Emma McCaskill helps lead new family programming in Tasting Australia’s Town Square

It’s one of the best food festivals in the country - and now there's a bigger focus on families and kids than ever, at this year’s Tasting Australia in Adelaide.

Emma McCaskill is among the chefs and experts who will host new, family-focussed cooking demonstrations in this year's Town Square as part of Tasting Australia. She’ll be joined by daughter Grace, 7. Picture: Tom Huntley

Adelaide chef Emma McCaskill is passionate about teaching the next generation of eaters and feeders, both at work and at home.

The former Magill Estate Restaurant chef has just taken up a new role with the Adelaide Institute of Hospitality, helping bridge the training college with restaurants. At home, she gets her two daughters in the kitchen – Grace, 7, and Billie, 5 – to cook everything from homemade English muffins to dal.

“Grace especially has a real interest in food and eating in different restaurants,” McCaskill says.

McCaskill will now help inspire fellow mums and dads at Tasting Australia’s new family program of workshops in “Town Square” (Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga).

Chef Emma McCaskill with her daughter, Grace, 7, in Victoria Square. Picture: Tom Huntley

“It’s the biggest year for family programming and I think it’s really important,” says McCaskill, who is a guest programmer for the festival.

“We’ve got one of the best food festivals in Australia so we’re trying make it a festival for kids and families too … so we can bring our kids to Victoria Square on the weekends and get them involved.

“One of the events, which I’m taking my kids to, will have an apiarist show the kids how to extract honey from fresh honeycomb, and then the kids take a jar of that honey home. We’re trying to show them food experiences so that they learn.”

Grace will join her mum in her Cooking for Your Family workshop on May 2.

“We’ll show what we make at home and the best ways to get kids involved in cooking that makes it fun and not a chore,” McCaskill says.

Chef Duncan Welgemoed cooks with his sons Max and Alex in his restaurant Africola. Picture: Matt Turner

Africola owner/chef Duncan Welgemoed is also on board, sharing recipes from his upcoming children’s vegetarian cookbook, The Deep Sigh of Broccoli. Kids will also get mocktails from Hellbound’s Mark Reginato.

Tasting Australia festival is March 30-April 9.

Tickets to the Town Square family sessions are $25-$30 at tastingaustralia.com.au