Colmar Estate, Highland Heritage, Hillside Harvest, Hotel Canobolas, Orange Fermentary, See Saw Wine, Swinging Bridge, Philip Shaw, Ross Hill, ChaLou Wines, Printhie… the list of the region’s food and wine greats is mounting as they prepare to host close to 50 events over Orange FOOD Week 2025.
Australia’s longest-running regional food festival will be held over 10 days from Friday, 28 March, to Sunday, 6 April 2025. FOOD Week 2025 is set to showcase the best of the region’s seasonal produce, cool-climate wines, and vibrant culinary scene with events for locals and visitors of all ages and interests.
FOOD Week President Charlotte Gundry explained that the mix of well-known signature events, along with an outstanding array of more intimate and immersive experiences, creates a unique festival each year, ensuring people return for another taste of the region. The festival’s reputation draws acclaimed chefs and food lovers from across Australia.
“FOOD Week 2025 will include iconic long lunches in the street, culinary adventures through the vineyards, intimate dinners, hands-on masterclasses, bustling markets, and family-friendly events,” Charlotte outlined. “The theme for 2025, ‘Elevate Your Plate’, emphasises the importance of locally sourced produce and sustainable farming, highlighting the relationship between the region’s fertile soils, passionate producers, and acclaimed chefs.
“One of the key drawcards for festival goers is that the event always differs yearly/ . The local businesses ensure there is always something new and exciting on throughout the festival. There is such a tapestry of unique and immersive experiences on offer.”
Outstanding Chefs, Sommeliers & identities get prepped!
The lineup of acclaimed chefs, sommeliers and well-known identities set to be involved in FOOD Week 2025 is outstanding. From local Chef talents like Richard Learmonth and Dom Aboud to Joel Bickford who will join the Hotel Canobolas’ Danny Corbett in ‘Raw Fizz’ to be held on Sunday 30 March. The event will celebrate the best of the region’s raw produce and sparkling wines featuring a wine masterclass with Will Gilbert and live entertainment.
Group Culinary Director of Shell House and newly opened The International at Martin Place, The Point Group, Joel Bickford is one of Australia’s finest chefs. Having recently retained two Chef’s Hats at Shell House for the fourth consecutive year, he has also been awarded the Sydney Telegraph Chef of the Year and Le Savour Chef of the Year.
Joel will be featured in several events, including ‘Locally Grown,’ a four-course dinner with Sommelier Alex Kirkwood on Friday, April 4, at The Hotel Canobolas. This dinner will showcase the absolute best in local Orange produce and matched Orange cool-climate wines.
Immersive experiences…
As part of FOOD Week 2025, ChaLou Wines will be hosting an intimate and immersive experience with participants shadowing winemakers for the day in an up-close and personal experience of vineyard life. Taking place during the bustling period of vintage 2025, the event will be held on Friday, April 4. It will include a vineyard tour, picking experience, vintage lunch and the afternoon in the winery.
Hillside Harvest has already put forward a huge lineup of events to immerse the entire family in the 2025 FOOD Week festivities. Events include “Harvest and Bake” apple pie-making workshops, a Paddock, Paintbrush, and Pinot event, fruit preserving, relish, chutney, and sauce-making classes, and a Culinary Connections event.
The Orange Fermentary will also be holding a series of hands-on Fermented Drinks Workshops throughout FOOD Week. Presented by Dr Bianca Newcombe, awarded engineer and cook, the masterclasses will be held from Friday, March 28 to Saturday, April 5.
It wouldn’t be FOOD Week without Swinging Bridge bringing a swag of stylish events to the table. They will kick off with Bubbles & Brunch at Swinging Bridge to be held on the Hill Park Vineyard on the first Sunday of the festival.
An exclusive tasting event celebrating 30 years of Swinging Bridge with Tom Ward will be held on the final Saturday of FOOD Week. In the “most ambitious vertical tasting yet”, Swinging Bridge owner and winemaker Tom Ward will guide guests through wines that embody the heritage, innovation, and excellence of Swinging Bridge over the past three decades.
If you’re looking for lovingly prepared local produce, Nonna’s Long Lunch will be held on the first Sunday (March 30) of FOOD Week at Highland Heritage Cellar Door. Guests will enjoy five-star sparkling and canapes overlooking the vineyard before a delectable luncheon accompanied by a stellar line-up of Highland Heritage award winning wines.
Also, one of the best pairings in the region, See Saw Wine and Arancia Pizza, will host a Sunday afternoon ‘wine down’ with live music from Sounds of Sebastian with their event ‘Pizza and Prosecco’ on March 30.
A not-to-be-missed event to round off the celebrations will be the Colmar Estate Long Lunch with local chef Richard Learmonth on Sunday, April 5. The relaxing afternoon will feature a special tasting menu paired with superb new wines.
FOOD Week 2025 festival signature events…
Friday, 28 March: FOOD Week Night Market, Robertson Park
Saturday, 29 March: Sampson Street Lunch
Sunday, 30 March – Friday 4 April: Shine the Light on Producers (exl. Wednesday 2 April)
Friday, 4 April – Sunday 6 April: FOOD Train
Saturday, 5 April: FORAGE
Sunday, 6 April:- Sunday Producer’s Market and Brunch
How to get tickets…
Tickets for FOOD Week 2025 go on sale to the public on Tuesday, 17 December 2024. Book early, as events sell out quickly! For more information, visit orangefoodweek.com.au or follow us on social media @OrangeFOODWeek. Sign up and find out more about the festival at www.orangefoodweek.com.au
FOOD Week background…
FOOD Week is Australia’s longest-running regional food festival, celebrating the produce, people, and culture of the Orange region. Recognised for its relaxed country charm and gastronomic excellence, FOOD Week showcases the unique flavours of New South Wales Central Tablelands and brings together food lovers from across the nation.
FOOD Week has built a reputation for connecting people to place and offering a true paddock-to-plate experience, with opportunities to meet the farmers, growers, and winemakers who make this region unique. Visitors will discover why the Orange district is a standout destination for food lovers, from its summer stone fruits, to its earthy autumnal flavours of truffles and cheeses to its cool-climate Shiraz, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
