Tasting Australia will return in 2021, with the festival showcasing the best in South Australian food, drink and produce from 30 April through to 9 May.

After postponing and then cancelling its 2020 event due to the coronavirus pandemic, Tasting Australia has this week announced dates for 2021, with the food festival set to occur from 30 April to 9 May.

At a launch event on Tuesday, Festival Director Simon Bryant announced, “Tasting Australia is back and better than ever in 2021!”

“With a focus on brilliant homegrown talent from Australia curated by our Food Curator Darren Robertson, we have created a program that truly celebrates everything we do so well in South Australia,” Simon says.

“I think that more than ever before, the 2021 program has an event for everyone – from free events to family programming to events for craft beer enthusiasts, we have it all.

“We’ve also brought back Tasting Australia Airlines to two of South Australia’s most celebrated regions, Coffin Bay and Kangaroo Island, in fact we’ve got two planes going to Kangaroo Island this year!

“The TAA’s feature some of our festival icons including Maggie Beer, Emma McCaskill and Duncan Welgemoed.”

Tickets to the 2021 edition of Tasting Australia went on sale this morning, Wednesday, 9 December.

Among the Tasting Australia events already announced are the Autumn Harvest Feast at Coriole Vineyards; Farm Gate Lunch at Yalumba; a Cinco de Mayo fiesta at Pirate Life Brewing; and the Flame Trees Feast, during which diners will be given insight into bio charring on S.C. Pannell’s Koomilya vineyard while being treated to food prepared by chefs Lennox Hastie (Firedoor, Sydney), Luke Burgess and Karena Armstrong (Salopian Inn).

Already penned into CityMag‘s calendar is The Festival of Sausage in Bread, happening at the University of Adelaide’s Cloisters, which will explore the international appeal of the foodstuff, from Argentina’s choripan to Thailand’s sai ua.

On the drinks front, Drinks Curator Nick Stock is excited to “take our beverage events to the next level,” he says.

“We have teamed up with iconic venues across the CBD for the brand-new Tasting Table series.

“Whether you want to taste traditional sake in Leigh Street’s Shōbōsho, sip Krug at the Exeter front bar, or taste the very best of New Zealand’s Pinot Noir at Mother Vine, you’ll find it at The Tasting Table.”

Browse all the announced Tasting Australia events here.

Tasting Australia’s Tarntanyangga Victoria Square activation, called Town Square, will be given a new look in 2021, courtesy of design firm Frame. Programming and vendors for the space will not be announced until January 2021.

Premier Steven Marshall was thoroughly excited by news of Tasting Australia’s return, saying at the launch event the festival is “the perfect opportunity to truly showcase what South Australia does best – our produce and our talented chefs, winemakers and distillers all coming together to put on 10 days of amazing programming.”

Regional travel in Australia is seeing a boom due to the many closed international borders, and the Tasting Australia’s presenting partner, RAA, hopes to facilitate further interest and connection with South Australia’s regions through the festival’s programming.

“We are excited to be supporting the festival and encourage people to explore the regions and extend their stays to really discover more of what this great state has to offer,” says RAA Travel’s general manager of travel and distribution, Gina Norman.

Tasting Australia 2021 will run for 10 days, from Friday, 30 April ‘til Sunday, 9 May.

Browse the upcoming events via the website, and keep an eye out for future announcements via Facebook and Instagram.