Current Issue #488

Tasting Australia names its 2021 food curator

Meaghan Coles
Darren Robertson at Tasting Australia 2019

Tasting Australia has served up its first major announcement for 2021 with the news that Byron Bay chef Darren Robertson will assume the role of food curator for the festival’s comeback.

The author, Three Blue Ducks co-owner and 2019 Tasting Australia guest chef will return to assist festival director Simon Bryant in shaping the festival’s 10-day spread when the event reappears from 30 April – 9 May 2021, after being forced onto the backburner in 2020.

“Darren is the ideal fit for the Food Curator role for Tasting Australia – he truly lives and breathes the same values as the festival which means that he can genuinely share and strengthen the Tasting Australia story to a global audience,” Bryant says of the news.

“Not only is Darren a down-to-earth chef and easy to work with, he is internationally respected. He will be selecting the food talent for the Tasting Australia program and I have no doubt that he will produce an exciting line-up through his networks.

“He gets what we are trying to do as a festival and the way he embraces and respects our local produce and regions makes him an honorary South Australian in my eyes.”

Tasting Australia
Simon Bryant at Tasting Australia 2018

 “I am absolutely thrilled to come back to South Australia for Tasting Australia as Food Curator in 2021,” Robertson says. “Having worked in the industry in Australia and globally for over 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most interesting, inspiring, creative and talented people and I’m really excited to have the opportunity to invite them to be a part of this world class event.

“Especially in these current times, I think we’ve come to appreciate even more the significant role that food has in our culture and community and I think Australians are eager to get out and celebrate it, and I couldn’t think of a better place to do that than Tasting Australia.”

Tasting Australia was one of the first major events to pull the pin earlier this year as COVID-19 restrictions set in just before its planned 27 March start date. An initial decision to postpone to October was later revised in May to skip 2020 altogether, with details of the festival’s 2021 program to be released on 3 December.

Tasting Australia
30 April – 9 May 2021

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