‘Samplers’ enjoying the fine weather – and food – at this year’s festival

 Last weekend could not have been more perfect for two of the region’s best-loved festivals, writes Victoria Cosford.  Sample 2014 was the biggest and best yet, and up the road at Currumbin, the scupture festival was – well, just Swell…

Conditions for the fourth annual Sample Food Festival could not have been better. Sunshine tempered with a little light wind ensured the 10,000-plus visitors to the Bangalow Showgrounds maximum comfort with which to abandon themselves to the many food stalls, the live entertainment and the cooking demonstrations. By midday the queues stretched long and wide as punters waited cheerfully for the $5 and $10 tasting plates – peppered figs with grilled kefalograviera from Meraki; pulled pork with sweet chilli salad on a soft bun from 100 Mile Table; potato gnocchi with cavolo nero and pinenuts from the Nomadic Kitchen; steamed pork buns from Hungry Like The Wolf: the culinary choices dazzled, although, as was the case last year, it was J & R Smokehouse and their smoky brisket and pork which stole the crowd honours.

The Chandon tent was a new addition, enabling those who enjoy their bubbles, to settle under umbrellas or on the grass with their flutes. Golden Fork winner for the $5 plate was Town restaurant with its exquisite Japanese-style cheesecake with Davidson plum, quandong and almond crumb, almost too pretty to eat, while the $10 plate award went to Sarah Wheeler’s Puremelt tasting plate of three chocolates, all gluten, sugar and dairy-free.

According to Sample founder and director Remy Tancred, this was her biggest festival yet. The previous day, as a sort of amuse-gueule to the big event, two lunches were offered: a three-course Clean Living one and an Italian Feast. The latter sold out, with 150 diners tucking into a superb four-course menu which included mackerel, white polenta, buffalo mozzarella and tiramisu cooked by local and guest chefs, with guests raving over the deceptively wicked but ultimately wholesome – raw, paleo – bill of fare.

And the best bit? Prevailing throughout both days was a sense almost palpable of sheer joy at a community event attracting all ages and demographic groups and totally devoid of aggression or even bad manners. It seems that food really does have the power to bring people together in harmony.

An entry into this year’s Swell – 250cm high horse made of metal rods.

Meanwhile, an hour north was a different sort of festival, one to nourish the mind and the soul, rather than the body. Currumbin’s annual Swell Sculpture Festival drew huge crowds to a glorious beachfront amble from one artwork to another. The sun blazing down and the backdrop of sheer blue ocean makes this a fabulous feast for the senses. Above the surf club swayed and billowed a vast green octopus, while other highlights included a magnificent 250 centimeter-high horse made of bent and welded steel rods, an ominous group of hooded fiberglass ghosts and the winner, a vast firearm made of recycled steel entitled ‘Keeping Up With the Kalashnikovs’.

Victoria Cosford

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Remy Tancred loves food and community. Photo: Suze McLeod.

For Sample food festival director Remy Tancred, life in the Byron Bay region is all about community.  She loves to bring the north coast’s finest producers together – lucky for us!  This year’s Sample Festival is the biggest yet, so rev up your tastebuds…

Q: I know you worked in publishing before your moved to the North Coast – what prompted you to start your magazine, The Lennox Wave?

 A: I moved up here because my husband and I were ready to start a family, and when we had children, I felt I still needed a small project to keep my mind occupied while the children were small. The Lennox Wave was perfect because it was – and still is – a monthly publication, and so it was manageable.

Q: I know the Phat Ducks came from a group of you eating out and reviewing local restaurants, but how did you turn it from that into the book, Ate Phat Ducks?

 A: We actually ran out of restaurants to visit in Lennox so we began to venture out of the area. From there, I always had the vision of turning the light-hearted reviews into a book so visitors and locals could receive a little personality along with our real experience of each restaurant.

Q: You obviously love food – hence Sample Food Festival which you’ve been doing for four years now. What do you love most about it?

 A: I love bringing the regions together, and showing off all the amazing produce we have on in area over one day. I love that the public find new restaurants and produce that didn’t existed. It’s exciting.

Q: What will people find at this year’s Sample to tempt their tastebuds?

A: We’ve got several first timer cafes and restaurants this year. No two dishes are the same – so there’s a lot of choice! Organic Oysters are on the menu and I’m sure they’ll be interesting to customers – and there’s lots of amazing desserts as well.

Organic Oysters will be at this year’s Sample Festival.

Q: Obviously community is very important for you – do you think it’s what makes this area special?

 A: Definitely. I love working with the growers and producers in this region – they’re so passionate about their produce and they genuinely love what they do.

Q: Are there any other creative projects in the works Verandah should know about?

 A: Good question…there always is. I’ll get back to you in a few months.

Sample Food Festival is on at Bangalow Showground on Saturday September 13th. This year there will be celebrity guests, $5 and $10 tasting plates, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, kids activities and the Stone & Wood Beer Garden. Entry is free and the festival is open from 8am to 4pm.

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