A Taste Of The Gascoyne 2007

Taste of the Gascoyne 2007 to build on stunning success of last year's inaugural event.
Imagine leaving Perth and driving 904 kilometres into Western Australia's often arid and desolate north, seeing nothing but the sparse vegetation and red dirt of station country, and then suddenly coming upon a literal oasis in the desert - a friendly coastal town draped in bright bougainvilleas and home to an incredible variety of the freshest and highest quality produce to be found anywhere in the world.

That oasis is Carnarvon, and on 30th June the town known as "the home of the winter sun" will host the 2007 Taste of the Gascoyne dinner, a black tie charity event for 150 guests featuring several outstanding courses showcasing the fantastic range of produce available in the Gascoyne region.

The resoundingly successful inaugural Taste of the Gascoyne dinner was held in July 2006, the result of an initial idea to promote local produce from Carnarvon's Abacus Crab owner Peter Jecks and many months of work by a volunteer committee led by the Shire of Carnarvon.

Renowned WA chefs Don Hancey and Peter Manifis donated many hours of their time and considerable expertise to ensure the success of the venture, which raised $5,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. This year funds will be raised for the Gascoyne Community Foundation (GCF) which is a local not-for-profit trust set up to assist the Region's communities build and attract funds for the future. The GCF aims to support people, projects and activities that demonstrate a contribution to the enhancement, well-being and future sustainability of the Gascoyne Region and has been established under the umbrella of Western Australian Community Foundation (WACF). WACF is an organisation based on the successful community foundation model used in other parts of Australia and the world.

Both Mr Hancey and Mr Manifis are looking forward to their return trip to staff the kitchen again in June - to be ably assisted by hospitality students from Carnarvon Senior High School's catering department, 'The Walnut Tree' - and believe the dinner has the ability to grow year by year to become an iconic event for the region.

"The 2006 Taste of the Gascoyne was an amazing event that showcased some of the many assets that the region is blessed with," Mr Hancey said.

"These kinds of events not only attract some of the passionate food growers and producers from the region, but also help strengthen community ties. Particularly, the involvement of the youth of the town is crucial for this event to grow in stature and credibility."

Carnarvon Shire President Dudley Maslen said another exciting addition this year is the decision by the 'Lexus Young chef of the Year awards' to include Carnarvon as part of their tour the week prior to the Taste of the Gascoyne event, to further showcase our region.

"This event aims to position the Gascoyne as a quality supplier of clean and tasty seafood, organic meat, fresh fruit and vegetables all within a unique and interesting environment where the outback meets the Indian Ocean.", Mr Maslen said.

Tickets for the 2007 Taste of the Gascoyne dinner are on sale from May 2nd 2007.
For more information on the event please contact the Shire of Carnarvon community engagement officer Olivia Devine on 9941 0031 or email odevine@carnarvon.wa.gov.au.