Living Smart Festival's popular Feast for the Senses returns to Speers Point in September after a two-year hiatus.
It's being held on Friday, September 23, under the stars at the Multi-Arts Pavilion, mima, and will showcase seasonal ingredients that are sustainably farmed and locally sourced.
This year, a three-course vegetarian meal is being prepared by The Wilderness Chef team, consisting of handmade portobello mushrooms with caramelised leek, thyme and parmesan arancini; hand-rolled potato gnocchi "tossed through some beautiful local vegetables with a few hidden surprises and tasty treats mixed in"; plus a selection of desserts.
A bar will be serving food-matched wine and beer, Kazzie Duo will perform an acoustic set, and Newy Event Collective will style the tables using recyclable and reusable materials.
Chef Cooper Thomas is the founder of The Wilderness Chef, a team of chefs and hospitality workers who create unique restaurant-quality dining experiences in amazing and sometimes remote locations.
"One unique feature of our catering and private dining service is that we are able to prepare incredible, restaurant-quality food without any cooking facilities or utilities whatsoever," Thomas said.
"We will be setting up our portable Wilderness Kitchen which we will use to cook and plate this amazing menu.
"Our team prides itself on preparing items with our own hands and hearts so you won't find packet arancini or dried gnocchi on our menu. We will be sourcing ethical, sustainable produce for the event to align with the Feast for the Senses ethos."
The menu was designed with seasonality and sustainability in mind, as well as nourishment.
"We have chosen local in-season plant-based produce with a focus on wholefoods and a diverse range of items. Flavour is critical but we also focused on the appearance, textures and diversity of the ingredients."
Spread across the weekend of September 23 to 25, this year's Living Smart Festival will feature three distinct events:
- Feast for the Senses
- Living Smart Festival - a free line-up of workshops, demonstrations, market stalls and presentations by some of Australia's most prominent and innovative personalities in the field of sustainability, including gardening guru Costa Georgiadis
- Living Together Festival - a new multicultural festival featuring free workshops, demonstrations, market stalls and activities
The festival, organised by Lake Macquarie City Council, attracted more than 30,000 people in 2019, making it one of Australia's largest sustainability-themed annual events.
