The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival has raised the bar for 2012 with a food and wine program to delight amateur cooks, serious foodies, industry professionals and families alike. From May 17 to May 20 some of the world’s best chefs, Australia’s celebrity chefs, and Australia’s best wine makers will descend upon Noosa bringing their star power from the S. Pellegrino World’s Best Restaurant Awards and Good Food Guide Hats to South East Queensland.
Festival goers will have direct access to internationally renowned chefs Mark Best, Fergus Henderson, Alvin Leung, Davide Scabin, Ben Shewry, David Thompson and Seiji Yamamoto with live cooking demonstrations or, for a very special treat, join them for the Qantas Best Dinner In The World - a stellar, seven course degustation dinner with matching wines presented by Lisa Perotti-Brown, Master of Wine and hosted by Matt Preston.
New highlights for the 2012 Festival include:
· Maggie Beer and Simon Bryant combining forces with the Queensland Arts Orchestra along with Jane Rutter and Guy Noble, in The Cook, The Chef and The Orchestra for the Gala Concert and Dinner.
· Three inspirational women Stephanie Alexander, Nicki Reimer and winemaker Jane Ferrari discuss food wine and their colourful career paths at a special Westpac Ruby Luncheon.
· An expanded program of Hinterland Food Trails this year adds a luscious lunch visit beside the orchard at Freestyle Escape accompanied by a string quartet and a mini farmers market.
· The Village Wine Marquee featuring some of Australia’s best wine maestros presenting tastings and sharing their extensive wine knowledge.
· The International Riverside Marquee showcasing three picnic lunches over three days presented by Australia’s foremost specialty chefs celebrating France, Italy and Asia.
Add a series of Lifestyle Lunches celebrating Queensland produce, MasterChefs and wine, a two day Culinary Exhibition and a series of restaurant Food Kiosks plus the Courier -Mail Life Annex for all things food and travel; with talks from top chefs, food maestros and award winning writers. A definite favourite is the Food Critics Cooking Competition where food critics from around the country will be put to the stove test and judged by you. And top it all off each evening with a special dinner at one of the Guest Chefs at Sunshine Coast Restaurants, or one of the acclaimed degustation dinners which includes the prestigious Qantas Best Dinner In The World.
Tickets start from $65 (adult) or $20 (child under 13) per day including two tickets for food or wine, for General Admission on Saturday and Sunday to The Grand Marquee, Food Critics Competition, Celebrity Chef Cooking Demonstrations, The Courier Mail Life Annexe and live entertainment.
The best way to experience the Festival is with a Weekend Gold Pass which costs $315 and includes VIP Admission for Friday’s Welcome Cocktail Party, Saturday and Sunday with entry to hospitality pavilions and preferential concert seating.
Purchase your tickets before April 1, 2012 and receive a 10% discount (offer excludes tickets for Guest Chefs at Sunshine Coast Restaurants and Qantas Best Dinner in the World).