Hottest Trends 2011: Gourmet Gallivanting

We are a nation in the eye of a food storm from which we will emerge transformed, with an entirely new appreciation for and understanding of food. And it shows in our travel preferences.

Foodie destinations are some of the hottest in Australia. Regional produce and gourmet experiences rarely disappoint. Some of the most established are the Macedon Ranges, Tamar Valley and the Margaret River. Emerging regions are Orange, Beechworth, Barossa and Mudgee, where the variety of produce and establishments is so great you get much more than a weekend’s worth of gourmet gallivanting.

Then there’s something like the Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld – a single rural establishment that draws people to the area just to experience that particular place’s wares.

Bells at Killcare is getting a similar following, and one of AT’s favourites, Michael Ryan’s The Provenance at Beechworth is also evolving into a single-restaurant destination. Cooking schools are also becoming weekend destinations. The pioneer of the culinary-class stays, The Spirit House on the hinterland of the Sunshine Coast, is being superseded by places like Rodney Dunn’s Agrarian Kitchen, No. 1 choice in our 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences edition issue #32.

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