Taste of Summer: attendance records broken, stallholders celebrate awards
Taste of Summer organisers are celebrating bumper crowds on the festival’s opening day, but stallholders had another reason to celebrate with the annual stallholder awards.
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Taste of Summer organisers anticipate a bumper week after breaking day one attendance records.
The festival welcomed 12500 visitors on Saturday – up 30 per cent from last year’s opening day.
General manager Katharine Dean said numbers “definitely exceeded expectations”.
“Yesterday was a smashing success,” she said.
“All the stallholders are really happy with the trade and we had a constant crowd the whole time.”
Ms Dean said improvements made to marketing and seating areas had boosted community trust in the event.
“We’ve matured and grown over the past few years and worked really closely with stallholders,” she said, adding with improved weather they were optimistic about reaching their goal of 100,000 overall visitors.
Taste of Summer partners with Tasman Hotel
Ms Dean spoke from the Tasman Yacht Club pop-up – an exclusive waterside area offering priority festival entry.
This is the second year the festival has partnered with the Tasman, with hotel marketing director Frances Hutchinson saying organisers had done “a fantastic job of making luxury affordable”.
“We want people to be able to enjoy and participate in a little extra something at the Taste,” she said, adding that despite the extra cost, the space had been popular with interstate and local visitors alike.
“The Taste of Summer is a word class festival and just up the road we have one of the world’s 50 best hotels. Why not work together?” she said.
Inaugural stallholder awards well-received
New this year were the stallholder awards, which were awarded on Saturday across five categories – best Tasmanian produce showcase, cultural cuisine and local excellence, best local drink, most unique Tasmanian spirit or liqueur and best sweet treat and dessert.
Festival curator Jo Cooke said the judges – Tasman head chef Massimo Mele, sommelier Louise Radman and long-time hospitality professional Mia McIntyre – recognised “who used Tasmanian produce best across their menus”.
“It was a really great experience letting the stallholders know they had won,” she said, adding that one winner had “burst into tears”.
“It was really beautiful, and it should encourage stallholders to be even better than they are.”
There will also be a sixth award for the people’s choice, with visitors able to vote through QR codes at stalls around PW1.
Osare owner Pat Garnham – winner of the most unique Tasmanian spirit or liqueur award – said he was “absolutely stoked”.
“It’s easy to have impostor syndrome but quality is always recognised,” he said.
“It’s nice to stand out and it’s good that everyone’s pausing and revisiting the options we have in Tassie.”
Mr Garnham said in the three years he had worked the festival, Saturday was his best day yet.
“There were constant sales throughout the day and it was a good chance to actually have conversations with people about the product,” he said.
“We made good money as well and we’re really happy.”
He encouraged visitors to embrace the cost of tickets, adding that the “atmosphere and entertainment had been cracking”.
Taste of Summer runs at PW1 until 4 January, with doors open between noon and 10.30pm. For more ticketing information visit tasteofsummer.com.au
THE STALLHOLDER WINNERS:
Best Tasmanian produce showcase: Flamecake – wild venison and bacon skewer, pepperberry and apple chutney
Cultural Cuisine and Local Excellence: Ekka – Nepalese Goat Curry – masala marinated goat, tomato, onion, garlic and ginger gravy
Best Local Drink: Franks Cider – autumn reserve blend
Most unique Tasmanian spirit or liqueur: Osare – Nocino, walnut liqueur
Best sweet treat or dessert: Canopy – Tongola goats curd and blackberry ice cream
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Originally published as Taste of Summer: attendance records broken, stallholders celebrate awards
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