Mountain hikes, house parties as food festival leans into ruggedness of WA’s Great Southern

Bowls club takeovers. A three-hour guided hike fuelled by wine and oysters. House parties at fancy beachside manors with elite chefs slipping shrimps – and lamb ribs, plus chicken satay with macadamia peanut sauce – on and off the barbie.

These were some of the highlights of this year’s Taste Great Southern: a food and drink festival that leans into the ruggedness of the sprawling West Australia region that it’s named after.

Picking up where the 2026 event left off, the festival’s 2027 program sports a similarly strong back-to-nature flavour.

Snap up a ticket to Wild Country and you can taste local ingredients as interpreted by Blaze Young (Edward & Ida’s) and hunter, forager and self-sufficiency advocate John Ralley of Bush River Kitchen in New South Wales.

Wine drinkers, meanwhile, will want to act fast to book their place at Alkoomi Estate’s hands-on winemaking experience. (Running from March 4 to 7, next year’s festival is expected to take place during vintage.)

There’s also going to be an oyster and riesling masterclass at Albany’s historic former whaling station. Jointly hosted by State Buildings director of wine Emma Farrelly and bivalve whisperer Jerry Fraser, it’s another of the new events on next year’s program.

Having said that, some festival favourites are being reprised for 2027. The family-friendly Taste Market, one of 2026’s debutants, returns to Middleton Beach and features tastings, masterclasses and chef pop-ups.

Television and social media personality Guy Turland – perhaps you know him as The Bondi Chef? – returns for the Peak to Plate that features a hike through the Porongorup landscape followed by lunch. (As you read this, Turland is likely in training to beat his PB for running to the top of said peak, serving guests snacks and then running back down to start on lunch.)

Finally, there’s Tides of Taste x Singlefile: the luxe house party at Maitraya Luxury Retreat featuring panoramic views of the southern coastline, lots of splendid things to drink plus lunch (or dinner) cooked by chefs that enjoy the great outdoors.

For its third iteration, Tides of Taste stalwarts Evan Hayter (de’sendent in Margaret River) and Paul Iskov of Fervor – who is also cooking a 16-course dinner at historic Camp Quaranup – will be joined by Sofika Boulton (Sonny’s; plus the recently opened Bar Lyla) and Luke Burgess of Hobart’s Schole.

Very much a chef’s chef, Burgess has cooked at residencies and events in France, Japan and across Australia. His previous Hobart restaurant Garagistes (2010-2015) was a prototype for the modern locavore small plate restaurant and wine bar, plus it was also Australia’s first venue to offer an all-natural wine – and sake – list. In short: Burgess cares about where things come from, which makes him an inspired addition to both Tides of Taste as well as Taste Great Southern.

“We all approach food in a similar way,” says Hayter who is looking forward to cooking with Burgess, Boulton and Iskov. “Our focus is on how something is produced, grown or harvested rather than the cooking. The aim is always to respect the ingredient.”

Taste Great Southern 2027 runs from March 4 to 7. Tickets go on sale at 10am on Thursday November 5 2026.