Tickets for Tastes of Moreton Bay Feastival on sale now

Published 12:00pm 7 June 2022

Words by Kylie Knight

The program for the 2022 Tastes of Moreton Bay Feastival has been released today as tickets go on sale.

For six weeks (August 19 to September 25), Moreton Bay’s tastemakers and producers will serve up more than 40 events, dining experiences, masterclasses and tours.

The ‘Feastival’ will take foodies on a culinary journey from the farms to the bay, and everywhere in between, in partnership with the region’s restaurants, cafes, bars, tour operators, chefs, and producers.

Moreton Bay Regional Council Mayor Peter Flannery says the event is an opportunity for the region to showcase its amazing talent and remarkable produce.

“Our subtropical climate offers a bounty of products from pineapples and raspberries to shellfish and beef,” he says.

| “We have Australia’s best produce and the nation’s most daring talent. No wonder it’s the number one item on the culinary calendar.” |

Renowned chef and champion of local produce Alastair McLeod, who lives in the Samford Valley, has proudly taken on the Tastes of Moreton Bay Feastival Ambassador role.

Visit Moreton Bay Region CEO Shane Newcombe says the who’s who of Australian celebrity chefs will be cooking up a storm during the event.

“In addition to Alastair, Adriano Zumbo, Georgia Barnes, Dominique Rizzo, Manu Feildel and Miguel Maestre will be making tastebuds water,” he says.

“Over six weeks, Moreton Bay’s finest producers, restaurateurs and tour operators will also deliver amazing experiences including the Samford Harvest, Sunset Brewery Cruise, Vines & Hops Tour, Jazz by Candlelight and the Bribie Seafood Boil to name a few.

“The centrepiece of the ‘Feastival’ is the world-famous, three-day Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival which kickstarts six weeks of foodie heaven on Friday, August 19 at Apex Park, Woody Point.”

Heartfelt passion for produce

Alastair is passionate about using and promoting local produce, particularly since moving to the Moreton Bay Region nine years ago.

|“It feels like a good fit for me to be given a platform to extol the virtues of our own backyard,” he says.|

And he says it has been proven produce that is grown locally and has travelled fewer ‘food miles’ is more nutritious and tastes better.

His knowledge of what’s in season, plentiful and at its best – in his own backyard – informs what he includes on his own menus.

He’s proud to be an ambassador for the region’s “food heroes”.

“These are the people feeding us, our children, our grandchildren, family, friends and loved ones,” Alastair says.

He’s noticed people at cooking events now wanting to know where the ingredients come from instead of just wanting his recipes.

Alastair has been inspired by the efforts of producers in the Moreton Bay Region and describes the ‘Feastival’ as a six-week love letter to the region.

Besides being the event’s ambassador, he will also host the Samford Harvest Winter event at Loop Growers, Draper, and a new event called the Bribie Seafood Boil.

He says the events not only showcase the region’s best produce, they also bring people together in fun, social atmosphere which they are craving at present.

During Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival, he will be hosting ticketed dinners and also giving cooking demonstrations.

| “I want to make sure every single person who enters my orbit leaves absolutely infatuated with Moreton Bay,” he says. |

The six-week Tastes of Moreton Bay Feastival starts on August 19 with the Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival.