Much-loved MasterChef Australia winner, author, and champion of local flavours and real cooking styles, Julie Goodwin will be a special guest at this year’s Festival of Food and Wine on 10-11 September at the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers.
She leads the line-up for the famous days of music, flowers and flavour.
It was over a decade ago that Julie Goodwin became a household name overnight when she was crowned Australia’s first MasterChef.
Thrust into the limelight, there were the joys and highs of so many new opportunities, TV shows, best-selling books, radio, appearances, columns, endorsements and her long-time dream of opening a cooking school came true.
Julie will be demonstrate on Saturday September 10 and Sunday 11 September at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm at the Festival of Food and Wine, showcasing a range of in-season produce from around the Toowoomba Region.
In a perfect tribute to Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, famed local brewer 4 Brothers Brewing is creating a signature floral beer especially for the event. It will be on offer at the Festival Cocktail Bar and for the Tasting Room Program, and at the brewery throughout September. The beer – Carnivale – is an Ale featuring Nasturtium flowers. Their flagship Toowoomba Lager will also feature. It is the first beer sporting the Toowoomba name produced in the past 40 years and since it was first brewed in late 2018, it has won five medals at several beer awards, including Silver at the 2021 Royal Qld Food and Wine Show.
Toowoomba Region’s first artisan distillery in Pechey Distilling Co will take centre-stage during the Festival of Food and Wine. At the distillery in the High Country Hamlets region north of Toowoomba, they produce a range of exceptional spirits that celebrate the family’s rich history in the area and the world class botanicals grown locally. Featuring at the Festival of Food and Wine is their signature Homestead Gin, featuring heirloom kumquat and lemon myrtle from the homestead gardens, and their triple distilled 1868 Vodka.
The event will be home to more than 35 food and wine stalls, and will feature the exclusive Botanical Society area,
The Tasting Room Bar, Farm to Fork Demonstrations, beer and cocktail bars, the BBQ Pityard and more. Sixteen wineries will take part including Preston peak Winery, Symphony Hill Wines, Twisted Gum Wines, Kingsley Grove Wine, Golden Grove Wines, Jester Hill Wines and more.
Grazing boxes are available for Festival goers and include Kenilworth Dairy, Woombye and Awassi cheeses, cold meats from Grantham, Coolbardie Olives, Kokopod Chocolate, nuts, homemade chilli jam and edible flowers. Grazing boxes can be pre-ordered.
On the music side, Festival of Food and Wine will welcome iconic Australian band The Whitlams to perform their entire Eternal Nightcap album, with their set marking the incredible 25th anniversary of the album that captured the hearts of a generation. The band will be joined by musicians Vera Blue, Ash Grunwald, The Chantoozies and locals Cardboard Cutouts, Flamingo Blonde, Jasmine Aleisha, Kane Maher, The Van Trio, The Hobsons, Lenna Maree Moxey Duo, The Fibonacci Band and Cool Nights Big Band. FULL PROGRAM at tcof.com.au
