Taste of Summer festival prepares to welcome 100,000 patrons over eight days

It’s a foodie’s heaven and the annual Taste of Summer is ready to again delight thousands of locals and visitors. Find out what is on offer.

Jack Creak, aged 5, and Poppy Creak, aged 2 checking out the cooking facilities in the children’s section of the Taste of Summer at Hobart waterfront. Picture: Linda Higginson

The Taste of Summer kicks off on Saturday with organisers hoping for 100,000 people to flock to the eight day event with ticket sales going “really well”.

Previously known as the Taste of Tasmania, this year’s festival at Princes Wharf No.1, has more than 75 stallholders including 17 newcomers.

Taste general manager, Katharine Dean, said preparations for the noon opening on Saturday were running smoothly.

“Things are going really well,” she said. “It’s really busy day today, just doing all the final prep and stall holders stocking all the stalls ready for tomorrow.

“It’s been months of hard work that feels like it’s all coming together and everyone’s pretty pumped and excited for tomorrow.

“Ticket sales are going really well. We’re over 30 per cent up on where we were at the same time last year.

“With the Tasman Yacht Club, which is kind of a premium waterfront experience, we currently have three days sold out of the Yacht Club, so that’s selling really well.

“It’s looking like tomorrow, particularly, is going to be a bumper day, and we’re really looking forward to what New Year’s Eve looks like as well.”

General manager of the Taste of Summer Katharine Dean. Picture: Linda Higginson

Tickets to the Tasman Yacht Club, run in partnership with The Tasman luxury hotel, are $30 and offer premium waterfront seating, access to the bar and 7K Distillery.

Of the stalls this year, 55 per cent offer food and the rest drinks including alcohol, juices and coffee.

Ms Dean said the new stallholders would offer a “refined menu” and Taste curators had worked hard on planning stall locations.

“We’re really choosing stalls in each area that complement each other and families and patrons can go to those areas, and they can have a bit of everything, of produce from across the state,” she said.

Ms Dean said last year the Taste attracted more than 85,000 people and she hoped for a bigger attendance this year including 30 per cent of visitors from interstate.

“Fingers crossed we have some great weather. We’re really hoping to get towards 100,000,” she said.

“We have worked hard to have stallholders with produce from across the state.

“It’s a really important part of our economy.

“It is encouraging tourists that might already be coming down here to stay here longer. It gets everybody out. It is meeting families and friends and also encouraging people to the waterfront and it’s also encouraging them to visit the regional areas.”

Stall holder from Sonnen Luke Andre at the Launch of the Taste of Summer. Picture: Linda Higginson

Ms Dean said the Taste was pleased to be partnering with Hobart Airport to offer “Little Hobart” for children aged under 12 to play, relax and explore under the trees on Salamanca Lawn.

“The Taste is about bringing families together for a fun and affordable day out,” she said.

“We’re really trying to make it accessible, make it fun, parents can sit on the lawns and relax and enjoy the music from the stage nearby, while the kids have some dedicated play areas and activities.”

Children’s activities range from beams and tightropes to nature based craft including jewellery making.

Airport chief operating officer Matt Cocker said it was “great to have that place for kids and families to enjoy over the summer period”.

He said the airport was “humming” with about 11,000 people moving through the doors each day and 70 flights on Friday.

The Taste doors open every day at noon and it ends at 10.30pm except for New Year’s Eve.

Hundreds of people will be working on the event over the coming days.

Originally published as Taste of Summer festival prepares to welcome 100,000 patrons over eight days