APPLICATIONS are now open for our region's farmers, producers and providores to showcase their local products at one of the North Coast's largest food festivals, Tastings on Hastings, in Port Macquarie on Sunday, October 26.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The event, which last year attracted more than 15,000 visitors and over 100 stallholders, celebrates the farmers, fresh produce, gourmet produce, wineries, breweries, chefs, restaurants and cafes of the region.
Port Macquarie-Hastings Council Mayor Peter Besseling said the council had been proudly presenting this much-loved community event for over a decade, and this year the catchment boundary had been expanded to include offerings from neighbouring regions in support of the '100 mile food movement'.
"Tastings on Hastings will continue to showcase the amazing variety of top quality food and beverage producers we have here in our local Hastings region. This year, we will also welcome exhibitors from as far afield as Nelson Bay, Armidale and Woolgoolga, reflecting the significance of the Hastings as a culinary centre and the broader economic potential of the event," Mayor Besseling said.
Ray Scott from Lorne Valley Macadamia Farm has been exhibiting at Tastings on Hastings since its inception in 2002 and said his stall was always busy with locals and tourists who come from all over the state to sample what the region has to offer.
"Not only is Tastings on Hastings a successful day in terms of sales, but it's also a great opportunity to build excitement around your brand, produce or products," Mr Scott said.
"It's a good way to educate the community about your product, grow your customer base and even build relationships with other producers and distributors.
"We also use Tastings on Hastings as a testing ground for product lines because we can get instant feedback from people sampling new flavours."
Event coordinator Necia Waghorn said every exhibitor will receive a free marketing toolkit, with posters, flyers and social media tips, to help them make the most of this opportunity and promote their involvement.
All interested exhibitors are encouraged to download the Tastings on Hastings Exhibitor Application Kit from the event website - tastingsonhastings.com.au or by emailing Necia Waghorn on neciawaghorn@gmail.com