The Australia Times

2017 DONUT & BEER FEST: WINTER EDITION – THIS WEEKEND!

12 September 202215 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Batman Royale, North Coburg

Melbourne – 19th & 20th August

Australia’s first donut & beer festival is back: bigger, badder & hol(e)ier than ever!

Due to popular demand, Donut Fest returns to Melbourne this August with a brand new Winter Edition.

Inspired by the donut festivals of America, our Donut Fest has a local twist. How to make something more Australian? Just add beer! Aside from an official bar hosted by Manchuria, the festival welcomes a range of craft brewers to their local line-up of local and independent donut vendors. There will even be a doughnut-friendly beer made from sessional ale with a touch of caramel malt developed exclusively for the festival by Kooinda Brewery!

DONUT FEST: WINTER EDITION 2017 Line-up

Sweet Vendors: Doughnut Time / Lukumades / Nuts About Tella (Nutella donut burgers)

The Hungary Boy / Honey Dee / Ostrich and the Egg / Dip’d (mini donuts)

Ahhh, Donuts! / Dandee Donuts / (hot jam donuts)

Uncle Donut / Jamm’d / St Gerry’s / Goldelucks (gold croissant donuts/“dossants”)

Krumbs (glow in the dark donuts)

Penny for Pound / Jamm’d / Señor Churro / Simply Gluten Free and more…

Savoury Vendors: Giant Springs (spring rolls) / El Jefe (South American) / Hangi Boys (traditional New Zealand cuisine) / Gnocchi Bar (glutenfree vegan gnocchi donuts) / The Real Jerk (Carribean) / Twisted Mac (mac ’n’ cheese) and more…

Beverage Vendors: Kooinda Brewery / Square Keg / Gageroads / Stomping Ground / Odyssey Craft Brewing (beer)

Those Girls (hot apple cider) / Wimmera Hills (mulled wine) / Welshman’s Reef (wine) / Manchuria (beer, wine, spirits, cocktails)

Koffee Kartel (coffee) and more…

Yet Donut Fest is not just another food market; they take the festival part of the name to their fried food-laden hearts by showcasing varied entertainment all weekend long.

THIS HOLEY EPIRENCE INCLUDES:

Live music
Donut eating competitions with prizes
Best Donut Award judged by a panel of experts
People’s Choice Best Donut Award
Miniature Donut Museum with a Donut Wall and art installations that take after L.A.’s wildly popular Museum of Ice-cream
Savoury Food Vendors experimenting with a homage to the donut shape
Beer and cocktails exclusively developed to complement donuts
Donut styles from around the world: Argentina, Greece, Hungary, South Africa, America, Denmark, Australia, and even Nutella donut burgers to Glow in the Dark donuts!

Donut Fest likes their donuts iced, but there’s no need for festival-goers to be. Winter warmers on-site include hot chocolate, mulled wine, plenty of outdoor heating and cheery festoon lighting. The huge new venue – the industrial warehouse of Batman Royale – means Donut Fest will be housed partially inside and undercover. Also kids under 12 can join in the fun with free entry.

Donut Fest: Winter Edition is on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August 2017 at Batman Royale, 14 Gaffney Street, North Coburg.

Two sessions each day – 11am to 3pm and 4pm to 8pm both days.

Early Bird Tickets (just $10) are on sale now, full price $15 (kids under 12 free).

Tickets include fast entry and a taster of the official festival beer.

BOOK TICKETS NOW: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/

**read below re: cashless payment system if buying tickets on the day

Information & Images Courtesy of Donut Fest/Inka Creative – Dee McNamara

facebook: facebook.com/donutfestau

instagram: @donutfestau

twitter: @donutfestau

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Enquiries: literallyconnie@gmail.com

Follow TAT Gourmet News on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Read on for info on the fest’s cashless payment system, chosen charity FairShare, founder Ngoc Le and more pics…

Smooth Festival of Chocolate in the Rocks

13 September 20229 August 2017 by Connie Lambeth

The Rocks Sydney – Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th August 2017

10am to 6pm daily

The sweet cravings of chocolate lovers everywhere will be thoroughly tested this weekend at Smooth Festival of Chocolate in the Rocks! Chocolate indulgences will include gelato, popsicles, doughnuts, brownies, cheesecake, double choc cookie ice cream sandwiches, tiramisu, doughnuts, profiteroles, chocolatey desserts, nutella and salted caramel temptations, plus more treats at every turn! Then there’s the double choc cookie ice cream sandwiches…and the must try ‘smooth Chocolate Ale’, a collaboration by Endeavour Beer and Sydney Chocolate, crafted exclusively for the fest.

Exhibitors:

This year’s line-up includes amazing offerings from Black Star Pastry, Gelato Messina, Serendipity Ice Cream, Jasper & Myrtle, The Profiterole Project, The Dessert House, Dessert Jars by Rocco, The Vogue Café, Piazza D’Oro.

For the full exhibitor list, regularly updated: https://www.smooth.com.au/events/smooth-festival-chocolate-exhibitors

Highlights at this year’s festival include:

The Lindt Lounge, Cooking Demonstrations, The Baci Chocolatier’s Quarters featuring: a Pop Up Baci Chocolate Shop and over 10 artisan chocolatiers, Mr Black Espresso Martini Bar, The smooth Star’s Stage, The smooth Relaxation Station, Zumbo Ski Lodge, The Cellarmasters Touring Cellar Door, the ”Bone Shaker” moving chocolate masterpiece, and The Sydney Props Specialist Jungle Laneway.

Information & Images Courtesy of: Smooth Festival of Chocolate in the Rocks

www.smooth.com.au/smooth/festival-of-chocolate/

**Read Natalie Salvo’s article – 2016 Fest:

https://theaustraliatimes.com/magazine/gourmet/issue/411/#40

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Email: literallyconnie@gmail.com

Follow us on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Read on for Additional Information & Pics…

Holy Duck!

13 September 202212 July 2017 by Connie Lambeth

Holy Duck!

by CHEFS GALLERY

Words by Daria Kill-Smith

Images Courtesy of Holy Duck!/Cardinal Spin & Daria Kill-Smith.

Les petits was the theme for the night, beginning in the little lanes of Chippendale – once a grungy centre of Sydney, now a trendy hub for inner city occupants, uni students, and hipsters too hip to eat at home. L’etiole accompanied me on this tasting and she was warned – leave your inner vegan at the door for there will be no room at the table for edible-consciousness – the bounty of the Holy Duck! promised meat, meat, and more meat, and it did not disappoint. Duck, steamed in a dumpling, roasted whole (sans bone if desired), or crisply filling a pancake, joined short-ribbed roast beef and stir fried wagyu, alongside double-cooked, roasted or barbecued pork – which included two types of crispy crackling for the true adventurers. For those preferring the white-meat option, there was the choice of whole spring or Sichuan-style chicken; crustacea in the form of spanner crab, steamed scallops or butterflied king prawns; and two types of fish – steamed orange roughy or fish of the day.

L’etoile and I decided to try our hands at as many taste dishes as we could and started with, what else, duck – encased in light and crispy spring rolls with the shining balance of mushroom and vegetable; that perfectly offset the special entree of the day, deep-fried spanner crab wontons with dipping sauce. We were mindful not to forget the lighter option of steamed scallops, although each of our dishes maintained the healthy food pyramid with the inclusion of micro-greens: alfalfa sprouts with sesame seeds, snow-pea shoots, and zucchini discs with smooth golden garlic and crunchy fried millet! We finished with crispy rice balls heaped with what else – duck – plus rocket, radish and red cabbage salad which was drenched in a sweet dressing; and fiery Sichuan Hot & Numbing Chicken – fat little pieces of wings with hidden heat bombs of Sichuan peppercorns and whole dried chilli. But L’etoile required a non-meat protein and we ordered a serving of Handmade Salt & Pepper Egg & Spinach Tofu – AMAZINGLY smooth and creamy and topped with coriander leaves and fresh chilli – and unanimously voted as the dish of the evening.

Sadly, we missed full platters of barbeque and roasted meats, and were loathe to order a dessert neither of us could finish, but the sight of those dishes being served to fellow diners didn’t need tasting to know the verdict would be none other than delicious. Les petits morsels and a reasonably priced menu – little wonder the Holy Duck! is a popular venue.

**Daria is a Sydney writer with a palate for tempting food and tasty events!

Holy Duck!

The Old Rum Store

2-10 Kensington St

Chippendale NSW 2008

holyduck.com.au

Instagram: @holyduck.au

Connie Lambeth – The Australia Times Gourmet News – Food/Wine/Hospitality/Events

Follow us on Instagram: @tatgourmetmag

Check out more tempting photos from Holy Duck!…

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