Sydney Eat Street: ‘Savour the Unexpected’ winter festival in the Southern Highlands

Over two weekends, the ‘Savour the Unexpected’ winter festival in the Southern Highlands will host an exciting array of food and drink-centred experiences. Sydney Eat Street showcases the best.

Botanic Jazz offers great food and an amazing setting. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

Over two weekends, the ‘Savour the Unexpected’ winter festival in the Southern Highlands will host an exciting array of food and drink-centred experiences.

Sydney Eat Street showcases the best.

COCKTAIL CIRCUS

Trade the big smoke for the thrill of carnival life with the Cocktail Circus held at Fairground Follies, in Bowral – an expansive structure housing one of the largest collections of intricately carved carousels, folk art-adorned carriages, and musical instruments dating from 1840-1950.

Cocktail Circus: Cocktails and canapes. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

Cocktail Circus: Rides and a drink. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

Helming the libations is Alex Doughty from SoHi, a Southern Highlands-based distillery using the region’s pristine water. “We were inspired to take that fun night out at a circus and roll it into the cocktails,” he says. These include its vibrant Mary-

go-Round cocktail, reminiscent of the magnificent pink carousel, the centrepiece of this event. Canapes will be provided by local chef Alex Watts. Friday, June 21; $125pp
FAIRGROUND FOLLIES, 93-95 KIRKHAM RD, BOWRAL

BOTANIC JAZZ

The winter festival will come to a “dramatic” climax at the Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens with Botanic Jazz, a sumptuous dinner with music from a local jazz quartet. Held at the Gardens’ new event venue, the evening’s menu is curated by PepperGreen Estate’s head chef, Mark Chance.

Botanic Jazz offers dinner and music. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

The menu highlights include smoked brisket, porchetta, potato roti with fondue cheese dip, and duck liver parfait. “I’m keeping it as local as it gets – potatoes from Kangaloon, beef from Exeter, and pork from Fitzroy Falls,” Mark says. Sunday, June 30, 4pm-8pm; $125pp.

SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS BOTANIC GARDENS, 112-150 KANGALOON RD, BOWRAL; GROWSOUTHERNHIGHLANDS.COM.AU

SOLSTICE CABARET

Move aside Baz Luhrmann, there’s a new show in town – the Solstice Cabaret, a glamorous spectacle held at the elegant 100-year-old Robertson Hotel. Head chef Luca Giacomin has planned a decadent three-course dinner grazing table featuring locally sourced ingredients such as succulent lamb from Moss Vale’s Maugers Meats, a family-owned farm and butchery, and a selection of cheeses from Pecora Dairy, an award-winning sheep milk dairy and cheesery in Robertson.
1 FOUNTAINDALE RD, ROBERTSON; THEROBERTSONHOTEL.COM.AU

You won’t know where to start with Solstice Cabaret’s three-course dinner. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

ISCA HOUSE

The opulent four-bedroom ISCA House is the ideal destination for a touch of luxury with your accommodation. Pick up a bottle of award-winning cool-climate wine from surrounding cellar doors and make good use of the chef’s kitchen during your stay. A breakfast hamper from GRAZE is provided, and why not throw in some fresh-cut herbs and spinach from the kitchen garden.
676 SALLYS CORNER RD, EXETER; ISCAHOUSE.COM.AU

ISCA House’s breakfast hamper will fill you up. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

RIVER FEST

The ruins of Joadja, a 19th-century Scottish mining settlement, will welcome River Fest, a lunch experience catered by established chef Brigid Kennedy. While Sydney is best known for its seafood, Brigid says “River Fest highlights often overlooked inland fish and crustaceans” such as the main course of sustainably river-farmed rainbow trout.

River Fest is located at Joadja Ruins. Picture: Jenifer Jagielski

The menu also features smoked and cured sustainably-farmed selections by Stephen Hodge, the founder of Fish Face.

Lunch starts with roving canapes, including tomato consommé with Stephen’s hot smoked barramundi, choux with salmon and red wine spring onions, and blini with Russian egg and ocean trout caviar.

This is followed by silver perch carpaccio, cold smoked salmon pastrami, and a pear and blackberry crumble for dessert.

The dishes will be accompanied by local pinot wines and spirits from Joadja Distillery, plus pop-up performances suited to the location. Saturday and Sunday, June 22-23 from noon; $195pp.

JOADJA HISTORIC SITE, 1760 JOADJA RD, JOADJA; GROWSOUTHERNHIGHLANDS.COM.AU/SAVOUR-THE-UNEXPECTED/