Tasting Australia 2007 Results
18/10/2007
Top Aussie food and wine regions recognised in national competition.
The winners were announced tonight in the LifeStyle FOOD Channel’s Australian Regional Culinary Competition, the nation’s most important cookery contest.
Over the past three days the heat has been on at the TAFESA Regency Campus kitchens to discover which Australian region serves up the best food and wine in its restaurants.
The gold winner for Best Region was the team ACT Northern Districts (ACT). Silver went to Team Greater Melbourne (VIC), followed by Mt Lofty House, Adelaide Hills (SA), which won Bronze.
Professional cookery teams from all over Australia have been putting their regional culinary arts into practise under the watchful eye of a panel of esteemed adjudicators. There were eight award categories with the overall winning team heading to Cambodia for an all expenses-paid, gourmet tour hosted by Don Hancey, captain of the winning Margaret River team at the inaugural competition in 1997.
Kylie Harris from Team Gold Coast won Best Apprentice, with her prize being a working attachment in Shannon Bennett’s esteemed kitchen at Melbourne’s Vue de Monde.
Other awards went to Team Greater Melbourne for Best Entree and Best Main, with Best Dessert being awarded to ACT Northern Districts. Best Food and Wine Matching was won by Gunyah Kitchen Posse (NSW).
All awards were presented to the winning teams at the awards dinner TONIGHT - Thursday 18 October 2007, at the Hyatt Regency Adelaide.
The judging panel of Chris Taylor, David Pugh, Kate Lamont, Paul Wilson, Peter Kuruvita, Don Hancey, Peter Howard and Heidi Van Gerwen all assessed three-course meals prepared by the teams within a three-hour time limit, using the best seasonal produce from their home regions and matched to appropriate Australian wines.
It was a very tough competition, according to Competition Chairman Peter Howard. “Not only was the standard particularly high at the top end of competition, the middle order also produced some exceptional results,” he said.
“To see the spirit with which these teams have committed themselves, their passion for local produce, their celebration of regional cuisine and their enthusiasm and dedication makes this competition a perfect fit for us,” said Ric Burns, General Manager, LifeStyle FOOD Channel (available on Foxtel and Austar).
BEST REGION:
Gold – ACT Northern Districts (ACT)
Silver – Team Greater Melbourne (VIC)
Bronze - Mt Lofty House – Adelaide Hills (SA)
Best Entrée – Team Greater Melbourne (VIC)
Best Main Course - Team Greater Melbourne (VIC)
Best Dessert - ACT Northern Districts (ACT)
Best Food and Wine Matching - Gunyah Kitchen Posse (NSW)
Best Apprentice – Kylie Harris, Team Gold Coast (QLD)
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