Tickle Your Tastebuds at the Taste Tamworth Festival

The return of two foodie favourites and a new event are features this year of Taste Tamworth – the Region’s premier food event – which will run from 6-15 April.

Tamworth Regional Council Manager Events, Barry Harley, said there is already a healthy appetite for this year’s Festival with foodies tempted by The Long Lunch which is back after a break last year while Flavours on Fitzroy – a night food market – is on for the first time in two years.

“The Long Lunch, will bring together some of the Region’s leading chefs from Corey’s Catering, CH on Peel and Swan Fine Food at Anzac Park on Sunday 15 April,” he said. “We will be serving a three-course meal and a grazing table celebrating fine local produce including Jack’s Creek beef to up to 250 people.

Flavours on Fitzroy will open the 10-day annual food festival on Friday April 6 with a celebration of the Tamworth Region’s diverse cuisine. A bar, live music and food stalls will create a fun atmosphere in the newly upgraded Fitzroy Street community space from 5pm-10pm with special guest James Valentine of ABC Radio.

The Festival menu’s new offering is High Tea in the Gardens on Tuesday 10 April at Tamworth Regional Botanic Gardens in Piper Street, Tamworth at 1pm.

“This is an exciting new event – we are aiming to create a sophisticated afternoon with sweet and savoury foods, tea and coffee and live entertainment,” Mr Harley said. “The botanic gardens is the ideal venue for what we aim to be quite a special addition to Taste.”

The mainstays of Taste Tamworth – the Farm Gate Trail, Taste in the Park – are again expected to be popular. The Farm Gate Trail will see a variety of producers open their properties on Saturday 7 and 14 April to visitors who want to explore and see for themselves the paddock to plate process.

Taste in the Park is a family-friendly event on Sunday April 8 which will bring the best of fresh produce and tasty treats from around the New England to Tamworth’s Bicentennial Park. Sample food, see cooking demonstrations, talk to producers or relax in the garden bar while the kids enjoy the play area, Bite Size.

The Taste Tamworth festival includes a range of food-related events around the Region such as two Teddy Bear’s Picnics (in conjunction with the Happy Birthday Play School exhibition at Tamworth Regional Gallery) markets, produce swap, special dinners at local restaurants and the sommeliers of comedy The Wine Bluffs appearing at Tamworth Town Hall.

For full details of the festival, see www.tastetamworth.com.au