A colourful collision of art, entertainment and food will transform the MCG’s Yarra Park from 30 November to 3 December 2017 as Taste of Melbourne in partnership with Electrolux prepares a feast for all senses with world-first, top secret collaborations from the city’s favourite chefs, artists and musicians.
By day, families, foodies and curious shoppers will meander through laneways of more than 100 artisan producers and gather for gourmet picnics. By night, the park’s canopy of trees will glow with glittering and neon lights as delicious dishes and drinks traverse the festival. Taste Festival Australia director Kristy Austin said this year’s festival embraced Melbourne’s creative heartbeat to celebrate good taste in its many manifestations.
In the festival’s spirit of creative fusions, top chefs will collaborate with graffiti artists, designers and sculptors in secret kitchens and studios around the city to concoct unique creations revealed throughout the festival. To complete the visual feast, paper engineer Benja Harney was commissioned to encapsulate Taste Festivals in paper form, from zucchini flowers in a forest of mushrooms and gold-flaked meringue to glazed figs, gooseberries and chili-peppered prawns – the ultimate collision of cuisine and art.
This year’s Estrella Damm Bar will also see genuine Spanish imports flow on tap, offering festival goers an ice-cold break in a gastro garden bar setting. Five glamping tipis will welcome friends to sit back and relax together while a dedicated butler ferries refreshments from a private bar. For a first-class Taste experience, the new VIP Luxe Lounge and stylish corporate suites are also available for group entertaining. Those with an appetite for more than tasting can discover edible education and insider tips from top culinary talent at the Electrolux Taste Theatre, while some of Melbourne’s top chefs will share insider tips in intimate masterclasses at Electrolux Chefs’ Secrets, cooking a signature dish alongside guests before sitting down to enjoy their creations together. A popular festival favourite, sessions are limited to 16 people on a first come, first served basis.
In a protein-rich session with Meat & Livestock Australia in the Cooks’ Corner, MLA’s resident butcher Doug Piper and corporate chef Sam Bourke will demonstrate nose-to-tail eating, from butchery to cooking, as families and home chefs gather on the hay bales and balance a plate of lamb or beef on their lap.
A hands-on baking class with premium butter Lurpak will invite festival goers and fledgling patissiers to create danishes and shortcrust pastries in the new Lurpak Bakery.
Meanwhile, for those who prefer to learn without getting their hands dirty, the stories and history behind ingredients, recipes and products handed down through generations will be shared over Table Talks presented by Smith Journal, an unexpected series of thought-provoking discussions providing rare insight into the food industry, its people and their success stories.
So Melbourne, get ready a good feast and purchase your tickets now.
When: 30 November ~ 3 December 2017
Where: Yarra Park (MCG), Wellington Parade, East Melbourne VIC 3002
More information: Check their website.