Foodlovers catch on to Port Macquarie
Port Macquarie is building a reputation among chefs and foodlovers for more than just its celebrated oysters.
Port Macquarie, located midway between Sydney and the Queensland border, is celebrated for its benign climate, fine beaches and koala hospital, but it is also quickly establishing itself as one of Australia’s most innovative food regions.
Apart from oysters — a fixture on the menus of leading restaurants around the country — the region has rich volcanic soils that are ideal for growing everything from macadamia nuts to avocados, strawberries and spinach.
Savvy chefs in Sydney and Melbourne are seeking out some of Port Macquarie’s artisan produce, such as pasture-reared poultry and game birds from Burrawong Gaian and the free-range pork and seasonal, organic vegetables, garlic and citrus from Near River Produce.
Melbourne chef Matt Wilkinson, co-owner of Pope Joan and a guest at the recent Tastings On Hastings food festival, says: “This trip has been a total revelation. I had no idea the region offered so much great produce.”
The upsurge in activity on the region’s smallholdings is being matched on the streets of Port Macquarie, which is awash with artisan bakeries, tapas bars, pavement cafes and restaurants serving everything from Vietnamese to Mexican cuisine.
In addition to the region’s small but dynamic wine industry — chambourcin, chardonnay, verdelho, semillon and merlot are all cultivated along the Hastings River — Port Macquarie is in the grip of craft beer fever.
Black Duck Brewery and the Little Brewing Company enjoy a loyal following, while a third microbrewery, MooreBeer, is due to open soon.
“There has been a huge change in Port Macquarie in the last two years in terms of producers, restaurants and a general appreciation of quality food,” says Necia Waghorn, who owns Murray St Bakery and is event co-ordinator for Port Macquarie markets.
Its subtropical climate lends itself to a fairly casual dining scene but the advent of upmarket restaurants such as the Stunned Mullet and Bills Fishhouse and Bar and nightspots such as Bar Florian and the Latin Loafer suggest Port is also getting more cosmopolitan.
Launched in 2002, Tastings On Hastings not only showcases the city’s growing portfolio of chefs, bakers, craft brewers and other artisan producers but also shines a light on the many entrepreneurial smallholders in the hinterland.
This year the three-day festival centred on the Hastings River foreshore and involved wineries, restaurants, bars and cafes, drawing more than 25,000 food lovers — most of them from outside the region.
Wilkinson, who grew up in Yorkshire, says a regional food festival such as Tastings On Hastings offers a unique opportunity to rebuild a sense of civic pride around wholesome, locally grown or harvested produce.
“It’s a sad fact that we’re losing that community element in our lives, whether you live in the city, the suburbs or a village,” he says. “A festival like this brings the community together.”
With its mix of serious food-lovers’ events, live music, kids’ entertainment and new taste discoveries, Tastings On Hastings is also the perfect excuse to rediscover Port Macquarie, a city at the heart of one of Australia’s most diverse agricultural regions.
Those planning a more extended holiday will find plenty of outdoor adventure, great coastal walks, a wealth of convict history and, of course, some delicious things to eat.
More information can be found at portmacquarieinfo.com.au. Tastings On Hastings 2017 will be held on the last weekend of October. Mark Chipperfield was a guest of Port Macquarie-Hastings Council and Destination NSW.