Hostec staff Remi Descamps & Sam Cordoba attened the spectacular opening night of Taste of Sydney. Food aficionados sampled the amazing fare from some of Sydney’s top restaurants as well as some of the country’s best food and drink producers.

Sam Cordoba at Taste

The Opera Bar Bandstand provided a lively musical backdrop while visitors had the rare opportunity to sit at The Australian Gourmet Traveller Chefs Table and chat to Matt Moran, Guillaume Brahimi and Justin North. It was standing room only in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Taste Kitchen as visitors watched the entertaining and talented trio of Matt Kemp, Warren Turnbull & Colin Fassnidge open the night. Alex Herbert and George Francisco also displayed their culinary prowess in the packed out feature.

Visitors in the Gourmet Traveller wine theatre tasted some of the finest wine and champagne in the country with tasting sessions lead by wine writer Nick Stock. All of was this set against an outstanding Producers Market with over 80 fine food and drink exhibitors with fare to sample and take home to create a gourmet masterpiece!

Remi & Sam had a great night and recommend you check out Taste this weekend! Tickets are still available for Friday, Saturday & Sunday. Click here to book. Tickets are also available on the door.

Taste of Sydney, the foodie event of the summer, is returning to Sydney this March 11-14, 2010 even bigger and better than last year. Sydney’s top chefs, the finest artisan producers and discerning gourmands will be mingling in the beautiful surrounds of Centennial Parklands.

The hardest decisions at Taste of Sydney will be what to eat and where to head! Where else can you sample an entrée from Marque, a main from Aria and a dessert from Bécasse? At Taste of Sydney, discover a tasting menu of 50 dishes from the city’s finest restaurants. Over 4 days, Centennial Parklands is transformed into a culinary haven where visitors will have the opportunity to dream up their ultimate degustation menu while discovering fine wines and specialty food and drink at the Taste Producers Market.

Taste Kitchen

Watch the professionals in action. Sydney’s award-winning chefs will conduct cooking demonstrations, sharing the secrets of their favourite dishes and offering tips and advice for those who are serious about food.

Want to know the tricks of the trade from the experts? This is where to do it.

Purveyors will also be on hand to unveil the latest food trends and talk about where to source the best produce. 

Taste Sydney 2009

Join one of the many featured chefs for a chat over a glass of wine and canapes. Find out how Mark Best of Marque Restaurant began his career and quiz Giovanni Pilu of Pilu at Freshwater on where he finds the best seafood. Perhaps Miguel Maestre of El Toro Loco will reveal the secret to a good sangria.

Taste Wine

Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced wine connoisseur, polish your palate with the wine experts, wine producers and sommeliers at this showcase of the best red, white, sparkling and dessert wines.

Sessions include a Chandon sparkling masterclass, pinot at 10 paces and sommelier showdown.

Producers’ Market

More than 100 food and drink stalls will be dotted around the park showcasing wine, beer, meats and many other speciality foods. Suppliers include McGuigan Wines, Pukara Estate Olive Oil, Movenpick of Switzerland, Bultarra Saltbush Lamb, Yarra Valley Dairy and Sparkle Cupcakery.

World-class cuisine

Mini kitchens from 16 restaurants will serve miniature versions of their award-winning dishes, some traditional favourites and enticing new offerings.

Celebrity chefs

Many chefs wear more than one hat these days, spreading their talents to television shows and writing books. Among the famous faces will be Aria’s Matt Moran and Guillaume Brahimi, who heads up Guillaume at Bennelong.

Adam Melonas

Adam Melonas is an Australian chef of Greek heritage. Currently Head Creative Chef at the 2 Michelin Star La Terraza Del Casino, Adam held his first Head Chef position at London fine dining restaurant “Otto’s” at the age of 19. Adam has also held various positions at Sunbar Restaurant and Lounge (Brisbane, Australia), Shangri-La Hotel Dubai (UAE), Shangri-La Hotel Pudong (China) and the Burj al Arab in Dubai (UAE).

Melonas is the lone Australian representative in a team working in an experimental food lab, charged with sourcing new products and techniques from around the world as well as cooking as part of El Bulli catering. Melonas works under Paco Roncero, currently considered one of Spain’s top chefs and admits that it is his “dream job”. Developing and exchanging ideas is very important to him and so he spends 2 weeks a season at the world famous El Bulli to exchange new ideas and techniques.

Having lived, worked and travelled extensively to 5 of the world’s 6 habitable continents, this exposure has given Adam a depth of knowledge in terms of both ingredients and cooking styles that is unmatched for a person his age. He writes his own blog, using it to share all of his latest creations, discoveries and innovations as they happen.

“I like to think of food as you do people, you must treat them all differently as every person has different needs. You cannot cook or prepare products all the same just because they are food.” – Adam Melonas

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There are just some experiences in life that you just want to re-live and a day at The Agrarian Kitchen, for anyone remotely interested in food, has got to be one of them.  Situated in the Derwent Valley just a forty minute drive from Hobart, in what can only be described as one of the most picturesque pockets of Tasmania,  Rodney Dunn (former Food Editor of Gourmet Traveller) and his lovely wife Severine have created a sustainable farm-based cooking school.

Set on five acres of land and situated in a 19^th century schoolhouse, The Agrarian Kitchen incorporates an extensive vegetable garden, orchard, berry patch and herb garden, grown using organic principles. Also in residence are Wessex saddleback pigs, Barnevelder chickens and a flock of geese.  It was here on a lazy Sunday in November that we arrived to experience “The Agrarian Experience” one of the full day cooking classes on offer centred around a menu inspired to reflect the season.  

Our day begins with a wonderful introduction to the kitchen framed by lovely white picture windows glimpsing out to the garden beyond.  A basket in hand, we head out to feed the chickens, pigs and pick our veggies in anticipation for the six course meal which lies in wait.  Armed with freshly picked artichokes, broadbeans, elderflower and the list goes on…… we set up our cooking stations and don our aprons.

Under the truly fantastic guidance of Rodney, who talks us expertly through each and every dish, he allows us to take the reins equalling a truly hands on experience! One of the great things to take away from the day is the opportunity to learn from Rodney who is so passionate about food and the industry and this advice and experience is sure to inspire you to whip up a duck egg crème caramel or a handmade tortellini with only the very lightest of sighs!   

Of course after a day in the kitchen there is no more fitting a reward than to sit down and savour the moment.  Rodney and Severine who are committed to supporting local producers, pair the courses with fantastic Tasmanian wine and ales.  

Did I mention you get to take your apron home to?  

Georgie Wilson

For further information please contact:-

Rodney or Severine
The Agrarian Kitchen Pty Ltd
650 Lachlan Road
Lachlan, Tasmania, 7140
Australia
e: info@theagrariankitchen.com
t: +61 (03) 6261 1099
www.theagrariankitchen.com

Kerry Healy

A big congratulations to Kerry Healy our new Executive Recruitment Manager for the Talent Solutions business.

Kerry has been apart of the Hostec network for over 7 years, back then we placed Kerry into Accor’s head office as a Key Account Manager.  Kerry successfully worked her way through the ranks over to London and Dubai.  Her background was previously included business development manager roles with Grand Hyatt Melbourne and Ritz Carlton Sydney.

Kerry started with Hostec a few years later in Dubai as our Middle East Marketing representative, after 9 months of representing Hostec successfully in the Middle East Kerry re-entered the Hotel industry.

January this year Kerry returned to Sydney from Dubai and joined the team as an executive consultant. As the markets are growing in confidence Kerry is tasked with growing the team.

Congratulations Kerry!