They’re doing your classic food festival a little differently down at the Barangaroo Cutaway this November. In addition to the requisite market stalls offering taste tests of local produce and the prospect of live entertainment, Taste of Sydney presented by Electrolux are inviting a kitchen's worth of Sydney’s favourite chefs, interstate and international stars to strut their stuff at the grills and chopping boards.
They’ll be pairing up in two open kitchens where festival goers can watch as 36 locally loved chefs and talented visitors collaborate to create exciting new dishes that the audience will get to enjoy on the day. A few of the Sydney-based kitchen masters on the program include Ester’s Matt Lindsay, Clayton Wells from Automata and Aria’s Joel Bickford. They’ll be dishing out edible inventions reflecting the diversely influenced modern Australian cuisine they each master in their own kitchens.
The line-up has been carefully selected by award-winning Sydney chef Mark Best, and will also include homegrown stars who have triumphed overseas such as David Thompson of Long Chim (previously starring in Bangkok’s food scene) and London-based Skye Gyngell. Interstate stars also shine on the bill, like Duncan Welgemod from Adelaide, Perth’s Joel Valvasori and Matt Stone of Oakridge Wines, Victoria. Our fine-dining cousins in Melbourne have loaned Sydney some of their best culinary staff, too, such as Victor Liong of Lee Ho Fook, Peter Gunn from Ides and Jerry Mai of Annam.
The festival runs over four days, with six separate ticketed sessions ensuring the throngs of hungry foodies don’t trample each other. Standard entry price gives you access to the whole edible arena, plus a tasting glass to carry around the market for sampling. Go up a price point to add a gin cocktail to your day, or commit to a feast with their dining and VIP packages. Otherwise, you can simply purchase whatever dish takes your fancy once you lay eyes on it. Book your tickets at tasteofsydney.com.au.