Festival focuses on oysters

The Albany Oyster Festival is set to become a major annual event on the local calendar, combining the region’s unique rock oysters, fine wine, bush food and entertainment.

The first ever festival of its kind in the coastal city will combine with WA’s first Bushfood Festival as the keynote event of IGA Taste Great Southern 2014.

Packed into one location at Albany’s Eyre Park, locals and visitors will have the opportunity to feast on Albany rock oysters prepared by chef and TV personality Poh Ling Yeow, WA food ambassador Don Hancey and Albany chef and event organiser Dan Sharp.

The trio will cook up a storm as well as shuck an oyster or two in an extravaganza of local produce and wine.

Bush food specialist from the Bushfood Factory and Cafe, chef Claudia Form will provide new delicious taste sensations at the Bushfood Festival, staged alongside the Oyster Festival, while music acts from PIAF’s Great Southern Festival will keep the crowd entertained.

Albany Oyster Festival organiser Dan Sharp said he was excited to bring a high-calibre event to the region.

“Albany oysters are so unique, I love them so much that I thought I’d put on a festival to celebrate them,” he said.

“I really hope the festival is embraced by locals to grow on for many, many years to come.

“Oyster festivals around the world bring in huge numbers of tourists and priceless attention to the regions. I hope that this one grows to the same velocity.

“It’s not only great for the oyster market but for the community also. Around Australia oyster festivals bring in 10,000 to 15,000 people into the region.”

Festival entertainment will include music from The Pepperjacks, The Seals and Tin Dog trio with Andrew Winton, along with the outdoor film Girt by Sea, which will be screened at 8pm as a fitting finale to the inaugural event.

Festival Details:

Albany Oyster and Bushfood Festival, Eyre Park, Saturday, March 1, 2pm to 8pm, tickets $20 plus booking fee or $30 at the gate, bookings www.greatsoutherntastewa.com.