Some events are already sold out and others have just a handful of tickets left as the popularity continues for Australia’s biggest truffle festival, the Winning Appliances & Asko Truffle Kerfuffle from 21 to 23 June at Fonty’s Pool, Manjimup, Western Australia.
By popular demand, new truffle-themed events have been added to the program including Poh’s Lunch Amongst the Karris, truffle cooking demonstration with Nicole Bampton from Sydney’s Capriccio Osteria, more truffle hunts at more truffle farms as well as new evening events.
One of Australia’s favourite television cooks, Poh, will present a delicious three-course lunch with matched wines at RAC Karri Valley Resort, in a lakeside setting surrounded by giant tall-timber Karri trees on Saturday 22 June.
Poh, a self-confessed avid baker, cookbook author, novice gardener and esteemed visual artist said that she can’t wait to be in Manjimup to cook with freshly harvested truffles.
“Truffles are elusive things to cook with – the intense, earthy aroma requires gentle, indirect heat or the flavour dissipates. There’s also so much intrigue and patience surrounding the way they are grown which make them all the more magical. I find it difficult to describe, but once they’ve touched your lips, the flavour haunts you forever,” Poh says.
“I participate in a lot of events for work, but Truffle Kerfuffle is different. Perhaps it’s the vibe I got from the festival profile, which looks so intimate and relaxed, plus I LOVE cold weather. So, the idea of spending a weekend in this gorgeous winter wonderland with loved ones and a bunch of likeminded foodies, all the while eating delicious truffle inspired dishes, need I say more?”
West Australian Nicole Bampton, head chef at Capriccio Osteria in Leichhardt, Sydney’s ‘Little Italy’, will be at the Australian Truffle Traders stall in the Marketplace cooking wholesome winter dishes with lots of freshly unearthed truffle.
Early in Bampton’s career, she honed her skills under the tutelage of Neal Jackson in Perth. From there, her vision and ambition led her to Sydney to some of Australia’s most awarded fine dining restaurants including roles as Chef De Partie at Tetsuya and Sepia. Tetsuya himself relied on his young talented protégée for special presentations and training. At 25, Nicole became head chef at Lucio’s in Paddington and during her tenure it was awarded two Chefs Hats, an outstanding achievement that very few female chefs in Australia had made.
Bampton has been using Manjimup Truffles since 2006 despite never visiting the region. She is excited to be involved in Truffle Kerfuffle.
“Event goers can expect lots of cheese and truffles, they’re a match made in heaven. I’m planning to cook mac, truffle and cheese croquettes and mushroom and truffle arancini balls at the Australian Truffle Traders stand in the Marketplace,” Bampton says.
She will also do a cooking demonstration on the Winning Appliances & Asko Festival Stage. Also conducting a cooking demonstration is Sue Lewis who is pairing truffles with chocolate and Paul Mounsey, Asko’s head chef, who will be teaching great techniques that you can use at home.
The Winning Appliances & Asko Festival Stage features non-stop demonstrations on both Saturday and Sunday and is free inside the Festival Village.
Also free inside the Festival Village are truffle dog demonstrations, kids cooking classes with Sophie Budd, cooking demos, games of tombola and bocce, tastings in the Marketplace, fresh Southern Forests produce to try, buy and take home, two bars and live music all day.
There are more truffle hunts at truffiéres now available for a rare truffle experience walking through orchards with clever canines and your chance to unearth fresh black Manjimup truffles at Silverwood Truffles, Timeless Hill and Millgrove Truffles. There are still some places available at select Australian Truffle Traders hunts with eight hunts already completely sold out. All truffle hunts include return bus transfers from the Festival Village.
There are two new events to tantalise the truffle-lovers taste buds. Rare Earth cocktail evening at Tall Timbers in Manjimup town on Friday 21 June, and a Seasonal Truffle Dinner with Sophie Zalokar at nearby Foragers on Saturday 22 June.
The stellar line up of culinary talent heading to the Southern Forests region includes Pete Evans, Poh, Anna Gare, Nicole Bampton, Sue Lewis, Sophie Zalokar, Nic Wood, Melissa Palinkas, Aaron Carr, Russell Blaikie, Tony Howell, Paul Iskov, Scott Brannigan, Chris Eales, Amy Hamilton, Sophie Budd along with chefs from revered eateries Mary Street Bakery and Tiny’s.
It isn’t just truffles and exceptional fruit and vegetables that hail from the Southern Forests, there’s fantastic wine too. Leading wine expert Paul Edwards from Full Bottle Wine Education and Events is curating the Truffle Kerfuffle wine program and running the Wine Shed Sessions presented by Winning Appliances & Vintec. There are eight sessions with themed tastings that will explore the best regional wine including texture, science, art and terroir in an informal long table format.
Held in the most prolific truffle growing region in the Southern Hemisphere, the festival is a true celebration of Manjimup’s prized black truffles, sought-after by chefs across the globe for their consistent high quality, impossible-to-describe taste and heady, earthy aroma.
The Truffle Kerfuffle Inc, the not for profit association that set up Truffle Kerfuffle nine years ago, is locally run and supported by experienced event management company, Mellen Events.
The State Government is a proud supporter of the Truffle Kerfuffle through Tourism WA’s Regional Events Program.
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