Margaret River Gourmet Escape launched with sell-out crowds at varying events across the four-day culinary extravaganza including Gourmet Beach BBQ’s, special dinners, long lunches and the heart of the festival, the Gourmet Village. It has set the stage for an annual festival showcasing Western Australia as a true food and wine destination.
Delivering a food and wine program and a lauded international line up never seen before in Western Australia, feedback from talent, sponsors, organisers and visitors has been overwhelmingly positive.
Brand Events CEO and event organiser Michael Hodgson says the event has exceeded expectations in terms of ticket sales and crowds. “The Gourmet Village at Leeuwin Estate received an overwhelming response,” he says. “Saturday was a complete sell out and Sunday was close to capacity. Other events were also sold out which reassures us that there is definitely a place for an event of this calibre in Western Australia.”
Discovering the region, all the visiting chefs and wine critics created their own gourmet escape, enjoying the pristine beaches, whale watching, helicopter flights and foraging in the local forests. Local star Matt Stone and musician come cheese maker, Alex James starred in a television program documenting their road trip to beautiful beaches plus introductions and encounters with a myriad of local producers. On a trade development level a specially created program bought international trade buyers to the region to unearth new opportunities.
Key highlights included:
• A launch event like no other at Smiths Beach with over 300 guests including all acclaimed talent enjoying world class food and wine with the sand between their toes and the setting sun.
• Icon Dinner – Over 330 guests enjoyed this exclusive experience at Voyager Estate where Heston and his team, despite his understandable absence, was honoured by his peers, with a collaborative dinner created by Australia’s leading chefs, Tetsuya Wakuda, Neil Perry and Peter Gilmore. The world’s best, Rene Redzepi, Alex Atala and David Chang entertained with their insights in a Q&A. A fund-raising auction took place with $7,500 raised for the Bushfire Recovery for the local community.
• Gourmet Beach BBQ’s – Guests marvelled at the transformed Smiths Beach where luxury teepees were erected and they were treated to the finest wines, entertainment and food cooked by leading chefs such as Matt Moran, David Chang, Justin North and George Calombaris. The relaxed environment and stunning venue meant guests had the ability to get up close and personal with chefs and winemakers.
• Gourmet Village at Leeuwin Estate – With Saturday a complete sell out, the total weekend visitor count was close to 10,000, with all visitors enjoying this vibrant hub. Spoilt for choice, visitors watched international food and wine stars appear across the weekend in locally themed demonstrations, Q&A’s, panel discussions and masterclasses such as Breville’s Test Kitchen. The Gourmet Village saw over 100 Western Australian premium exhibitors, local vineyards, gourmet producers and pop-up restaurants tantalise the tastebuds of the food and wine loving visitors. In one idyllic setting visitors could ‘meet the maker’ and be entertained by the region’s food and wine experts.
Undoubtedly showcasing the best of WA and the Margaret River region, the event has not only brought visitors to the region but it has enabled world class culinary experts to experience its uniqueness and communicate its merits on an international platform.
“We deliberately set ourselves a high benchmark,” says Hodgson, “but that simply means we have shown what is possible and can only build on this in the future. We are so thrilled to have created an event which is internationally recognised and highlights this part of Australia as a true food, wine and travel destination.”
Famous for its exceptional food and wine, Margaret River is the only wine region in Australia that boasts beautiful beaches, spectacular tall tree forests, cave systems, incredible surfing, whale watching and wildflowers, making it an extraordinary holiday destination. It is also the perfect base to explore the natural beauty, unique attractions and fresh produce of the South West corner of Western Australia.
Margaret River is a 3.5 hour drive south of Perth. Skywest operates flights from Perth to Busselton, which is approximately 45 minutes drive from Margaret River township. International flights operate to Perth Airport.
Tourism Western Australia has developed a series of short vignettes to tell the stories behind a selection of food and wine producers in the region. View the full playlist on YouTube for a taste of what’s on offer. www.youtube.com/westernaustralia
www.gourmetescape.com.au
