Six food events worth travelling for in July and beyond

From winter-warming food festivals and pop-up events to the latest in cruise dining, here’s all the events travellers will want to savour around the country and further afield.

Former White House chef turns to cruise ships

Ponant has partnered with the prestigious Club des Chefs des Chefs aboard Le Commandant Charcot. Credit: Gilles Trillard

As Ponant’s Le Commandant Charcot ship cruises the icy Baltic Sea in the midst of an Arctic winter next January, retired White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford, along with other esteemed figures in the world of haute cuisine, will be giving passengers a taste of diplomatic history. Guests can enjoy dishes once served to heads of state at official dinners, as well as giving first-hand accounts of what goes on behind the scenes at presidential residences, including the White House and France’s Elysee Palace. It’s all part of a partnership with The Club des Chef des Chefs, considered one of the world’s most elite gastronomic societies. See au.ponant.com

Orange Region Fire Festival’s new foodie chapter

Ember Feast at Hillside Harvest.

Fire Festival returns this August, with an expanded program and several festival-first fire-powered food, wine and cider events. Kicking off with Millthorpe Fire Fair on August 1, don’t miss out on popular and new collaborations including the annual medieval-inspired Winter Wassail at Small Acres Cider (August 2), the slow-roasted pork Ember Feast at the Orchard held at Hillside Harvest (August 3), and the Food over Fire by Nashdale Lane Wines x Union Bank dinner (August 9). See orange360.com.au

Ballarat’s epic pie pilgrimage taps best-selling cookbook author

Hotel Canberra’s Stables Cafe & Bar lechon paksiw pie topped with pork crackling crumble and wrapped in banana leaf.Credit: Chris McConville

Victoria’s Central Highlands once again transforms into a pie utopia this August as the city’s top venues battle for the title of Ballarat’s Best Pie. Hear the winners at the pie awards on August 2, this year hosted by Melbourne-based cook, author and presenter Julia Busuttil Nishimura at Itinerant Spirits (2024’s winning venue). This year’s 36 entries include both nostalgic and daring new creations (fancy a Filipino-inspired lechon paksiw pie?). You can plot your own pie trail at the Visit Ballarat website. See visitballarat.com.au

Fire festivities: Award-winning chef Lennox Hastie at Hayman Island

Lennox Hastie will bring his fire-driven philosophy to the island for a one-night Balvenie x Firedoor feast.

Lennox Hastie, the acclaimed chef behind Sydney’s two-hatted Firedoor – 2023 winner of SMH Good Food Guide Restaurant of the Year – will bring his fiery cooking techniques to the Whitsundays for a one-off banquet under the stars on July 17. The $249 per person, five-course Balvenie whisky-matched dinner is one of several culinary partnerships this year at InterContinental Hayman Island Great Barrier Reef, to celebrate the iconic property’s 75th anniversary. See haymanisland.intercontinental.com

Star power at Taste of Port Douglas

Michael Wilson of Michelin-starred Marguerite, Singapore will be leading a masterclass.

Michael Wilson, the Australian chef behind Singapore’s one-Michelin-starred Marguerite in the iconic Flower Dome, will lead a $155 per person masterclass for 24 people on August 10 showcasing the same refined techniques that earned him a prized Michelin star. It’s part of Taste of Port Douglas’ four-day Masterclass Series (August 7-10) held at Harrison’s Restaurant, and includes a glass of Pol Roger Brut Reserve Non-Vintage. See tasteportdouglas.com.au

APT launches world’s first hydraulic bar

APT’s Solara and Ostara to feature the world’s first hydraulic bar, Gruner Bar and Dining.

Australian company APT is taking river cruise drinking to new heights with its most recent feature – a wine bar that can rise vertically using a hydraulic lift system. APT’s newly launched Solara and Ostara ships are the first to get the new Gruner Bar & Dining hydraulic bar, in which guests can enjoy the loftier perspective while sipping gruner veltliner and cruising Europe’s most scenic rivers. See aptouring.com/en-au