Celebrating our region’s producers – Eat Drink West

IF there’s one thing I don’t let anyone or anything do, it’s rain on our region’s parade.

So when the coronavirus pandemic hit, I wasn’t simply going to sit there and watch as my friends in the hospitality industry suffered.

I would talk to so many people, producers, café owners, farmers, and it was just mortifying how significantly the health crisis had impacted their lives.

As director of the Plate Up Ballarat Festival, me and my team were all set to deliver another series of coveted culinary events for the 2020 calendar until things took a turn following COVID-19.

But cancelling Plate Up Ballarat was never on the cards, especially since promoting regional farmers, producers and chefs is one of my greatest passions.

We really didn’t want to diminish the Plate Up Ballarat brand and all it stands for. Instead, I decided to amend the festival structure, so it adhered to the current health and safety regulations but still celebrated our wonderful producers, chefs and restaurants.

We also didn’t want to deny food lovers the opportunity to experience our thriving food and wine scene. There is so much to discover in Ballarat and surrounds when it comes to our culinary offerings, so it was about being creative in order to do that.

Without being able to host physical events for this year’s festival, we started working with several like-minded individuals who were equally passionate about food and wine, initiating a number of projects that would still achieve the Plate Up Ballarat objectives.

Three such initiatives include the new Local Boxes that are full of fruit, vegetables and pantry staples from local producers; the Thank You Boxes – in partnership with Ballarat Health Services – and packed especially for health care workers and featuring artisanal goods from around Ballarat; as well as a directory listing those businesses throughout the city still offering delivery and takeaway services.

The initiatives are being presented through the online platform Eat Drink West, which connects consumers, farmers and producers in the western region.

Our region is home to some of the highest quality produce in the world, with ingredients that are lovingly cultivated, grown, reared and handcrafted to promote healthy and delicious dishes.

Pandemic or no pandemic, we must strengthen and support our paddock-to-plate industry and allow others to also partake of its wonders!