Top chefs showcase their wares at the fourth annual Sample Food Festival and the organisers are saying that it’s shaping up to be the biggest one yet. The one day event attracts over 10,000 visitors from all over the country, and brings together the region’s best farmers, producers and chefs all in one place.
Deal and additions
Local restaurants, caterers and cafes provide the public with one $5 and one $10 tasting plate.
One exciting new addition this year is Three Blue Ducks at The Farm Byron Bay. Chefs Darren Robertson and Mark Labory are both new residents to the region and can’t wait to open the gate later this year to their new restaurant/cafe on Ewingsdale Road. For now, the public will be able to Sample their $5 plate of Butterflied Ballina prawns with young garlic, eschallots, chives, chilli & avocado purée and their $10 plate is The Farm’s Scottish highlander beef with local leafy greens, weeds & horseradish.
There are twenty-five more restaurants showcasing their best and some include:
The Byron at Byron with a $5 Vanilla & cardamom rice pudding with coconut custard, pineapple, blueberry, finger lime & spiced fresh coconut and a $10 Green peppercorn & lemongrass rubbed skirt steak w/chilli jam, Nimbin brown rice, tomato and sprout salad.
Harvest Café have a $5 Harvest granola with poached rhubarb and local Jersey milk yoghurt and $10 12- hour braised lamb with fennel & pea salad and mint dressing with Harvest ciabatta.
Town have a $5 Japanese style cheesecake with Davidson plum, quandong and almond crumble. They also have a $10 Fingerlime & macadamia pavlova with coconut cream and strawberries. Hungry Like The Wolf are providing a $5 Tempura tofu chips with macadamia miso sauce, sesame & wild-harvested local seaweed sprinkles and a $10 Gua Bao – steamed rice bun with slow-braised Byron Bay pork, cucumber pickle, roasted peanut and coriander.
Sarah Swan of 100miletable has her $5 Vietnamese rice noodle & chicken salad with pickled green papaya and $10 Goat korma with basmati rice.
Another new exhibitor is Northern Rivers Seafood with a $5 plate of Tasmanian cold-smoked ocean trout salad and a $10 plate of Organic oysters, local king prawns and barbecue cuttlefish.
Lismore’s Perry Hill of Palate at the Gallery has a $5 Blood orange, passionfruit and macadamia French sponge cupcake and for $10 has a BLT with local bacon, tomato, lettuce & goji berry relish.
‘We have exhibitors from Yamba to Tweed Heads and inland to Tenterfield,’ said Remy Tancred – festival organiser. ‘The festival will be packed with amazing tasting plates along with beautiful producer and lifestyle exhibitors to browse from all over the region,’ Remy added.
Sample Food Festival will take place from 8am–4pm Saturday 13 September 2014, at the Bangalow Showground, featuring food from local fine restaurants, local produce and farmers market stalls, plus entertainment, cooking demonstrations and children’s activities. Entry is free.
More information: www.samplensw.com.
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