Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones has today announced the Sunshine Coast will host a new food festival in 2019, aimed at showcasing the region’s food experiences.
The Curated Plate is a four-day food, wine and produce festival, which will bring together the Sunshine Coast’s finest produce with the best chefs from Australia and abroad.
The inaugural event will be held from 8-11 August, 2019.
Ms Jones said the new festival would shine a light on the region’s rich culinary offering.
"The Curated Plate will help raise the profile of the Sunshine Coast as a ‘foodie’ destination," she said.
"The Sunshine Coast is well-known for its beaches, rainforests and mountain ranges – but it also boasts high-quality produce and unique paddock to plate dining experiences.
"Tourism is vital for the Sunshine Coast, injecting $2.5 billion into the local economy and supporting 23,000 local jobs. That’s why the Palaszczuk Government is proud to be supporting this event that will showcase the great produce of the Sunshine Coast.
"Through Tourism and Events Queensland we’re investing in local events because they deliver a strong economic return for the tourism industry.
"The Culinary Plate is expected to generate more than 10,000 visitor nights."
Today’s announcement also provided a first glance of the international talent on the festival lineup.
Tokyo’s Zaiyu Hasegawa of two Michelin Star restaurant, Den, will join the festival in a special collaboration with Sunshine Coast chef Daniel Jarrett, at his one Chef Hat restaurant, The Tamarind.
Visit Sunshine Coast CEO Simon Latchford said the event would allow the region to showcase its high-quality food offerings, alongside its well-known natural attractions.
"The Sunshine Coast is one of Australia’s premier regions for quality produce - it has more than 740 restaurants, 400 food tourism experiences, six dining precincts, 13 new craft breweries, some of the best farmers markets in the country and provides much of Queensland’s fish, seafood, fruit, vegetables and poultry exports," he said.
"While our beaches and year-round attractive climate might be the primary reasons for visitors choosing the Sunshine Coast for their holiday, the fact that we can deliver such high-quality food from paddock to plate is becoming an increasingly significant attraction for discerning travellers."
Sunshine Coast Council Mayor Mark Jamieson said he was looking forward to welcoming visitors to the region for a celebration of everything it has to offer.
"The Sunshine Coast has long been a home to some of Australia's greatest produce and some amazing restaurants," he said.
"This new event will be fantastic way to showcase our region and profile our local award-winning food producers and restaurateurs.
"We look forward to welcoming guests to our beautiful part of the world and invite them to discover what makes us such a great destination for fantastic food."
The Curated Plate Culinary Festival is brought to you by Fairfax Events & Entertainment, Visit Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast Council and supported by the Queensland Government, via Tourism and Events Queensland.
