Experience No.031 in Australian Traveller’s 100 Greatest Australian Gourmet Experiences.
Every year for ten glorious April days, the fields of Orange are filled with foodies. Last year more than 15,000 people descended on the region, coming from far and wide, armed with picnic baskets and plexiglass tasting cups as local farmers, wineries, providores, restaurants and chefs flung open the gates to some of the country’s best bounty.
The Amazing F.O.O.D should be fun – race across the countryside towards a final secret destination for lunch.
Farm gate tours, cooking demonstrations, long lunches and concerts stand shoulder to shoulder in a schedule so packed there’s barely time to loosen the waistband on your pants let alone digest. At Orange F.O.O.D (Food Of Orange District) Week, sumptuous feasts pop up in paddocks, the main street of town turns into a night market, and the party atmosphere is catching.
More than 90 participants are involved this year, from Mandagery Creek Farmed Venison (No. 92 on this list) to award-winning Lolli Redini restaurant. Returning for its second year is the 100-mile dinner: in Canowindra, just down the road from Orange, long lantern-lit tables are set up on the main street for a gala dinner, with everything on the menu originating from within 100 miles of your plate.
The Amazing F.O.O.D should be fun – race across the countryside towards a final secret destination for lunch. Whether it’s cider making, an Offal is not Awful cooking class or a four-course meal with Neil Perry, there’s plenty to do.
