Foodies in South East Queensland will soon have their best chance to savour the offerings of one of the state’s unsung produce hubs, the Somerset region, at an unprecedented culinary event held at Esk on April 22 – the Somerset Flavours Banquet.
Event organiser, Duncan Brown said patrons will experience the extraordinary richness and diversity of the region’s produce at a Banquet featuring a five-course degustation menu with paired wines and beers, prepared by three iconic Brisbane chefs.
The inaugural Somerset Flavours Banquet, booked for 6pm on April 22 at the Esk Civic Centre, will feature five courses of local produce prepared by legends of the Brisbane dining scene, Javier Codina of Moda Tapas Brasa Bar, David Pugh, formerly of Restaurant II but now with the Brisbane Convention Centre, and Jason Peppler, formerly with Isis and then Victoria Park and now a pioneering agritourism chef with Brisbane Valley Farm Direct.
The banquet will showcase local produce champions, Kilcoy Food Group’s beef, Jacwitz Farms vegies, Witz’s honey, local Dorper lamb, the world-renowned Brisbane Valley Quail and Cumquats Australia. Situated an hour west of Brisbane, the Somerset region is possibly best known for the generations of holiday makers coming to enjoy the calm waters of Somerset and Wivenhoe dams, and for sleepy but much-loved country towns such as Esk, hiding an iconic bakery or two.
Not only will patrons have an unforgettable dining experience, but they will also gain a rare and intimate glimpse into the lives of producers who have toiled through drought, flood and pandemics to put produce on the world’s dining tables week in, week out. A percentage of the banquet’s proceeds will go towards local charities, such as schools breakfast clubs that give young people in the area a nourishing start to their day. Book the Somerset Flavours Banquet for $250 a ticket with discounts for table bookings of 10.
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