The Adelaide Food Fringe and Pirate Life Brewing have created the world’s first International Pub Week, aimed at celebrating and supporting your local.

Adelaide Food Fringe director Vic Pisani says International Pub Week was developed in partnership with Pirate Life Brewing as a special program stream within the 10-day festival proper.

The week-long pub celebration runs from this Sunday, 9 May until Sunday, 16 May and includes more than 30 different pub events in the Adelaide Food Fringe 150-event program happening right across SA.

“As festival we were a victim of COVID last year, but the whole hospitality and pub industry in particular were even more heavily hit and continue to be impacted,’ Vic says.

“We thought rather than create a whole new festival celebrating the cultural and economic impact of pubs in SA, we’d make it part of our program and shine a positive spotlight on events in hotels at all levels.

“They’re all in our [International Pub Week] program, from simple schnitty nights and gastronomic degustations to really creative food and drink events and everything in between.

“As a festival we exist to celebrate and support food and beverage businesses and communities, and pubs are a big part of that, so we’re thrilled to see great locals like the Gilbert St hotel, the Watervale Hotel, Walkers Arms, the Stag Hotel, the Arkaba, the Mosley, the Hilton, and so many more register events for the world’s first International Pub Week program.”

In addition to delivering a week’s worth of events at their Port Adelaide Brewery as a Food Fringe hub, Pirate Life Brewing are a key part of International Pub Week, taking a much loved initiative out of the brewery and into pubs.

“We will be taking our Brewers Shout program to a different pub every day for seven days,” Pirate Life founder Michael Cameron says.

The Brewers Shout events not only promote local pubs, but also showcase the makers behind the beer to create an immersive experience.

“Not everyone gets a chance to go and experience an actual brewery and meet the maker behind the beers, so it’s a great opportunity,” Michael says.

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As for the wider Adelaide Food Fringe program, Vic is most excited about the diversity and inclusiveness of the festival, saying the program ranges from intimate events, workshops, dinners, breakfasts, tours and talks to family-friendly and free community events.

“The festival is a open platform for all food and beverage business or community to share their food and culture,” Vic says.

“We don’t curate our festival. The food and beverage businesses that create and register events in our program are the curators of this festival.

“It’s such a diverse program that if you can’t find something you’re interested in, you’re probably not interested in food, eating or drinking.

“The whole idea about food culture is that it’s not prescribed by anybody – it’s as valid in your local pub, café or community as it is in major foodie venues.”

The Adelaide Food Fringe is also raising money for Foodbank to help fight food insecurity.

“Foodbank has never been more in demand than in the last 12 months. We’ve set ourselves a target in the festival to channel part of the income that we raise to them,” Vic says.

“People can know when they’re at a pub, food or drink event that they’re also helping Foodbank in the process.

“Some of the pubs and venues also have their own Foodbank fundraisers so keep an eye out for that and donate if you can.”

The Brewers Shout events will be hosted at the Victory Hotel, the Gilbert Street Hotel, the Exchange Gawler, Cry Baby, the Hilton Hotel, Crown and Anchor, Mt Compass Hotel, The District at SkyCity and Pirate Life in Port Adelaide.

Browse the full Adelaide Food Fringe program at the website.

This article was produced in collaboration with Adelaide Food Fringe.