❓ Mrs. Harvey inquires about attractions at the Margaret River Gourmet Escape, highlighting Heston Blumenthal's involvement. The Minister details participating chefs, events, and the broader benefits for WA's food and wine industry, including regional recognition.
AnsweredQoN 290Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
MARGARET RIVER GOURMET ESCAPE
290. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Minister for Tourism:
I see that the first major signing for the Margaret River
Gourmet Escape is Heston Blumenthal, owner of the famous Fat Duck restaurant in
the United Kingdom, and currently rated, I believe, in the top 10 for the San
Pellegrino awards for his new restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Can the
minister please advise the house what other attractions the Gourmet Escape will
bring to Western Australia?
290. Mrs L.M. HARVEY to the Minister for Tourism:
I see that the first major signing for the Margaret River
Gourmet Escape is Heston Blumenthal, owner of the famous Fat Duck restaurant in
the United Kingdom, and currently rated, I believe, in the top 10 for the San
Pellegrino awards for his new restaurant, Dinner by Heston Blumenthal. Can the
minister please advise the house what other attractions the Gourmet Escape will
bring to Western Australia?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for the question. The new announcement that
the government has recently made about the Margaret River Gourmet Escape is
something that I have to say has been a long time coming, and it is extremely
welcomed by this government. We have had significant investment, particularly
with the additional funds through royalties for regions, for regional events,
on a range of different things, mostly around sport, around fashion and around
music and the like. But I do not think we have ever had an event that fully
encompasses the huge opportunities we have to showcase Western Australia in the
area of food and wine; and this event will do that. Heston Blumenthal, who has
been ranked world number one, but is, I think, currently ranked world number
five, and Rene Redzepi, who is currently world number one, will be coming here
to Western Australia for that event. Lots of other international and
Australian, and in fact Western Australian, chefs will also be coming to this
event. Some of those are Justin North from Becasse in Sydney, Perth rising star
Matt Stone from Greenhouse, and Dany Angove from Leeuwin Estate. We hope to
also get guys like Alain Fabrgues from the Loose Box —
Mr T.R. Buswell :
Very impressive!
Dr K.D. HAMES : He
is very impressive. I was actually with him at lunchtime at the truffle
festival launch, which is also on today. In fact, we are hoping to get Neil
Perry along to that event as well. A large number of international chefs are
coming here to provide for the people of Western Australia a celebration of the
food and wine that we have to offer.
There will be a huge number of events. There will be the
Gourmet Village at the famous Leeuwin wine estate. That will be open to the
public. There will be master classes, restaurants, cooking demonstrations, wine
theatre, wine matching programs, ''meet the winemaker'' sessions,
and so on and so forth. There will be a cocktail and wine bar, which will be
located at one of the region's iconic natural locations, and that is
not finalised yet, so I cannot announce where that will be, but it will be
fantastic. There will be a public beach barbecue, at which people can learn
from the world's best chefs how to cook food on a barbecue—not
that I could not teach them, of course, but I think having international chefs
do that might be somewhat up the rung! There will be Lunch in the Vines, which
will be a long-table lunch at one of the best known wineries in Western
Australia. There will be Official Wine Routes, which will be three or four wine
routes throughout the Margaret River area. There will also be an Icon Celebration,
where each year, someone who is an icon of the food and wine industry
internationally will be announced at the event in Western Australia.
The event will be managed by Brand
Events, which, as members know, is the originator of MasterChef and Junior MasterChef ,
and hopefully some of those chefs as well will be able to come to this event.
Although Brand Events is an international company, it does have an office in
Sydney, and it is looking at setting up an office also in the Margaret River
region.
This event will not just highlight
the famous food and wine from Margaret River. It will be able to look into
areas around Margaret River, like the Great Southern, which, too, is famous for
the food and wine that it produces, to make sure that we get international
recognition for the fabulous food and wine that we have on offer here in
Western Australia. All the people involved in the event are extremely excited.
People from the south west are excited. I think there are many people in the
metropolitan area who would love to get to Margaret River for that event and
enjoy the best that Western Australia has to offer.
the government has recently made about the Margaret River Gourmet Escape is
something that I have to say has been a long time coming, and it is extremely
welcomed by this government. We have had significant investment, particularly
with the additional funds through royalties for regions, for regional events,
on a range of different things, mostly around sport, around fashion and around
music and the like. But I do not think we have ever had an event that fully
encompasses the huge opportunities we have to showcase Western Australia in the
area of food and wine; and this event will do that. Heston Blumenthal, who has
been ranked world number one, but is, I think, currently ranked world number
five, and Rene Redzepi, who is currently world number one, will be coming here
to Western Australia for that event. Lots of other international and
Australian, and in fact Western Australian, chefs will also be coming to this
event. Some of those are Justin North from Becasse in Sydney, Perth rising star
Matt Stone from Greenhouse, and Dany Angove from Leeuwin Estate. We hope to
also get guys like Alain Fabrgues from the Loose Box —
Mr T.R. Buswell :
Very impressive!
Dr K.D. HAMES : He
is very impressive. I was actually with him at lunchtime at the truffle
festival launch, which is also on today. In fact, we are hoping to get Neil
Perry along to that event as well. A large number of international chefs are
coming here to provide for the people of Western Australia a celebration of the
food and wine that we have to offer.
There will be a huge number of events. There will be the
Gourmet Village at the famous Leeuwin wine estate. That will be open to the
public. There will be master classes, restaurants, cooking demonstrations, wine
theatre, wine matching programs, ''meet the winemaker'' sessions,
and so on and so forth. There will be a cocktail and wine bar, which will be
located at one of the region's iconic natural locations, and that is
not finalised yet, so I cannot announce where that will be, but it will be
fantastic. There will be a public beach barbecue, at which people can learn
from the world's best chefs how to cook food on a barbecue—not
that I could not teach them, of course, but I think having international chefs
do that might be somewhat up the rung! There will be Lunch in the Vines, which
will be a long-table lunch at one of the best known wineries in Western
Australia. There will be Official Wine Routes, which will be three or four wine
routes throughout the Margaret River area. There will also be an Icon Celebration,
where each year, someone who is an icon of the food and wine industry
internationally will be announced at the event in Western Australia.
The event will be managed by Brand
Events, which, as members know, is the originator of MasterChef and Junior MasterChef ,
and hopefully some of those chefs as well will be able to come to this event.
Although Brand Events is an international company, it does have an office in
Sydney, and it is looking at setting up an office also in the Margaret River
region.
This event will not just highlight
the famous food and wine from Margaret River. It will be able to look into
areas around Margaret River, like the Great Southern, which, too, is famous for
the food and wine that it produces, to make sure that we get international
recognition for the fabulous food and wine that we have on offer here in
Western Australia. All the people involved in the event are extremely excited.
People from the south west are excited. I think there are many people in the
metropolitan area who would love to get to Margaret River for that event and
enjoy the best that Western Australia has to offer.
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