Foodies to descend on Byron Bay
Foodies will be focused on this year’s inaugural Byron Bay Fine Food & Beverage Festival.
And organisers have pulled out all stops to attract them, bringing in Rockpool Group director and high-profile chef Neil Perry, as the special guest at Saturday’s event.
Perry says he is excited about being involved in the new food festival in such a special location in northern New South Wales.
“In addition to its awesome physical beauty, Byron Bay boasts so much talent. The festival will bring together some of the region’s most passionate producers such as Salumi Australia, Brookfarm and Stone & Wood,” Perry told The Australian.
“In addition to the regional producers, you have chefs like Ben Devlin from Paper Daisy and Darren Robertson and Mark Labrooy (Three Blue Ducks) who are all doing really great things.”
Organiser Remy Tancred says she wants to see the festival becoming one of Australia’s leading food and beverage events, a real draw card.
“I have designed the festival program to appeal to foodies both near and far,” says Tancred, who also founded the hugely successful Sample: A Taste of Northern NSW, in nearby Bangalow,” Tancred told The Australian.
“Integral to the festival is the fact I want to showcase our homegrown talent. I also see it as an opportunity to celebrate some of the country’s finest producers, chefs and artisans from outside the region and have them all together under the one roof.”
She said artisans and producers, including Nimbin Valley Dairy, First Food Co, KombuCody Seaweed, Bun Coffee and Brookfarm Macadamia Nuts are right behind the festival.
“The only thing we can’t grow is grapes, which is why I’ve invited 12 wineries to complement what we grow in the back yard and have all these great offerings in the one spot,” she said.
“The area is known for everything from its world-class macadamia nuts, local coffee and tea, craft beer and cider, to its great indigenous producers showcasing native Australian ingredients.”
by Leon Gettler, May 31st 2017
