Shrug off your jacket and boogie down with smoked meats, mulled wine, and more at this annual winter event. You’ll also find food and wine masterclasses, tastings and farm tours.
One of Australia’s premier food events, this Perth event celebrates the region’s top chefs, producers and restaurants. Think long lunches, exclusive dinners and more at this gastronomic extravaganza.
Festival of the Sausage
The humble sausage has become Australia’s national icon, so it’s only fitting that a festival celebrate its many forms. This year, Mudgee is the proud host of a new food festival honouring our country’s national dish. The Festival of the Sausage is a day-long sausage extravaganza featuring a tong-turning range of meaty delicacies. There are also high-stakes sausage competitions, with the best eaters facing off in gladiator-style snag battles and tossing challenges.
The festival is a fundraiser for the University of Adelaide, with profits donated to AU Sport and the Student Emergency Fund. The event has gained acclaim as one of the region’s most exciting culinary events and will feature dinners at vineyards, in forests, on beaches and in an ancient cave. There will also be a potato scone-eating contest and races where participants compete to race in hessian sacks, all with the aim of raising money for worthy causes.
Mudgee’s renowned local wine, produce and gourmet delights will all be on display at this festival of snags. Mudgee beat hot competition from a number of small towns around the country to host the inaugural event, which is part of Wotif’s Festival of Wot? campaign. The initiative sees small towns showcase their unique attributes in the hope of attracting a food and wine festival.
This month, Mudgee’s quaint town square becomes the hub for the festival, with long lunches, exclusive dinners, tastings and farm tours on offer. The festival’s line-up includes top chefs from all over the world.
Tasmania is a tiny state with a dazzling variety of landscapes, from lush forests to wind-whipped coasts. It’s also home to some truly astonishing produce, including briny oysters, cool-climate wines and artisan cheeses. Sample them all over the state, or head to Hobart for Taste of Summer. This event takes place over the New Year period and offers a series of dining events, a showcase of producers and a New Year’s Eve party.
South Australia’s premium food and wine festival has been running since 1997, attracting foodies from all over the country. This 10-day festival is one of the most significant in the country, with long lunches and dinners on offer as well as workshops, masterclasses and stalls to feed your curiosity.
Kakadu Food & Wine Festival
The Northern Territory isn’t the first place you think of Australia’s gourmet cuisine, but Kakadu National Park is home to some of the country’s best indigenous food and culture. The Taste of Kakadu festival aims to showcase Aboriginal food while connecting guests with the land that inspired it, and it’s a truly unique experience. Visitors can learn about local ingredients from Aboriginal chefs and engage with the community through foraging walks, culinary cruises, art exhibitions and storytelling.
This year, the festival is introducing the Full Moon Feast events to highlight seasonal native dishes with ingredients foraged on-country. The first of these, taking place in October, will explore Floodplain Flavours from the Kurrung Season. This will include a four-course feast with drinks and entertainment such as star interpretations, didgeridoo playing and traditional music.
Melbourne’s highly-acclaimed Thai eatery Chin Chin will be opening a pop-up at Barossa winery Yalumba during the final weekend of Tasting Australia. The venue will feature a downstairs bar, GoGo, which is sure to be a hot ticket thanks to the restaurant’s reputation for lengthy queues and buzzing atmosphere. Patrons will be able to enjoy bar snacks and Yalumba wines by the glass or bottle, with the event also showcasing local beer from Adelaide brewery Brewery Lane.
For those with a smaller budget, the Tasting Australia Town Square offers special gastronomic experiences to everyone in the city. This includes a cup of noodles by Belles Hot Chicken co-founder Morgan McGlone for just $5, and a meal by Burnt Ends maestro Dave Pynt with a glass of wine for $40.
Orange has been attracting culinary adventurers for decades, and it’s easy to see why. The charming regional city is renowned for its artisan producers and wineries, and this annual event celebrates the region’s incredible additions to Australia’s food scene. Getting there is straightforward, with the city just a four-hour drive from Sydney or a one-and-a-half-hour flight. Events are held throughout the month and include cooking demonstrations by local chefs, wine tastings and a parade of street foods.
Stinky Cheese Festival
The Stinky Cheese Festival focuses on the fun of food in its most literal sense. This South Australia event celebrates all things cheese – from artisanal to gourmet varieties and even those with an unusual appearance, texture or flavor. The festival has also expanded beyond the cheese to incorporate local wines, beer and spirits, a range of culinary events and even a live cooking demo from a local chef.
The festival’s founders have made a point to highlight that it isn’t just for the stinky; they welcome all to enjoy and take part in the festivities. They’ve had visitors dress up as cheese monsters, race each other in potato sacks and even attempt to break a world record at eating the most amount of cheese in one minute.
With an array of renowned wineries and award-winning chefs, it’s no wonder that this South Australian food festival is a hit. In fact, it’s the oldest food and wine festival in Australia and a feast for the senses. For 10 sumptuous days, the best of SA food and wine is on display with long lunches, exclusive dinners, tastings and masterclasses.
Guests can enjoy fine dining at vineyards, forests and the beach along with special events hosted by celebrity chefs and other local personalities. One of the highlights of recent years was when Spanish top chef Joan Roca joined forces with SA Chef Peter Gilmore at Cullen Winery in the Barossa Valley for a long lunch that was like a modern day real-life Monet painting.
The Adelaide Hills is also a hotspot for wine lovers during this festival with more than 30 wineries hosting events and tastings both day and night. Sip some of the region’s finest deep reds alongside an evening of dancing at the Fresh Wine Disco and you’ll understand why this is a festival you don’t want to miss.
The new beverage program is led by co-curators Meira Harel and Banjo Harris Plane. This year, the festival will feature a wide selection of wine, beer and spirit events, as well as no or low alcohol options for those wanting something different.
Geelong Beer & Cider Festival
The beer and cider scene in Australia is booming, with many microbreweries making their own unique take on the drink. In Geelong, the Great Australian Beer Festival is a summer event not to be missed – a happy, hoppy jamboree with craft beer and cider breweries from across Victoria and around Australia showcasing their wares. Sample their cold beverages with local cuisine from the area – think wood fired pizza and platters of local seafood – while taking part in fun activities such as keg rolling, quirky costume races and a beer cabaret.
The festival is anchored at Geelong Racecourse, but also spreads out into nearby venues such as the city’s prestigious restaurants and Melbourne’s on trend gourmet food trucks. Visitors can expect a colossal lineup of world class breweries, distilleries and cider specialists, alongside vineyards and local gourmet street food stalls. The food offering includes dishes prepared by some of the region’s top chefs, paired with the appropriate beverage.
Another big name on the Australian culinary calendar is Tasting Australia, a week of long lunches, exclusive dinners and tasting events that showcase the state’s best producers and restaurateurs. The program includes cooking demonstrations by world-class chefs, and discussions of trends and new techniques.
South Australia is renowned the world over for its wines, but its beer and cheese are equally impressive. The state also has a growing number of artisan chocolate-makers and is a top producer of lamb. The Barossa Valley is particularly acclaimed for its shiraz wines.
One of the most unique ways to savor the flavors of this beautiful country is to travel with an expert. Tour companies like Adventure Down Under can help you plan a once-in-a-lifetime trip to this amazing land Down Under. They offer a range of travel options, from guided tours in Kakadu to a full-immersion into the culinary scene in Adelaide and beyond. Contact them to learn more.