Gourmet mini burgers, Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay
This year, the Sydney Food & Wine Fair celebrates 21 years of charity and giving. Every year, some of Sydney’s great restaurants, cafes, bars, wineries and merchants turn out to support and raise funds for the AIDS Trust of Australia.
Held at Sydney’s Hyde Park North, this annual event is Sydney’s largest and longest running single day food and wine event.
In its history, it has attracted some 1680 stallholders, supported by 2,100 volunteers, 600 entertainers and 50 sponsors and served approximately 600,000 portions of food and drinks to more than 500,000 patrons to help raise some $2 million for AIDS Trust of Australia.
AIDS Trust of Australia sell coupons to patrons who then exchange these coupons for food and beverages contributed by stallholders.
Sydney Food & Wine Fair, 29 October 2011, Midday to 5pm
Sponsors contribute in kind or in cash to assist with the cost of infrastructure. Entertainers and stallhoder staff contribute their time and talents to serve patrons who come to enjoy the food, wine and entertainment in an outdoor setting in Hyde Park.
Some of the notable stallholders include restaurants such as Boathouse at Blackwattle Bay, Restaurant Atelier in Glebe, Thai restaurant Longrain and Jimmy Liks.
Hyde Park entrance to food stalls
It isn’t the best of sunny days that Sydney has to offer but it is fairly crowded with people jostling to see the offering of each food stall.
Mascot for Cracka wines
Sandwiches and tartlets, Grand Pacific Group
Grand Pacific Group is the owner of The Tea Room among many other hospitality businesses. Some gourmet sandwiches and beautiful tartlets are on offer at the stall.
"Isn't she lovely?" Lauren from Grand Pacific Group
Stall offering of Restaurant Atelier
Many of Sydney’s top restaurants are dishing out delicious looking food and Restaurant Atelier is no exception. Pork belly is something Sydneysiders have become so familiar and fond of, it is no wonder the queues are long whenever we sense pork belly on offer.
Poached chicken and crab salad, Jimmy Liks
Stall offerings, Jimmy Liks
Chowing down on good food
We wandered around and at every corner in Hyde Park, there is people buying food, ferrying food to a place they have located or eating food they have bought.
This is definitely a big food day in the outdoors and wineries are not short on offer as well. There is quite a few Australian and New Zealand wines which are proving to be favourites among the crowd.
Giesen Wines from the Marlbourough region of New Zealand
Selection of Giesen Wines from New Zealand
New Zealand is well-known for producing some of the finest sauvignon blanc and pinot noir wines in the region.
We are really spoilt for choice and to think these two styles of wine have become so popular in our dining scene because it is so flexible to be paired with a variety of food and cuisines.
Sydney Food & Wine Fair, 29 October 2011
I love the carefree and lazy atmosphere of the weekend and although we felt a few droplets of rain and threatening weather, it did not deter people from having fun and enjoying themselves.
Photo with a drag queen
One of the more popular foodstalls is Pepperjack, a Barossa valley winery that is offering a barbeque mixed grill.
Stall offering of Pepperjack Barossa
We could trace the delicious aromas of barbeque lamb cutlets and beef ribs from a mile away and many seem to be making a bee-line to the stall.
Lamb cutlet and BBQ beef rib
Gourmet mini burgers, Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay
Another popular foodstall is the Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay which is dishing out gourmet mini burgers. It is a novel and relatively easier way to eat burger while standing or on the move.
Slow cooked pork belly
Have anyone ever seen such a huge pot of delicious decadence? I am very tempted to try this slow cooked pork belly because the aromas from its slow braised is so alluring.
The pork belly is so soft it would just melt in your mouth!
Nasi Tjampoer, 1945
Macaron from Guillaume at Bennelong
eatfitfood.com.au
Children enthralled by giant bubble maker
A bunch of children (including adults) are totally taken in by a skillful bubble maker who is making huge soap bubbles that gently float in the air sometime before they eventually pop.
Don't forget your free weekend copy of the Sydney Morning Herald
We are certainly having a great time at the fair and each year seems to outdo the previous with more food offerings and larger crowds attending.
If only the weather was a little better, there would have been a whole lot more people out and about and enjoying a picnic on the grass.
Hyde Park and St Mary's Cathedral
So dear readers, have you been to the Sydney Food & Wine Fair this year and if so, which was your favourite stall?
Wow what a great event, I wish I was there this was way much bigger than our Taste of New Zealand
Great photos. The beef rib looks awesome and hello giant pan of pork belly!
How I wish I had such a wine and food fair here at least every 5 years… (I’m not greedy). Everything looks delicious and so unlike the typical fair food I see here (the worst are Christmas markets, full of awful, fast food versions of the heaviest and most basic Winter dishes…). I think I will devour your photos once more and keep on dreaming.
Hi Sissi,
I would have imagined the food fairs in Europe would be pretty spectacular given the number of different countries and cultures – wine, cheese, meats, sausages and fruits just to name a few?
As for winter food, as long as there is a good Zuricher Geschnetzeltes, I would be smiling!
Maybe in other European countries… Unfortunately Swiss traditional food is not the most sophisticated or diverse and they insist on serving the traditional dishes (although a good fondue or rösti from time to time is great of course). In France food festivals must be fantastic though!
Fondue is one of my faves although it’s the beef cubes being simmered in oil rather than the cheese fondue that I like and I have a real weakness for rosti too!
Darren at Atelier does amazing things with pork-I remember going there for a pork dinner and just loving it! What a fun event!
What a fun and delicious event! I want to try the pork belly dish please… You take great photos of the event and I feel like I was there with you, but minus eating good food….
Does wishing I was there count? I just love pork belly, but that crab salad looks great too, yumm…
Hi InTolerant Chef,
I don’t think it’s too far for you to travel to Sydney. Most of the food looked good that day.
Looks like you had a fabulous time!
What wonderful photos you take! It’s always nice to see Sydney through someone else’s lens – it gives me a new perspective on familiar settings…
Lots of lovely food to choose from there… but how to choose?!
Hi cityhippyfarmgirl,
Just close your eyes and follow the best aromas
It looks like such a good time! You took a lot of photos and captured the festival perfectly! Thanks so much!
What a fantastic idea for an event! Everything looks so good -I hope you got heaps of coupons!
I want it all!! …. and a photo with a drag queen 😛
I can only DREAM of attending the Sydney Food & Wine Fair. No fair!! Sydney is soooo far away from me! My favorite photo is of that tiered sandwich and tartlet high tea thingy…oh so elegant!
The long central walkway of Hyde Park is perfect for food stalls! Sydney’s Food and Wine Fair has such a good cause behind it, and the array of food is awesome! I wish that Hong Kong’s Wine and Dine Festival had a similar cause behind it, and not just something for winos and foodies to indulge in..
Looks like a great event, such a wide variation in food. The Nasi Tjampoer looked very tempting. GG
Sooo gutted I missed it this year
Amazing adventure. We just went to Epcot’s Food & Wine Festival!
I’d love to believe, that mini gourmet burgers has my name all over it 😀