Tasting Australia festival in Adelaide postponed as gatherings of more than 500 people are banned around Australia
The Tasting Australia food festival, due to start this month in Adelaide, has been called off as events shut down around the nation. But organisers have promised to deliver a 2020 festival.
delicious SA
Don't miss out on the headlines from delicious SA. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Four new coronavirus cases as Sacred Heart student tests positive
- Latest national and international updates on COVID-19
- This story about the coronavirus crisis is free for all readers – please consider supporting our journalism with a subscription
Tasting Australia festival has been postponed in response to the coronavirus outbreak.
The South Australian Tourism Commission has made the decision to shelve the annual festival, comprising more than 140 events, which was set to run from March 27-April 5.
Organisers have announced they are working towards a revised date in October or November.
It follows Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s announcement that non-essential mass gatherings of more than 500 people would be cancelled from Monday.
“The decision also follows concerns that a number of our international and national talent were assessing their ability to participate in the festival at this time, and some had already indicated they were unable to travel,” festival director Simon Bryant and Events South Australia executive director Hitaf Rasheed said in a statement.
“We are planning to reschedule Tasting Australia for spring 2020. We will look to finalise those plans within the next week and share them publicly as well as directly to all ticket holders and event stakeholders.”
Current ticket holders can either hold on to their tickets, or request a refund. Food identity Marco Pierre White, who was headlining this year’s program, is yet to confirm whether he will be able to make the revised festival date.
“We will do our very best to maintain the program as it is, but as you can imagine with the change in dates, some talent or venues may not be available,” Ms Rasheed said.
“We will communicate changes as we are aware of them.”
Other chefs who had been booked to take part in Tasting Australia 2020 included television identity Matt Moran and Michelin star restaurant chefs Sat Bains from the UK and Heidi Bjerkan from Norway.
In a festival first, chartered flights were to bring people from Melbourne and Brisbane to McLaren Vale for two separate dining experiences.
Events SA, SATC’s events arm, said it was too early to know how much money they would lose in postponing the festival.
“We need to do a full assessment,” Ms Rasheed said. “Much of the outlay will be transferred to the event later in the year.”
Ms Rasheed said it was important for the public to continue to support the South Australian food and beverage producers.
“We encourage all South Australians to get out and about and enjoy the abundant food and beverage offerings the state has to offer,” she said.
The 2019 event brought 64,000 visitors to the festival hub Town Square (Victoria Square), attracted 11,000 interstate and international travellers and injected $5.5 million to the state’s economy.
The inaugural Tasting Australia was held in 1997 as a biannual festival, and became an annual event from 2016.