Vikings, lamb and fine wine feature at Clare Valley food festival
The Mintaro Progress Association’s Festival of the Lamb is returning to the Clare Valley next month.
Festival of the Lamb’s Long Lamb Lunch at Paulett Wines on Friday, 23 Sept 2022.
Festival coordinator Simon Millcock said the annual spring equinox festival combines the first buds on the vines with new-season lamb.
The festival, which will feature two international chefs and new venues in its third year, will be held across various locations from 21-26 September, including the Magpie and Stump Hotel, Watervale Hotel, Paullett Wines and Knappstein Enterprise Winery.
Icelandic chef, Snorri Sigfússon will make his first trip to Australia. He will join local chef Luke Smith to cook homegrown lamb whilst sharing his vast knowledge of sheep in Iceland dating back to the Vikings.
Chef Chris Holen, an instigator of the Festival of the Lamb will return from Oregon in the United States.
Both international chefs will make appearances at Reillys in Mintaro and the Watervale Hotel.
“The concept is to have the venues holding intimate dining experiences so the chefs, producers and diners can all engage with each other,” Millcock said.
He said the festival focuses on the ethical approach to lamb preparation where chefs prepare an entire lamb in consultation with the farmer who provided it and a butcher.
“The collaborations between the chefs where they learn from each other and meet with producers to help tell the story of the food on their plate is always great,” Millcock said.
The lamb dishes will be complemented with some of the Clare Valley’s finest wines, with Pikes Beer Company joining this year.
The food festival caters to locals and tourists, providing mid-week events which encourage a focus on local produce whilst supporting a collaborative approach between hotels and restaurants in the region.
“What I am most looking forward to is the communities interacting with each other and showcasing the great produce from the region,” Millcock said.
“This will include having a Ngadjuri elder and foodie back on country visiting with local farmers who are learning about caring for country.”
The festival first launched in 2020 and was one of the first food festivals in the country to take place after COVID lockdowns.
Millcock said that guests can expect both a culinary and informative evening when the festival kicks off with a launch and two-course dinner at Reillys Cellar Door Restaurant on Wednesday, 21 September.
Tickets for the event are available via Eventbrite.
