Regional Flavours: The sunshine state’s must-do food and wine festival!
From lazy, waterfront cocktails to a bustling market, celebrity chefs and beyond, Regional Flavours presented by The Courier-Mail is Australia’s largest free food festival. Started 10 years ago and held this year on 21-22 July in the stunning South Bank Parklands, the event will again showcase Queensland’s best fresh produce and gourmet ingredients. Celebrities on the Main Stage On the Main Stage in the South Bank Piazza, the specialty dish is entertainment – served fresh from Australia’s best celebrity chefs and culinary experts including Network Ten’s Matt Preston, Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris, Miguel Maestre, food goddesses Sarah Wilson, Katherine Sabbath, Jessica Sepel and global flavour connoisseur Adam Liaw. See how to create mind-blowing flavours and street-hawker-worthy meals at home, take in a tutorial on cooking with Queensland seafood, start to incorporate sustainable, plus much more. Entry is free, but spaces are limited, so arrive early to secure your seat. Queensland Taste Stage and Marketplace The thriving Queensland Taste Stage and Marketplace featuring more than 80 stalls from across the state will have a distinct theme of healthy alternatives, gluten and dairy free ingredients as well as vegan and vegetarian foods. On the stage, local chefs will walk you through exquisite recipes using local produce – think black garlic from Gympie, brilliantly-coloured Lockyer Valley beetroots and melt-in-the-mouth Moreton Bay seafood to name a few. Picnic Patch Located on the Little Stanley Street Lawn, Picnic Patch will be abundant with masterfully decorated tables, parlour games, cosy blankets and scrumptious food stalls offering fresh produce from the Lockyer Valley. Kick back in the winter sunshine and taste the tantalizing flavours of Australia’s salad bowl.
Future Food pavilion Take a glimpse into the crystal ball and hear from leading experts on what trends and insights you might expect on your dinner plate now, and in 2050 at the Future Food pavilion. Discover 3D printed food, smart horticulture and more, plus cheer on recent participants in the Future Food Business Acceleration Programs in the daily Grill to Till pitch competition. The Hunting Club Presented by Meat and Livestock Australia and The Charming Squire, The Hunting Club is part bar and bistro, part stage in a fabulous fusion of Queensland’s meat and malt scene. Open exclusively at Regional Flavours, you can head along for lunch, dinner and all-day grazing prepared by popular South Bank restaurateur, The Charming Squire. The Hunting Club also features special, extended opening hours – from 5pm until late on Friday 20 July, and 10am until late on Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 July. Kids Collective Pint-sized gourmets can enjoy a spot of food-focused play at the Kids Collective. Located at Central Café Lawns & Arbour View Lawns, Kids Collective lets children get their hands dirty with the Potato Journey by OzHarvest, a truly immersive experience of the life of a humble potato. There’s also a range of colourful craft activities to enjoy including edible fruit caterpillars, rainbow-coloured nutrition and book readings from Brisbane City Council Libraries. River Quay If rest and relaxation in palatial surrounds is what you desire, venture to River Quay presented by eatSouthBank. At Regional Flavours’ most luxe location, revel in the gentle hum of mellow tunes plus food and cocktails from some of South Bank’s five-star restaurants; Stokehouse Q, The Jetty, River Quay Fish, Popolo and Aquitaine at River Quay. Open from 10am until 8pm, so you can savour that spritz just a little bit longer. Is your appetite whetted? To plan your day and experience Australia’s largest free food and wine festival, head to regionalflavours.com.au .