Commemorating 30 years, The Taste of Tasmania unveiled its largest ever program of stallholders and free entertainment including live music, circus and street entertainment, activities for children and the whole family as well as reserved seating for those wanting a guaranteed prime position in the heart of Hobart’s stunning waterfront!

Taste of Tasmania Director Brooke Webb said “The Taste of Tasmania program is an adventure for the all the senses. From a full culinary program where foodies can enjoy exclusive experiences and get hands on with Tasmania’s leading chefs and culinary influences, to the largest selection of stallholders ever seen at The Taste all proudly showcasing Tasmanian’s best dishes, to a huge program of entertainment and activities for the family and our New Year’s Eve Speakeasy Ball, there is something for everybody at this Year’s Taste.”

This year, The Taste of Tasmania launches a new concept space known as ‘greener grass.’ Greener grass is a new concept that develops small business through incubation and innovation whilst creating opportunities for emerging businesses to grow and develop. Greener grass is a dynamic space where businesses have shorter stay tenure’s and can showcase for 3 days, 4 days or 7 days depending on their resources.

Running from Friday 28 December 2018 – Thursday 3 January 2019, all culinary offerings are proudly 100% Tasmanian, with 112 stallholders, an increase of 35 stall holders from 2017 showcasing delicacies from all over the state. Seafood, cheese, berries, cool-climate wines, craft beers and ciders, gin, whisky and much more will be on offer from established and emerging producers eager to present their wares.

Just some of the standout stallholders at The Taste this year include:

LONG-STANDING FESTIVAL FAVOURITES
Bream Creek Vineyard – Have had a stall every year at The Taste for the last 30 years. Fred Peacock the owner and vigneron is a widely respected member of the Tasmanian wine industry, and known for the care with which he treats his vines. Bream Creek Vineyard are rated by James Halliday as a 5 star Australian wine producer. Bream Creek have a 5 star rating from James Halliday and were recently awarded “Best White Wine of Show’ and “Best Chardonnay up to 12.9%” at the AWC International Wine competition.

Festival Mushrooms – Have also had a stall at every single Taste. A Taste of Tasmania Icon, be sure not to miss their deservedly popular lightly tempura battered and fried Tasmanian mushrooms, served with delicious sauces.

Strawberry Avenue – Started 29 years ago as Strawberry Avenue, this stallholder has since been at The Taste as ‘The Creperie’. This year for the 30th birthday, owner and manager, Ursula Luetke-Steinhorst will revert the company back to its original name and revisit some strawberry avenue classics.

Home Hill – Have been at the Taste since 1997. Home Hill took a well-deserved break in 2014 and in 2018 return to The Taste (with several International awards under their belt) to come and celebrate the 30th birthday of The Taste.

Mures – Celebrating 29 years Mures is a Hobart institution; their fish and chips are supplied by their own fishing fleet.

HIGHLIGHTS:
Fat Pig Deli – Gourmet farmer stars Matthew Evans and Sadie Chrestman will be serving farm fresh deli style platters in The Atrium.

Gillespie Ginger Beer and Blue Eye Oysters: Home-made ginger beer producers team up with Blue eye oysters to create a 5 meter oyster bar like you’ve never seen before.

Porky Duck: First timers at the Taste Festival and exclusive providers of Tasmanian grown ducks (from Strelley fields), their menu features crispy duck, duck waffles, duck rolls, dipping duck (master stock) accompanied by home-made Sauerkraut and delicious flavoured Kefir creams.

Big Bessie – Owner and ex Gordon Ramsey Pastry chef Alastair Wise will be bring inventive sundaes made from soft serve, local ingredients and imagination to The Taste. Try the Amy Winehouse, Breaking Bad or the Fat Elvis, which involves bacon marmalade and French toast ‘gravel’!

NEWCOMERS
Karjalanpiirakka – Karjalanpiirakka is a Finnish pie made with crispy rye crust filled with rice, and originates from the eastern part of Finland called Karelia. Offered this year for the first time at the Taste of Tasmania, these Karjalanpiirakka are handmade by Nanna Bayer, a local ceramicist. This is nannas first food stall, and the pies will be accompanied by a special Finnish birch leaf detox drink.

Iraqi kubba – Run by Nagham Al-Knani and her daughters, Iraqi kubba is a beef filled potato and rice dumpling, fried and served with traditional Iraqi salad and sauces. Nagham has lived in Hobart for over 10 years but this will be her first stall at The Taste.

Pikelets and Dreamz – This is owner Gilly’s first year at The Taste managing her own stall, but Gilly grew-up at The Taste making blueberry pancakes for her families business Huon Choice berries who were at the first ever taste of Tasmania and throughout the first festival. This year Gilly is partnering with Angus and Ewen from The Spirit People and together they will be making pikelets with “hyper-local” produce.

Circle of Life: Premiering at The Taste ahead of its official opening in February, 2019, Circle of Life is the next offering from The Pilgrim group offering specialised coffee and delicious fresh donuts.

Afghani Bolani – A family business started during a trial market stall program run by the Migrant Resource Centre. The first solo stall that sells potato and leek, stuffed and fried flat-bread. A traditional Afghani street food.

FESTIVAL FAVOURITES

Lost Pippin and the Lamb Baa – Come along and enjoy estate grown prime lamb and own farmed grains with house made Pear and apple ciders and freshly made salad pairings.

Waji – He’s back! Waji serves huge and very popular platters groaning with Tassie seafood prepared in a variety of cooking styles and flavours.

Bertas Creamery and Milkbar – Berta’s Creamery & Milkbar with Valhalla has been showcasing Tasmania’s popular Valhalla Ice Cream at The Taste of Tasmania since 2011. Don’t miss these super popular ice-creams in specialty cones, served from 3 stall fronts on Castray.

Josef Chromy – Started at The Taste festival in 2006 and for 12 years have been showcasing their diverse variety of sparkling, red & white wines. This year, Josef Chromy are festival supporters of The Taste and can be found in the ‘The Atrium by Josef Chromy’.

Valle Nella Bocca – The team from Hobart’s much loved Italian Pantry teams up with local farmer and chef, Will Chapman and Lawrenny Distillery to make handmade filled pasta’s and anti-pasto platters inspired by the premium distilled products of Lawrenny estate.

DRINKS

Seven Sheds – In a Taste exclusive Seven Sheds will be releasing their Platypus 400 milestone brew, their 400th brew in 10+ years, made from locally grown hemp seeds.

Paradise Island x Brian Wine – Pick up a refreshing summer drink like no other, Beer wine, which is 51% beer blended with wine. A unique paring many won’t be able to pass up!

Spirit People – Well known for creating delicious bespoke cocktails at a range of events, Spirit People are releasing their first production of distilled products at The Taste, including schnapps made from Jerusalem artichokes!!

Winsome Spirits – Brian was a scientist at the CSIRO but now his ultimate goal is to create a series of unique absinthe’s that are based on the five rivers of the Greek underworld. Two absinthes made from herbs in his lower Longley garden and Tasmanian saffron will be available to try at The Taste.

Rukkus Fried Chicken – A local ethical fried chicken restaurant, this year Rukkus are adding a house made strawberry soda to their menu as they make their premiere at The Taste festival.

Tassie Can Bar: Showcasing all the small-batch, craft brews available across the state of Tasmania (and one cider!). Everything comes in a can, proudly brought to The Taste by T-bone brewing company.

EXOTIC AND RARE FARE
palawa kipli – palawa kipli will be serving up Aboriginal inspired street food. One of their dishes (paruwi) will include crickets from local edible insect supplier Rebel Foods.

Paradise Island – Catch Paradise Island serving up a Caribbean themed menu using fermented and foraged foods and handmade fresh tortillas, fresh reggae beats blasting on the decks and wine on tap. A new business from a local team including Adam James from Rough Rice, Tassie’s fermenting guru.

Tassie Small Fruits – Supporting over 10 local growers with their stall, Small Tassie Fruits will offer up many varieties of small fruits people may never have seen including golden raspberries, gooseberries, tayberries and black currants, red currants and white currants (which are quite rare)

Provenance coffee – Travelling to The Taste from Launceston, make sure to stop by Provenance Coffee for one of their nitro brewed iced single origin roasted coffee, on tap.

Lauds – Lauds offer up plant based, dairy and lactose free cheeses. Lauds are also showcasing their range of dairy and lactose free cheeses in a variety of dishes. Think Mac ‘n’ cheese sticks, Tasmanian truffle and plant based cheese toastie. Foodies can also buy platters of their plant based cheeses.

For the best seat in the house The Taste of Tasmania offer reserved seating for visitors wanting a guaranteed seat amongst the action. With three, four hour long, sessions on offer each day, reserved seating costs $25 and is located in a prime waterfront location.

This year the Children’s and Families program takes place throughout the entire Taste Festival site and is humming with free activities for all the family. Move to the rhythm of the beat in cultural dance and drumming workshops, get physical with circus and acrobats, little ones create with art play and there’s fantasy face painting for all ages. For the active ones try your hand at cricket, tennis or soccer or jump into a Zorb ball, take part in bike and board demos and test your skills on the skate ramp.

There’s no need to run away with the circus, kids can just head to The Circus Drop Zone and learn circus skills daily. For something more hands off, kids can sit back and enjoy the acrobatic storytelling of Hazel Suitcase Circus or laugh out loud and be bewildered at The Little Big Adventure Stage with short snappy performances for the whole family.

For the trendsetters, Unicorn Manes will be providing free out of this world haircuts and styles for those young and young at heart, there’s no better way to end the year or begin the next then with a totally new do!

As the sun begins to set, settle in with the family for The Taste’s FREE twilight cinema. In honour of the Taste’s 30th birthday the twilight cinema will be showing some great classics from the 80s. Travel Back to the Future with Marty McFly and Doc Brown, escape to a fantastical world in The NeverEnding Story, phone home with E.T. wax on wax off with The Karate Kid, enjoy detention in The Breakfast Club or let Wesley and princess buttercup tell you a tale of love and adventure in The Princess Bride.

Every night of the Festival a headline performance from some of Australia’s best party bands play main-stage including: four times ARIA nominated powerhouse Mojo Juju, acclaimed indigenous vocalist Emma Donovan with rhythm combo The PutBacks, blazing funk-party band S.O.T, 10 piece latin explosion Son del Sur, the raucous New Orleans inspired Jazz Party and the most exciting new RnB artist in Australia, Kaiit.

In addition, there will be three special, never-to-be-repeated performances when The Taste present 1988, a wonder-band that fulfils all those 80’s hair, fashion and smash hit fantasies. Made especially as a love letter to 30 years of Taste, this glorious over-the-top tribute show, promises to surf the biggest FM radio waves that 1988 served up.

The program of free circus and street performances is set to dazzle minds and astound with a lineup of incredible artists set to rock The Taste. Gag hags will love Australia’s favourite comedic daredevil Ernesto The Magnifico whose addiction to danger will have them in stitches. For those with nerves of steel catch some of the hair raising shows by Extreme Bicycle Stunts or contortionist and sideshow extraordinaire Samora Squid and be amazed by one of the world’s elite street performers Shep Huntly.

Test out dance moves with the steam powered mobile nightclub-slash/time machine Gramophone Man playing all the best pre-WWII Shellac or witness the singing gentleman-adventurer and one man band extraordinaire ‘Uptown Brown’ and his “Goodtimes Gyratorscope”, a musical machine which permits an athletic fellow to play multiple instruments at once.

As night descends on the Waterfront, wander the streets trading secrets or jokes with the live comedic installation Talking Lamposts; catch some fire and flag twirling accompanied by the ancient Japanese rhythms of the Taiko Drum ensemble; or revel in wonder at the internationally-acclaimed dancer and 2014’s Miss Burlesque Australia, Zelia Rose, who returns to Australia after three hugely successful back-to-back American tours with headlining burlesque legend Dita Von Teese.

For an unforgettable New Year’s Eve experience make sure not to miss The Taste’s New Year’s Eve Speakeasy Ball – a special, once-in-a-lifetime event to celebrate the 30th birthday. As the Festival enters its thirties, revisit the world of the roaring twenties – an era iconic for its high-octane entertainment, carefree fun and wild parties – right in the heart of Hobart! The Speakeasy Ball is proud to present a line-up of dazzling performances, from top Aussie musicians, giant brass bands and bold burlesque!

The awe-inspiring night features a stellar ten-piece band, led by ARIA-winning composer and pianist, Barney McAll, with an incredible array of guest singers including: Tex Perkins (The Cruel Sea), Ella Hooper (Killing Heidi), Monique Brumby, Mojo Juju and Loretta Miller (Jazz Party).

The Taste of Tasmania is the not-to-be-missed summer event, where the culture of gourmet food and beverages converge with awe-inspiring activities, markets, movies, and music in one of Australia’s most breathtaking regions.

Joseph Lloyd
Photo Credit: Taste of Tasmania

Entry to The Taste of Tasmania is FREE, with premium events (including New Year’s Eve) being ticketed.

WHAT: The Taste of Tasmania
WHERE & WHEN: Friday 28 December 2018 – Thursday 3 January 2019
Princes Wharf, Hobart, TAS, 7000

Website: www.thetasteoftasmania.com.au Facebook: facebook.com/thetasteoftasmania Instagram: instagram.com/thetasteoftasmania