Good news cheese and fermentation fans, CheeseFest+Ferment is happening this November, at a new location and in a new, smaller format.

Adelaide’s cheese dreams are coming true, as CheeseFest+Ferment announces there can be such a thing as a food festival in 2020.

Woodside Cheese Wrights owner Kris Lloyd, who began CheeseFest in 2006 and combined it with Ferment in 2018, said this year’s edition of the festival will move to The Market Shed on Holland, and operate with smaller-scale concept, called Gather & Graze.

CheeseFest+Ferment’s Gather & Graze event will be held on Saturday, 7 November and Sunday, 8 November, and despite being smaller in size there will be a bunch of familiar activities on offer.

“Our smaller event will give food and wine producers, chefs and cheesemakers the opportunity to showcase their businesses and share their knowledge and expertise, as well as giving our festival patrons the chance to Gather & Graze in a safe environment,” Kris says.

The change of venue is a temporary fix to ensure the festival can comply with any COVID-19 restrictions, Kris says, but the Gather & Graze format will continue to feature live cooking demonstrations, chef stalls, niche bars and delectable produce.

“We want to celebrate the food and beverage industries, which are incredibly important to our state,” Kris says.

“It has been a turbulent time this year and we are all adjusting to our current circumstances.”

Producers signed on for the event include Udder Delights, Second Valley Dairy, Woodside Cheese Wrights, Brewed by Belinda, Red Cacao, Kangaroo Island Spirits, Coriole Vineyards, Scull Kombucha and My Grandma Ben. More will be announced in the coming weeks.

Renowned Australian producers and chefs such as Emma McCaskill, Karena Armstrong, Rose Adam and Paul Baker will all be featured in live cooking demonstrations.

This year’s event will bring speciality and difference to Australia’s favourite cheese festival, with the support of local industries and businesses being more important than ever.

“We are encouraging everyone to get in early for tickets which will only available online, and there will be sessions with limited numbers until sold out so we can all be COVID safe for tracing and cleaning between sessions,” Kris says.

“We can’t wait to release more details about this mouth-watering festival in the coming weeks!”

Kris Lloyd. This picture: Meaghan Coles

CheeseFest+Ferment will happen in four sessions across the two days, with a lunch and evening session scheduled for each day.

Tickets go on sale Friday, 2 October and can be purchased via the CheeseFest website.