Tasting Australia: New food creator is a chef we know and love

We may not know what’s on the menu for Tasting Australia 2024 just yet but we can tell you all about the creative team, which includes a newbie set to create a stir.

Tasting Australia’s Karena Armstrong and Kane Pollard. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Kane Pollard is planning on bringing a lot more than South Australia’s best produce to the table at Tasting Australia.

The executive chef of Tea Tree Gully’s restaurant-in-a-nursery Topiary – which is renowned for its sustainable menu created from locally sourced ingredients and foraged finds – has been named the festival’s new food curator.

Mentored by the late Jock Zonfrillo, Pollard also runs a roving experience for food lovers called Place Dining, which takes them to secret locations.

Kane Pollard at Topiary. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Excited by his new role, he plans to “search far and wide for the best producers our state has to offer and get them involved”.

“I want to bring my ‘immersive experience’ vibes to the table and work with the creative team to keep pushing the boundaries and focus on pairing guest chefs from all over the country and world with produce I know they’ll love and remember forever,” Pollard said.

Karena Armstrong and Kane Pollard. Picture: Kelly Barnes

The Tasting Australia creative team will also include SA chef Karena Armstrong, of Salopian Inn fame, who is continuing in her role as festival director.

Drinks curators Meira Harel and Banjo Harris Plane are also returning, along with festival patron chef Simon Bryant.

Banjo Harris Plane and Meira Harel Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Simon Bryant Picture: Tom Huntley

Founded in 1997 and the country’s longest-running eating and drinking festival, Tasting Australia is yet to release its program for 2024, but we do know the festival will run from May 3 to May 12.

“More than 68,000 people enjoyed Tasting Australia’s Town Square in the centre of Adelaide this year, and we know the festival’s return in 2024 will offer more delicious adventures which attract visitors to our CBD and across the state,” Tourism Minister Zoe Bettison said.