moree on a plate

by Georgina Poole, new south wales based media stringer

We’ve been on a social starvation diet for far too long, and the 2021 Moree on a Plate Food and Wine Festival has grand plans to help break the fast.  A feast of entertainment, activity and of course fresh local produce and menus will satisfy those cultural and foodie cravings so lacking throughout 2020. The Moree on a Plate committee is currently planning its 2021 festival, to be held at The Moree Secondary College, Saturday, May 8, 2021, in line with COVID restrictions.

Moree on a Plate President, Chloe Hayes said the festival had remained defiant in the face of both drought, and a global pandemic. 

“While we had no option but to cancel last year’s festival, our 2021 festival is already shaping up to include a stellar line up of local talent, and is the perfect vehicle to promote the very best of our community.

“Over the past 12 months Moree has enjoyed such a fabulous renaissance – the season has turned and we have so many new development and faces in town, but we’ve had very little opportunity to showcase our beautiful community spirit and its vibrancy.”

The festival will again look to capitalise on brilliance from within the community, with the event encapsulating a ‘look local’ theme to promote not only our home-grown produce, but also our home-grown talent.

In the wake of last year’s cancelled event, popular local caterers, Kate Goodhew and Toby Osmond of The Goods Catering, will finally have their opportunity to lead the festival’s cooking demonstrations as Moree’s very own version of celebrity chefs.

Toby enjoyed an extensive career in hospitality running the wildly popular Will and Toby’s in Darlinghurst, while Kate is a formally trained caterer who cut her teeth with Sydney food dynamo Simmone Logue.

Having both since relocated back to their hometown of Moree, the two formed a friendship thanks to their shared love of food, and more recently, a business collaboration.

Moree on a Plate President Chloe Hayes said the duo will be a fabulous asset to the festival, sharing recipes, tips and tricks during a number of live cooking demonstrations at the event.

“Moree is full of such a huge variety of clever chefs and home cooks, and we are thrilled to offer the opportunity for Toby and Kate to share their skills in our highly popular cooking demonstrations.

This year’s festival will be held, as always, on Mother’s Day weekend, will evolve with current restrictions, and at this stage can host up to 3,000 people, during a slightly shorter time period, from 10am to 3pm.

“The festival is still a moving feast, literally, but at this stage we are thrilled to be going ahead with plans to provide the wonderful producers from across NSW and Queensland the opportunity to once again do business, and give Moree a well-deserved day out the whole community can enjoy.”

  The highly entertaining Blokes on the Barbeque will be back in 2021, as will the ever-popular Kids Korner, a dedicated oval just for the little ones.  

  “Moree on a Plate is so many things to so many people – it’s a farmers’ market, it’s a family day out, it’s an opportunity to enjoy a relaxing lunch in the Autumn sunshine and it’s a wonderful way to promote not only our marvellous producers but our lovely town of Moree.”

 For more information and to keep up to date with Moree on a Plate announcements, see Facebook or Instagram #moap2400 or online.