Do you have plans this weekend? No? Well, that’s about to change for food-loving Victorians, because three of Australia’s hottest chefs are set to take over Sovereign Hill, the iconic tourist destination nestled tightly in the state’s Central Highlands.
Yes, the town you likely went to for a primary school excursion that replicates the goldrush era (the costumes were great and all, but let’s be honest – most of us were spellbound by the raspberry drops and twist lollipops) will transform into a foodie’s wonderland from Saturday May 28–Sunday May 29 for Heritage Harvest Weekend.
Sustainability crusader Jo Barrett (the brains who brought Future Food System to life at Fed Square) along with Jung Eun Chae (she’s behind the eponymous CHAE, one of the hardest-to-book restaurants in Melbourne) and Derek Boath (the co-founder of Underbar, an intimate dining experience in Ballarat) will showcase modern ways of using age-old food techniques in a series of cooking demonstrations at Sovereign Hill’s Victorian Theatre.
The Age’s former chief restaurant critic, Gemima Cody, will play host during the interactive sessions, interviewing the three award-winning chefs while they cook. Festival-goers will discover what each chef loves about in-season autumn produce and why it’s important to keep sustainable practices like fermenting, drying, salting, curing, pickling, and distilling alive.
The chefs will run six free sessions across the two-day event, so, if you’re a budding cook – or just enjoy a good meal – you’re definitely in for a treat.
Here’s a quick snapshot of the Heritage Harvest Weekend line-up:
Saturday 28 May
- Jo Barrett will share the ins and outs of Future Food System to teach you innovative ways to grow and prepare food for a sustainable future. Come with an open mind, because Jo will be demonstrating new ways of eating – we’re talking crickets, tiger nuts, grass, and other non-conventional ingredients. Sounds kooky, but we’re intrigued!
- Jung Eun Chae will walk you through the art of Korean ferments with soy sauce, sake, and kimchi-making classes. A must-watch if you’re a lover of Asian food.
Sunday 29 May
- It will be time for Ballarat’s star chef Derek Boath to take centre stage. You’ll get a crash course in classic French cooking, but with an Australian spin – think wattle seed and lemon myrtle pot de crème. We’re salivating already!
The weekend program also includes pop-up produce and market stalls, a Botanical Bar featuring sips by Kilderkin Distillery and Mrs Baker’s Still House, an animal farm for kids, damper, butter, and cheese-making classes, a line-up of feature events and masterclasses, and so much more.
Admission tickets start from $39 for an adult, $20 for a child, and $99 for a family of four.
If we had you at ‘foodie’, you can start planning your weekend now by heading to the Sovereign Hill website.
If you liked this article, you might like our feature about Jo Barrett’s Future Food System greenhouse in Melbourne’s Federation Square.
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