all fired-up. “I’m most excited about the creative part of this event,” says Shewry, “…the creative process, getting my hands dirty down in Tasmania and working out something amazing for this special occasion.”

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