Dark Mofo's Winter Feast: Thousands brave cold and rain as chefs turn up the heat for popular event

Hobart's Winter Feast is attracting thousands of tourists and businesses to the city as organisers hope to rival the hugely popular summer event, the Taste of Tasmania.

Thousands of people enjoy fine Tasmanian food on Princes Wharf in Hobart for Dark Mofo's Winter Feast. (936 ABC Hobart)

Over the course of five nights there will be 65 food and drink stalls cooking more than 2.5 tonnes of meat and vegetables to feed the crowd.

The winter solstice is one of the coldest times of year in Hobart but there are plenty of cold treats on offer.

Scott Logie has spent more than a month preparing his home-made ice-cream business for the event.

Mr Logie said the opportunity to do business during winter was invaluable.

"It's never too cold for ice-cream," he said.

"This is an amazing boost for my business, without it I would really struggle."

Devil's Brewery head brewer Dave Tottle also said the opportunity to sell his frosty beverages at the festival was great for his business.

"It's a massive boost for us," he said.

"This is something like a quarter of our annual turnover in a five-day event."

More than 45,000 people are expected through the gates this year.

Winter Feast director, Gill Minervini, said there were 24 ticket booths this year to avoid the queuing problems of 2014.

"You know, I think we've been a bit of a victim of our own success," he said.

"But we've absolutely taken up on what went wrong last year."

Space inside the wharf building is reserved for smaller businesses, while MONA's chefs will use "heavy metal barbecues" to feed people on the lawn.

Guest chef Jake Kellie said the weather may be cold but the heat will be on in the kitchen.

"It could be a bit hot tonight, we might have to get the shirt off," he said.

To keep guests warm there will be 20 tonnes of wood burnt in 30 fire pots around the festival site and the event has been extended from two nights to five to cater for last year's overwhelming demand.

Source: ABC News, Kieran Jones, June 17^th 2015