The concept of food in the Gascoyne region is often believed to start and end with bananas, but the regions most famous export is just the beginning of the story. Gastronomy in the Gascoyne is also firmly rooted in fresh seafood, succulent beef and lamb, and an array of fruit and vegetables including, but not limited to, strawberries, mangoes, beans and Asian greens.
The Gascoyne Food Council was created to provide a platform by which the amazing cuisine of the Gascoyne could be introduced, and distributed, across the state. Comprised of members of the pastoral, seafood and horticultural communities based within the Gascoyne region, focus has been on creating partnerships with renowned chefs of the West Australian culinary scene to encourage menus based around the best local produce the region has to offer.
The culmination of these efforts is the annual Gascoyne Food Festival, a week long series of events showcasing the Gascoyne growing region. One of the highlight events of the calendar is the Long Table Lunch, held this year at the Bentwater Plantation in Carnarvon. Six of Perth’s leading chefs are invited to Carnarvon and asked to create a dish each showcasing the local produce. Hero products at this year’s event included Shark Bay Crab, Pink Snapper and Prawns, Rangeland Goat, Lyndon Station Beef and Ord River Chickpeas, as well as the famous Carnarvon bananas.
The Long Table Lunch is a limited ticket event, with the cover charge including six amazing tasting dishes as well as local West Australian wines, Australian sparklings and beer. Each course is accompanied by presentations from the farmers and chefs about the produce used. A four hour event, and a fantastic day out, if you find yourself in the area for next years lunch event I highly recommend you attend, I know I will be.