Taste Great Southern returns to region with host of local and visiting chefs including ex-MasterChef judge

The best of the region’s produce will be showcased next month during Taste Great Southern, with a smorgasbord of foodie events across the region. The festival championing the best of local food will this year be held from May 4 to 14, with a program of events from Katanning to Esperance. It will be the first time since 2019 the festival has occurred without the shadow of COVID-19 restrictions with last year’s program beginning just after the easing of restrictions. Taste Great Southern event director Richard Campbell said the 2023 program was “exciting” with celebrity chef and former MasterChef judge Gary Mehigan visiting Albany for the first time as the festival’s headliner. “It’s the first time he’s going to be in the region, so he’s very excited to come over,” Mr Campbell said. “And he’s very excited about the produce, the things like marron, akoya, some of the unique seafood we have down there.” Mehigan will cook at three events, including the local seafood celebration Catch of the South on May 12, the Albany Farmers Markets on May 13 and the eight-course Fee Fi Fo Fum with Garrison’s Jonni Saville Wright on May 14. Mr Campbell said one of the events he was looking forward to was Bred Co’s Bangers and Bangers on May 13 which would celebrate all things sausages, pairing the barbecue staples with tunes from a live DJ and wines from Express Winemakers. “It’s a quirky little event, which is good fun,” he said. “...The masterclasses with Jordan Bruno, he’s an absolute talent, he’s a great cook but also very entertaining and knows his stuff. “And another one that I probably won’t get to, but I strongly recommend is Taste True Passion, which is out at Kojonup at Kodja Place. “Kojonup haven’t been involved at this level before, but the event’s going to be fantastic, so it’s really taking on quite a strong local influence there.” Other local establishments involved in the festival include the White Star Hotel, which will host a five-course Greek feast on May 11, and Hybla will hold a series of three degustation dinners paired with local drops every night from May 10 to 12. The Dam sous chef Noi Boonkerd will take centre stage at the Women of the Region Lunch at the Denmark foodie hotspot on May 7, celebrating all things Great Southern. Boonkerd said the Asian-fusion-inspired menu, which would include pork belly with coconut sauce and finger lime and a “bastardised” version of Hainanese chicken rice, would offer something different to what she usually cooked up at the Dam. “All our produce that we’re using is all from the Great Southern,” she said. “And we’re just going to do the best we can, the simpler the better I think to showcase all the products.” Other chefs making the trip to the region will include Fervor’s Paul Iskov who will cook at the Surf Gallery in Youngs Siding on May 13 and at the Oyster Harbour Fish Traps for the Djeran Celebration on May 14, promoting the local Menang, Goreng and Pibelman cultures and the local foods available during the season of Djeran. Young George’s Melissa Palinkas will give guests a taste of alpaca meat as one of the courses of her 3Drops Divine Dinner on May 11, and Manuka Woodfire Kitchen’s Kenny McHardy will bring the heat to Kojonup on May 13 for the Taste True Passion event. Tickets are available from https://bit.ly/3n6g33P.