The wait is over for the announcement of IGA Taste Great Southern’s Australian Guest Chef, with the inaugural winner of hit series MasterChef, Julie Goodwin, set to feature in a series of events at the festival to be held from March 26 to April 5.
More than 20 chefs and presenters will join Goodwin in the food and wine extravaganza, including 2019 WA MasterChef finalist Derek Lau, celebrity cook and Denmark local Anna Gare, nationally renowned native ingredient forager Paul Iskov from Fervor, and Amy Hamilton from Albany award-winning restaurant Liberte. This talented culinary bunch will cook at more than 30 events centred around Albany, Denmark, Mt Barker, Porongurup, Frankland River and Katanning amongst others.
Other chefs will include Young George’s Melissa Palinkas; Fogarty Wine Group’s Guy Jeffreys; Russell Blaikie from Must Winebar; Kailis Fish Market Café’s Peter Manifis; Manuka Woodfire Kitchen’s Kenny McHardy; Stuart Laws from Showcase Events WA; Gord Kahle from Cook & Mason; Due South’s Nic Lancaster; Pepper and Salt’s Silas Masih; Sally Francis from Runes Catering; Jason Jujnovich from Boston Brewing Co & Willoughby Park; and freelance Albany Chef Geoff Richardson.
Goodwin won the first series of MasterChef Australia in 2009 to a record audience and has since appeared in a weekly cooking segment on Channel 9’s Today, a contest on The 7pm Project to have Goodwin cook at a family’s house, and hosted Home Cooked! With Julie Goodwin on the Nine Network.
She also appeared on the 2015 season of I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here and has written several cookbooks; Our Family Table, Heart of the Home, Gather, 20/20 Meals and Julie Goodwin’s Essential Cookbook.
Goodwin will be appearing at the Women of the Region Dinner on Thursday, March 26, Denmark Night Markets on Friday, March 27, at the Shop Local/Eat Local Albany Farmers Market on Saturday, March 28 and Dinner by the Lake at The Lake House Denmark.
Derek Lau will be the Celebrity Cook in the Cooking Theatre at the Albany Wine & Food Festival on Saturday, April 4.
This year will also see the introduction of Southern Sets, a new contemporary music festival which will feature strongly as part of the overall IGA Taste Great Southern format. It will be staged on Sunday joining Saturday’s successful Albany Wine & Food Festival providing more reasons for people to attend over the final weekend.
It will feature 6 to 8-piece Melbourne raw early 80s funk group Sex on Toast at 7.30pm and the reggae/island sounds of Byron Bay’s Bobby Alu from 6pm.
Folk country group The Little Lord Street Band from Perth will set the afternoon scene at 4.10pm with local support artists across two stages. The event will host a great line-up of wine and food throughout the day as well.
Event organiser from CMS Events, Richard Campbell said the 2020 festival will focus on outstanding chefs around the Great Southern and amazing local produce. It will also explore the region and its history.
Tourism Minister Paul Papalia said the State Government, through Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program, was pleased to support IGA Taste Great Southern until 2021.
“It’s fantastic to see that this event has grown into one of the State’s top food and wine festivals,” he said.
“The Great Southern region is regarded as one of Australia’s premier culinary destinations, which this event helps to showcase through its degustation dinners, markets, festivals, cooking classes, performances and celebrity chefs.”
“Supporting regional events, in particular food and wine events, is a key part of the State Government’s plan to increase visitors to WA and encourage them to stay longer and do more while they’re here.”
Around 35 events are set to be announced. See more details at their website: www.tastegreatsouthern.com.au
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