Try old favourites and find new ones at Festivale

Martini will be creating chicken salad and summer entertaining dishes with ingredients from The Tasmanian Food Co and Harvest Launceston on Sunday during the Cooking in the Park event on Sunday.

"I'm using Tasmanian Food Co's chicken and some of their wasabi products and I'm hoping to discover quite a bit more here," she said.

"I'm heading to the Harvest Market and I will be inspired by Tasmanian produce. I always know there will be something special around the corner.

"I'm not making something fancy that is a restaurant dish, it's something that people will be able to take away the key points and put something together themselves and be satisfied and excited," Martini said.

Launceston chefs Chris Williams, Nathan Johnston, Craig Will and Christopher Wright will also cook on Saturday and Sunday as part of the event.

Aside from great food, Festivale had great wine.

Goaty Hill partner Natasha Niewhof said they were “very excited” to take out awards for their riseling and rosé. 

“It’s always great to be recognised,” she said. “Festivale is in our hometown, so it’s great to be able to share it with our family and friends.”

Other winning vineyards included House of Arras, Pipers Brook Vineyard, Sharmans Wines, Gala Estate Vineyard, Eddystone Point, and Pririe. 

Festivale chairman David Dunn said he was “excited and very nervous” before the gates opened on Friday afternoon.

“The gates are open and the nerves have suddenly got a lot better, and everything seems to rolling along nicely,” he said. 

“What I would say to people is go try something new, as well as your old favorites. There’s just so much to choose from this time around that people really need to go and try something different and really enjoy it.”

The gates to Festivale will reopen tomorrow at 10am.

For more information, visit www.festivale.com.au.

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