Toasties and sangers on menu at CheeseFest and delicious. 100 list

The much-loved toastie is going upmarket for the upcoming CheeseFest. Have your say on the best way to enjoy one.

Duncan Welgemoed and Kris Lloyd at Africola. Picture: Mark Brake

It might be a bit of a stretch, but could it be that big cheese chef Duncan Welgemoed is putting a toastie on the menu at his renowned South African restaurant and bar Africola?

Not yet, but he’s made one in the lead up to next month’s CheeseFest.

Woodside Cheese Wrights’s Kris Lloyd, who is the festival’s event director, visited Africola on East Terrace. She invited Welgemoed, who will have a giant fondue at CheeseFest, to make a “Get Pickled” toastie.

Its ingredients include Beston Foods gouda and the yet-to-be-released Spring Gully Elote

corn relish, which Lloyd says gives the toastie a spicy kick.

Duncan Welgemoed and Kris Lloyd at Africola. Picture: Mark Brake

The “Get Pickled” is one of three toasties in the running to be named the “Brand SA Toastie”, which will be on sale at the festival.

The other two are “The Buzz”, made from Woodside Cheese Wrights triple cream brie,

Beerenberg caramelised onion jam and The Queen’s Cut honey, and “The Classic”, with La Casa Del Formaggio mozzarella and Skara Smallgoods ham.

Asked what kind of toastie she preferred, Lloyd said she loved one with a sweeter style cheese, such as comte, and mushrooms. But she was also “torn between” that and one with mozzarella and mortadella.

While the public won’t get to taste test the toasties before voting, Lloyd said it would be well worth them to use their imagination. Six voters will win two general passes to CheeseFest and a tote bag filled with local produce.

Africola ranked 15th overall in the delicious. 100 best restaurants national poll last year. While it isn’t featured in this year’s list of finalists, made up of top eats and treats from across SA, sandwiches have made the cut.

Showcasing offerings from more than 70 local producers and attracting cheesemakers from all over Australia, CheeseFest, of which Brand SA is a major sponsor, is being held in Rundle Park on the weekend of November 18 and 19.

“We brought back Brand SA to put local products front of mind and this event provides a popular platform to help people connect with our food and beverage industry while driving economic growth,” Trade and Investment Minister Nick Champion said, adding: “Few things top a cheese toastie - especially one filled with premium South Australian produce.”

Vote for your favourite toastie here

Originally published as Toasties and sangers on menu at CheeseFest and delicious. 100 list