Tag Archives: adelaide food festival

The Adelaide Food & Wine Festival is back – hip, hip, hooray!!

Following the success of last year’s inaugural festival, Amanda Jane Pritchard (Kooki, Ducks in a Row) is back once again steering South Australia’s (SA) newest community food and wine festival into unchartered waters.

This year, she’s pulled together a massive team of board, committee and volunteers to help share the work load, as well as bringing on board two creative directors, Gill Gordon-Smith (Fall from Grace) and Rebecca Sullivan (Dirty Girl Kitchen), who have helped to plan and program the nine-day festival.

Now regular readers will know that I don’t usually do event previews. But in this case I had to make an exception because:

1. I attended some of the festival’s events last year and they were really fun and different;
2. Amanda asked me to be on the committee this year and I need to start pulling my weight; and
3. I’m actually doing an event in the festival, which I hope some of you will be able to come to.

The festival was launched on Tuesday night in the not-yet-open East End Cellars and although I couldn’t stay too late it was a really lovely night. Everyone in the room was somehow connected to the SA food and wine industry, whether they were a producer, a wine maker, a chef, a journalist or a blogger, and everyone was there to throw their support behind Amanda and the grassroots festival she had conceived and developed. The excitement, passion and energy in the room was palpable – it’s this kind of enthusiasm and desire not to settle for the status quo that makes me so glad to be living in my hometown again.

The 2014 Festival

To get the lowdown on this year’s festival, I chatted with Amanda this morning.

Billed as a festival “by the people, for the people,” last year’s inaugural festival impressed a lot of people with the quality, diversity and size of its program. Were you expecting things to turn out as well as it did?

“Last year I thought if everything went to plan it would be OK,” says Amanda.

“There were so many different things that held us up along the way but in the end persistence paid off.”

What are the major changes between last year’s festival and this year’s?

“Having events that worked in the first year (has made things easier). When you’re doing things for the first time you have no idea how it’s going to work  out! This year, we knew we had an audience for events like The Market Feast, #EastEndWineDown, The Bacon Trail, the Coffee Crawl and the Don Dunstan Tribute. We could have run double the number of Coffee Crawls we did last year, actually. Pretty much any ticketed event that could sell out did so.

“One of the major differences  is also that we’ve been selling tickets since last year for this year’s festival whereas last year tickets went on sale only three weeks before the festival started. Also, the Pozible campaign was so good on so many levels. It was a risk in some ways but its reach alone has been amazing – it’s reached millions of people all over the world! We offered discounted tickets as a reward for pledging so it meant that we’ve already sold tickets to many festival events.”

This year you have an army of volunteers on board. 

“Yes. The board is the same as last year and the committee is pretty much the same, too, although it’s grown a bit. The real difference this year has been the volunteers – these young people, so talented, have put their hands up. I’m so fortunate – they’re  super talented, they’ve clever and they deliver. Volunteer effort and input is basically 100 times more than last year.”

Who manages all the volunteers?

“I personally manage all of them. I’m discovering new skills! I never considered myself a very good manager because I want to be a friend rather than a boss but that’s how I approach it. I sit down with each of them and I go through their resume. I ask them what do you want and why are you doing this? I give them tickets to things so they can go to some events, project manage some events and work at others.”

Which new events are you most excited about?

“Definitely the Baudin and Flinders Breakfast – the level of detail that we’re going into to make it informed and inspired by history is amazing, from the menu to the table settings to the entertainment. There’s this guy, Lance, who is 0f Head of Physics at Adelaide University. He created the Flinders’ Investigator Garden based on the work done by Robert Brown, Matthew Flinders’ botanist, who was the first person to catalogue the flora and fauna of this area. Lance is helping us to do the table settings and so on to make sure they’re all appropriate and of the era.”

“The menu will also include bacon from heritage pigs,  smoked tommy ruff, foraged and found food and a scurvy preventative!”

“The other event I’m really excited about is the Town Picnic. I’m basically trying to recreate all of my favourite memories — memories that I know other people share — of childhood.”  

Highlights of the Festival

Now I know I might annoy some people by naming favourites so let me preface this list by saying that all of the events in the program are inspired. Whether you’re crazy about food or mad about wine, you’re going to find a whole lot of things to love in this festival. Disclaimer out of the way, here are my picks – click the event name for the official info:

1) Fork on the Road 

Any self-respecting food lover in SA who hasn’t made it down to a Fork on the Road event cannot afford to miss this one. The monthly food truck meet ups are a great place to try different street food, catch up with friends and enjoy a buzzing atmosphere. No bookings necessary – simply turn up on the day and purchase food and drinks as your taste buds dictate.

2) The Bacon Trail

Richard Gunner’s passion for meat is infectious so I can’t think of a better person to lead the Bacon Trail through the Adelaide Central Market. If you love bacon, you won’t want to miss this one.  I’ve already bought tickets for my brother and his wife, actually. Book tickets.

3) Don Dunstan Tribute

For those unfamiliar with Don Dunstan, he was a pioneering Premier of SA in the 60s and 70s, and did many, many good things. For this dinner, his former apprentice, Sam Smith, now at Fino, will create a menu inspired by Don’s cookbook to be accompanied by Seppeltsfield wines. Yep, we had a premier who released a cookbook and later opened a restaurant. How awesome is that? Book tickets.

4) The Market Feast

I went to The Market Feast dinner held in the Adelaide Central Market last year and it was great fun. This year the irrepressible The Happy Motel with chef Duncan Welgemoed (Bistro Dom) are taking the reigns so it promises to be an amazing event. Go with a partner or group of friends and make a big night of it. PS Don’t forget your dancing shoes. Book tickets.

5) Think. Talk. Food>Wine

I’m really intrigued by this whole day networking/workshop/talk/debate event that Amanda & co have dreamed up. A whole line up of speakers including Stephen Yarwood, James Erskine, Festival Baron Warren Randall (Seppeltsfield), Amanda Daniel, Paul Wood and Chloe Reschke-Maguire will be debating the topic of ‘Collaboration or Competition’. I can’t wait to listen to, learn from and contribute to the discussion. This is a must-do for anyone who works in the food, wine or media industries (or who aspires to). Book tickets.

6) Town Picnic

Rymill Park. Egg and spoon races. Apple bobbing. Picnic hampers. Peter Combe and the Crunch Munch VERY Sticky Band. Classes by wine writer Max Allen and chefs Jimmy Shu (Hanuman) and Salvatore Pepe (Cibos). Dogs. Kids running around. Need I say more? I’m going take my kids — they know all the words to Newspaper Mama — and a picnic rug and make a day of it. The event is free but you can book a cooking class, reserve your wine glasses, pre-order a picnic hamper or register your dog for the dog area.

7) Eating Their Words

A few months ago Amanda asked me if I’d be interested in doing an event on blogging for the festival. So I’m excited to let you know that food writer David Sly (Gourmet Traveller, SA Life), I and chef Phil Whitmarsh will be debating food writing ethics, responsibilities and disclosure over dinner at the Daniel O’Connell. My friend George Ujvary, who has both the longest-running food blog in SA, The Foodologist, and an MA in Gastronomy from Adelaide University/Le Cordon Bleu, will be the moderator for the evening. Come along for a night of fantastic food and spirited debate about restaurant reviewing, food bloggers, social media, and the often complicated relationship between food writers, food bloggers and chefs. Book tickets.

8) Dessert Degustation

When Chantelle from Steven ter Horst told me about the dessert degustation she and Steven were planning for the festival the other night, my heart started beating faster. Now we South Australians love our desserts — we have more dessert bars in this state than ANY other state in Australia — so I’m expecting this dessert degustation to sell out quickly. Book tickets.

9) Sips in the Sticks

Popular wine writer Max Allen and 12 leading ladies of wine (Kerri Thompson, Corrina Wright, Louise Hemlsy-Smith, Sam Connew, Kate Goodman, Fran Austrin, Anna Hooper, Kim Chalmers, Rebecca Wilson, Louise Rose, Amanda James-Prichard and host Sue Bell) join together with the local Afghan community for a lunch celebrating friendship, rural life and our immigrant past. Each of the ladies will be bringing along a homemade dessert to be judged by Penola CWA President Kate Spencer and special guest Senator Penny Wong. Book tickets.

10) Porchetta Party

Back by popular demand, the Porchetta Party features food by local chef Todd Steel (see my write up of his food at last year’s Sea and Vines Festival) matched with wines from Oliver’s Taranga down in the McLaren Vale. Personally, I can’t think of a nicer way to spend a Sunday arvo. Book tickets on tel: (08) 8323 8498 or email: nicky@oliverstaringa.com.au.

There are lots of other fantastic events I didn’t have room to list here but you can check out the full program online.

So which events will you be attending? :D

 Useful information

• The Adelaide Food & Wine Festival runs from 4-13th April, 2014 in various location in the CBD and in the regions.
• The Festival program can be found around Adelaide at selected outlets or online. Tickets can be booked through EventBrite.
• The Festival is managed by a creator/director along with a board, two creative directors, a committee and team of amazing volunteers. It is run on a not-for-profit basis.

Other event posts

• Discovering Queensland’s Food Producers at the South Bank Regional Flavours Festival
• Arabian Nights Cooking Class, Chapel Hill Winery, McLaren Vale
• Dinner Under the Stars: Dubai Desert Safari
• The Breakfast Rave, Barossa Valley

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Recently, I attended the media launch of the inaugural Adelaide Food & Wine Festival, a not for profit, community led and focused festival running from 6-14 April. With the festival almost upon us, I chatted with the woman behind the festival, Amanda James-Pritchard, about why she started the festival, some of the events on offer and what makes a great pie floater. 

Everybody, meet Amanda!

Amanda, tell us about yourself. When did you arrive in Adelaide and what brought you here?

I arrived in Adelaide in 2008. It was my fiancé Glenn James, a winemaker who brought me here from Melbourne. I decided to give up my communications job at Foster’s to join him across the border.  I was excited to make the move from Melbourne and especially to explore the nearby wine regions and the City for myself.

Your company, Kooki PR, has a lot of food clients. What are some of the jobs you’ve most enjoyed? 

I am so lucky to work with some of the best food producers across the country and especially to work with people who are willing to do things that might be a little risky or left of centre (i.e. kooki). One of my favourite campaigns of late would have to be the “BEARDED Bottle” campaign we did with Oliver’s Taranga. We produced a video and made a bottle that actually had a beard! It was all about celebrating the Oliver family’s bearded heritage. Some other top people I work with include Pepe Saya (the butter master) and Phil Lamb at Spring Bay Mussels, a true gentleman of the seafood industry – we created a campaign called “MUSSELLOVE” recently that was lots of fun, encouraging people to share their mussel love inspiration on Facebook. Twitter and Instagram.

When did the idea of organising an Adelaide Food & Wine Festival first come to you and what inspired it? 

Quite honestly, it was only 6 months or so into living in Adelaide that I wondered why we didn’t have our own food and wine festival… Having worked for the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival and with Sydney International Food Festival, I sensed an opportunity then, but I knew as an outsider to Adelaide if I decided then and there to produce a festival it would be akin to going out into rapid fire without a flak jacket – I could hear the cries of “who does she think she is?” from the established Adelaide folks! So I figured I would set about to get to know the State – its winemakers; traders; chefs; producers and people before I got anywhere near creating a festival.
I worked for the Lord Mayor Michael Harbison, established myself on the marketing committee for the Adelaide Central Market and got to know people like Josh Fanning, Jim Plouffe at Adelaide* Magazine, Paola Coro, Mark Gleeson, Corrina Wright, Sue Bell etc etc.
When I left the Council job, I started producing events – mostly at Adelaide Central Market but also interstate. Bolstered by the continued success of these events and feeling confident I could ‘pull it off’ so to speak, it was in November last year that the Adelaide Food and Wine Festival was conceived – over a good bottle of wine, with like-minded friends. Then, the Festival was to be one weekend or perhaps 4 days and maybe a maximum of 10 events, but, with the amazingly positive response it quickly grew to be 8 days and the program now boasts some 31 events.

When you first told people about your idea, what was the general reaction? Which companies or organisations were particularly supportive? 

As above, the immediate reaction was so great that I spent an entire month meeting with people from across the state back-to-back. Some people were curious and perhaps even considered the Festival as predatory but the majority of people simply wanted to get involved. I have a folder of emails that I have kept and the basic message from these people getting in touch who had maybe read about the festival in InDaily or heard me on ABC or 5AA radio was “what a great idea, good on you for having the guts to do it.”
It was the support of individuals that I was most bolstered by – these people became the committee – and then 891 ABC Adelaide came on board as a radio partner in our first year and the Adelaide* Magazine agreed to support one of our events as a reader event. Others include the Adelaide Central Market, the Hilton, winemakers from across the country, restaurants, chefs, producers such as Michelle Lally from Savannah Lamb and Saskia Beer, Richard Gunner, Marco Marinelli, Mark Gleeson, Lucia’s, Rennicks, Novatech – I can’t list everyone here that has done something large or small to assist this first Festival getting off the ground.

You’ve put together an interesting program, with lots of events to suit different tastes, including a bacon trail with Saskia Beer and a tea degustation. Which events are you most proud of and why? 

I’m most proud of the entire program but if I had to pick one event it would definitely be  the Market Feast. It was the Market Feast that made me feel we could actually call this the Adelaide Food and Wine Festival. An after-hours progressive dinner in our mecca of food (i.e. the Adelaide Central Market)? It is probably the event that has had the most protracted negotiations but with sheer determination we got there. I cannot wait for it.

Are there any family-friendly activities? 

Absolutely, we encourage families to get involved in many of our events – Wines & Fishes on Semaphore Beach (April 13) will be a wonderful day that kid are most welcome to attend (so long as they are seafood lovers)! At #EASTENDWINEDOWN on Sunday 7th there will be a special “kids corner” with crayons and paper to keep the little ones occupied. For more grown-up kids, the hands-on classes — learning to make butter or sausages in the Central Market Kitchen — would be a great thing for parents to do with their kids. They’re educational and fun!

I notice you have a pie floater competition as part of the programme. (A pie floater is a meat pie served with tomato sauce on a bed of pea soup – it’s a uniquely South Australian dish). In your opinion, what makes a great pie floater? 

Yes, we are hoping to get some interesting entries in that! The Pie Floater was my first culinary experience of Adelaide as an 8 year old girl. My father told me quite seriously that the peas cannot be too thick, they need to be more soupy in consistency… I think the secret is in that heavenly combination of crunch/flakiness of pastry and velvety soupiness of the peas (plus a decent amount of good tomato sauce) As with any classic dish, the better the elements that go into making it, the better the overall result.

The inaugural Adelaide Food and Wine Festival runs from 6-14 April. Check out the full program.