Six reasons to visit Sample Food Festival in Bangalow

Hello pumpkin: Paul West, of River Cottage Australia, is one of the stars of the NSW festival.

More than 17,000 food lovers are expected to descend on the 7th annual Sample Food Festival to be held in the northern NSW town of Bangalow this Saturday, September 2. Here are six reasons you should join the hungry hordes.

More than 17,000 gourmands are expected to attend this weekend's Sample Food Festival in Bangalow.

It's a feast of epic proportions
It's the largest gastronomic celebration on the northern NSW event calendar and it falls on the first weekend in Spring, which is the perfect time to show off local food or drink at the festival where you are guaranteed to eat well and learn as you go.

To play Spot the Celebrity Chef
You will dine and drink elbow to elbow alongside award-winning chefs Sean Connolly (The Balcony Bar, Byron Bay), who will have a signature plate on offer, TV's Paul West (of River Cottage Australia on the Food Network) and Ready Steady Cook chef Matt Golinski, who will battle it out in the Olsson Salt Celebrity cook-off.

Cape Byron Distillery will show off its Brookie's Gin

For drinks and high jinks
Renowned brewery Stone & Wood will offer a range of beers with Cape Byron’s Brookies Gin and the Tweed Valley’s Ink Gin joining the line-up.

Smokehouse will be serving its signature pulled pork burgers with slaw.

It's easy on the wallet
Twenty-six of the region's best restaurants and caterers will produce $5 and $10 tasting plates inspired by their signature dishes, which is a fraction of the cost of dining in their establishments.

Guests at Sample can enjoy signature desserts from local chefs such as Katrina Kanetani. 

Local chefs complete the lineup
Chefs Katrina Kanetani (Town), Bret Cameron (Harvest), Monique Guterres (Hungry Like The Wolf) will join visiting chefs Matt Golinski, Luca Ciano, Ben Williamson and Clayton Donovan to complete the 2017 line up.

It's a celebration of the region's bounty
There will be cheesemakers, macadamia farmers, spice artisans, Asian street food specialists, fruit growers and dozens more delicious opportunities to try the region's amazing fresh produce.

Visitors to sample will meet local artisans and growers who have stayed true to their roots.

WHEN : Saturday September 2, 8am – 4pm
WHERE: Bangalow Showground
TICKETS AT THE GATE: $5 per adult, children free

Get your game face on for #ByronFoodFest

The inaugural Byron Bay Fine Food & Beverage Festival will be held at Elements of Byron. Image: Supplied

Take Byron Bay and its surrounding beaches. Now add food and drink to the mix and you have the perfect formula for Saturday's inaugural Byron Bay Fine Food & Beverage Festival. The June 3 event will see an amazing choice of food and beverages on offer - from high-end signature plates created by 12 celebrated local chefs to artisan ingredients produced in Byron's backyard.

Byron Bay Fine Food & Beverage Festival organiser Remy Tancred. Image: Supplied

"Those who are interested in food and wine are also interested in provenance. This event will be a great opportunity to show off our wonderful Byron Bay food and drink produce which our local community is justifiably proud of," says festival organiser Remy Tancred, who is also behind the hugely successful Sample: A Taste of Northern NSW festival held four times a year in nearby Bangalow. Here are a few reasons to visit the first-of-its-kind festival.

Sample dessert queen Katrina Kantani's Bangalow Mess - one of her signature desserts at #ByronFoodFest Image: Supplied

1. To rub shoulders with some of Australia's top chefs
Enjoy food prepared by some of Australia’s best-known chefs including special guest Neil Perry, (Rockpool Group), Darren Robertson and Mark Labrooy (Three Blue Ducks), Sean Connelly (Balcony Bar and Oyster Co.) and Ben Devlin (Paper Daisy).

Salumi Australia will be one of many artisan ingredients on show at #ByronBayFest 

2. Stock your picnic hamper with artisan produce
Nosh on native ingredients such as KombuCody (Australian wild seaweed harvested by hand), Bottarga Australia (mullet roe sourced from Tweed Heads and transformed into this golden delicacy), Salumi Australia and wild lime products made by indigenous company First Food Co). Brookfarm will also launch Brookie's Slow Gin which uses its macadamia nuts as one of the botanicals.

Rub shoulders with artfully dishevelled locals at Bangalow Farmer's Market. Image: Supplied

3. Mix with laidback locals at the Bangalow Farmers' Market 
Head to the hinterland to the delightful village of Bangalow where you will find Tawnya Bahr, of Straight to the Source, guiding VIP festival-goers around the market. The market is more like a social occasion as the community's artists, artisans, bakers, victualers, therapists, farmers and friends flock to the market with the enchanted forest vibe.

4. To live it up at Elements of Byron
Enjoy wandering around the grounds of Elements of Byron, where the festival takes place on June 3. For the duration of the day-long event, 12 of the country's top chefs will offer up a signature dish for a mere $10 a plate that you can pair with wine from one of 12 visiting wineries. Schedule a return visit to Graze Restaurant for product-driven dishes such as slow-cooked Milly Hill lamb shank terrine with almond hummus, pacific raw tuna, crispy duck skin, shitaake dust and pickled cucumber.

Learn from the masters at the #byronfoodfest this weekend. Image:  Supplied

5. To mix it with the best in a masterclass
Attend a masterclass and learn from producers such as Pierre Issa, of Pepe Saya Butter Co., a bonafide Australian food hero who will be demonstrating how to Churn Some Butter. Chef Luca Ciano will also be demonstrating how to make proscuitto and Olsson Salts will be showcasing its Salts of the Earth at the beachfront festival.

Much of the bounty for the #ByronFoodFest comes from the hinterland, where macadamia nuts farms are prevalent.

Tickets are $20 and include festival entry, a tote bag, wine glass, festival program, masterclass and live music access, and an opportunity to meet some of Australia’s top food and beverage royalty.
Visit byronbayfood.com.au/sample-food-festival/