In the heart of the Sunshine Coast, the hottest chefs from the region and around Australia are tickling tourists’ tastebuds at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival.
Every year, Noosa is filled with the best chefs from Australia (and maybe a couple of internationals) to give the public the best darn festival line-up ever. Live cooking demonstrations, exclusive celebrity chef dinners and beachfront brunches are only a small amount of what’s to be expected at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival.
1. Go Ham on the Oysters & Bubbly
Sip on a complimentary glass of Dal Zotto Prosecco in your collectable festival glass.
Aw shucks. The fellows at the Noosa Food and Wine Festival know how to celebrate. When you arrive, the first thing you need to do is down that complimentary glass of Dal Zotto Prosecco and go on the hunt for those beautiful and fresh oysters. Previously, the festival has hosted the Suck, Shuck, Pour event by Café Le Monde, allowing guests to shuck their oysters while sipping on a glass (or two) of bubbly.
For your information, throughout the rest of the year, these heroes offer $1 oysters every Thursday night (5 PM – 6 PM) with a drink purchase. Coming directly from the grower, you’ll be needing a whole lot of lemons for this event.
And let’s be honest, oysters aren’t exactly everyone’s favourite food, but Café Le Monde also serves up a mean breakfast. Order a plate of Noosa Spanner Crab omelette with chilli, coriander, red onion with coconut and line dressing.
2. Stroll down The Providore on Hastings Pavilion
You’ll be face-to-face with Queensland’s best local producers from both the food and drink sectors. The Hastings Pavilion in the festival is specifically for these providores, you can stroll down the aisles and taste test locally-sourced honey, fresh berries, vintage cheeses, and even artisan salami slices.
3. Hop to the Craft Beer & Cider Corner
Check out the Craft Beer & Cider Corner to try all the best experimental flavours from the local brewers.
The Craft Beer & Cider Corner is where all the local craft brewers are pouring their magic. Due to the liquor licensing regulations, unfortunately, none of the tastings are free, but if you pay a little extra, you’ll be downing the best in craft-brewed beers and ciders in no time. Land & Sea Brewery Beers and Noosa Heads Boiling Pot Brewing Co. are two crowd favourites that have previously hit up the festival. The beers may be experimental, but the flavours will blow your mind.
4. Attend the Chef-Run Masterclasses
The main reason you’re coming here is to watch some extra saucy food porn right? The chef masterclasses are held every morning from 10:30 AM and feature some of the greatest cooks in the world. In previous years, the festival hosted line-ups including, the Australian dessert queen Anna Polyviou, the iconic Matt Moran and the business dynamo Neil Perry.
Watch them participate in live cooking demonstrations and taste the explosive flavours of their exclusive meals. But make sure you check out the program when it hits the web, so you don’t miss out on seeing any of your favourites.
Watch live cooking demonstrations from all your favourite Aussie chefs.
5. Hit up all the After Parties
The party after dark is where you come alive. So many restaurants and bars in the area are throwing post-festival events, from entire takeovers to celebrity chef-run degustation. The festival almost always holds a pre-festival party, so make sure you’re keeping an eye out on their website. And you’ll want to count your lucky stars, because you might even find a cheeky discount or two, exclusively for ticket-holders.
If you’re keen for a quiet meal to end the weekend and feel partied-out, all of Noosa’s best restaurants will be ready to go with delicious specials and decked out views of Noosa Heads. Arcuri, Boardwalk Bistro, Bombetta, Embassy XO and View by Matt Golinski will be in full swing all weekend. But make sure you book early because it’s going to be a full house for this weekend.
6. Get Some Shut-Eye in Noosa’s Best Stays
There’s plenty of great accommodation at Noosa all year round. For pole position to all of the action of Hastings Street, as well as the Noosa Festival Village, check out Ocean Breeze Resort. There’s a certain nostalgia to this resort, which has recently undergone some refurbishments, and where guests can borrow beach chairs, stripy umbrellas, and buckets and spades from an honesty box plonked at the front door. Head to Habitat Noosa along the Everglades, and check out the paperbark glamping tents. Complete with ensuites and private decks, enjoy the water views and surrounding nature at this eco establishment.
Details
Address: Lions Park, Noosa Heads, Sunshine Coast, QLD
Cheers along the beach to this foodie festival.
Getting There
If you’re staying in Noosa (heads up – book early), the festival headquarters is only a 10-minute walk from Noosa Heads Main Beach. Luckily the festival has arranged for a complimentary shuttle bus every 30-minutes for the entire weekend, running from Noosa Junction and Noosaville.
If you’re hopping straight off the plane from the Sunshine Coast Airport, the party is only 30 minutes away. But, for those who are staying around Brisbane, it’s just over a 90-minute drive from both the International and Domestic Airports.
