november-2012

12
takeoff » spotlight
margaret
river
gourmet
escape
An elegant, eat-all-you-can
event is an indulgent way to
greet Perth’s warmer months. The
inaugural Margaret River Gourmet
Escape has a fab location and
line-up, with lauded celebrity chefs
flying in from all over the world.
You’ll find the Gourmet Escape
Village set up in Leeuwin Estate
Winery, one of the founding
establishments in Margaret River’s
wine region. Culinary gurus like
Sydney’s Tetsuya Wakada and
Singapore’s André Chiang will be
showing off their knife-brandishing
skills while plating their trademark
dishes on the demonstration stage.
There are also Q&A sessions and
masterclasses.
When hunger pangs strike, weave
through pop-up restaurants serving
dishes like braised pork shoulder
and booths peddling samples of
all things artisanal, from chocolate
to cheese. On the more rustic end
of the scale, the “From Paddock
to Plate” section will showcase
Western Australia’s local produce.
Farmers and chefs will be on duty
to explain the farming process, and
dispense recipes that combine the
raw ingedients on show.
If you have a more extravagant
streak, fringe events such as tours of
private wine cellars and the tented
Gourmet Beach BBQ on Smiths
Beach – featuring menus designed
by chefs like Greenhouse’s Matt
Stone and Momofuku’s David
Chang – are guaranteed hot tickets.
Margaret River Gourmet Escape is from 22-25 Nov;
for full program visit http://gourmetescape.com.au