Gourmet travellers being lured north by Food Festival and Fruit Loop Drive Trail
On Sunday May 26 the Gascoyne Food Council and Carnarvon Visitor Centre launched the Gascoyne Food Festival, Fruit Loop Drive Trail and Carnarvon and Coral Bay Destination Guide to an audience of around 80 industry and media invitees at The Sunshine Harvester Works in Fremantle.
The initiatives targeted at encouraging the state’s 400,000 annual gourmet travellers to hit the road and sample some delicious northern delights. Championing top quality produce from the region, the event showcased the Gascoyne’s fresh produce, rangelands goat and Shark Bay seafood with special creations such as Homestead Hampers famous goat pies and Brendan Pang’s dumplings.
There was also a selection of handmade condiments and dried fruits from Carnarvon’s many farm shops available for sampling. “The launch was a great opportunity for us to show people in Perth what they can enjoy from the Gascoyne region. Whether it’s supporting local restaurants as part of Buy West Eat Best’s Plating Up WA program, sampling products along our amazing Fruit Loop Drive Trail, or attending an event during the Gascoyne Food Festival.
There is something for everyone to enjoy in our sunny town,” says Stephanie Leca, Carnarvon’s Visitor Centre Coordinator. MC for the evening, RedFM’s Alana McLean announced that the GascoyneFood Festival will host its largest line-up yet of events across the region throughout August and September. Locations including Dirk Hartog Island, Exmouth, Mount Augustus and Carnarvon, with new events lined up to give a real taste of the outback at Wooramel River Retreat and Quobba Station.
Spokesperson for the Gascoyne Food Council, Doriana Mangili said that tickets are expected to sell fast for festival events. “This year even more visitors will have the opportunity to sample our beautiful produce, incredible seafood and beef, lamb and goat as well as explore unique tourist attractions. With landscapes as diverse as the oasis of plantations in Carnarvon, the mighty Gascoyne River, the Ningaloo reef, working Pastoral Stations, the incredible Mount Augustus (the biggest Rock in the world), country race meetings and Western Australia’s most remote surf beach, the Gascoyneis the perfect destination,” she said.
Chef Stuart Laws and partner Phoebe Pun will once again be integral to the festivals’ success through their business, Showcase Events WA.“We are very proud to be coming back to the region for the third year in a row to continue to develop the festival program and offer something exciting to visitors,” Stuart said. “This year we are focusing on bringing great chefs to learn about the region and create amazing dishes that completely honour the quality ingredients that the Gascoyne offers. The event is as much about education as it is about having fun in the sun,” said Stuart.
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