Festival Stars | Tasting Australia presented by Journey Beyond | ...

Homegrown chefs, winemakers, beverage experts, hosts and more create unforgettable food and beverage experiences during the Tasting Australia festival each year.

Creative Team

Karena Armstrong FESTIVAL DIRECTOR

Kane Pollard — Kane Pollard FOOD CURATOR

Banjo Harris Plane DRINKS CURATOR

Meira Harel DRINKS CURATOR

Patron and Legends

Simon Bryant PATRON

Cheong Liew LEGEND

Maggie Beer — Maggie Beer LEGEND

2025 Culinary Stars

Adam D'Sylva — Adam D'Sylva

Alexis Besseau

Andy Allen — Andy Allen

Annita Potter

Anthony Cresp

Ayubi family — Ayubi family

Baine Stubbs

Ben Bertei — Ben Bertei

Brendan Roach

Callum Hann — Callum Hann

Calum Horn

Chia Wu — Chia Wu

Chiara Pavan

Clare Falzon — Clare Falzon

Damien Coulthard

Danielle Alvarez — Danielle Alvarez

Darren Robertson — Darren Robertson

Daniel Murphy — Daniel Murphy

Dave Verheul

Doogal Hannagan & Louise Lynch

Douglas McMaster

Duncan Welgemoed

Emma McCaskill

Emma Shearer — Emma Shearer

Enrico Sgarbossa

Fabian Lehmann — Fabian Lehmann

Fiona Carboni

Georgia Roberts

Georgie Rogers — Georgie Rogers

Jacob Davey

Jacqui Challinor

Jake Kellie — Jake Kellie

Jamie Musgrave

Jimmy Toone — Jimmy Toone

Jo Leal

Joanna Savill

Justin James — Justin James

Kirby Shearing — Kirby Shearing

Lachlan Colwill

Lennox Hastie — Lennox Hastie

Lilly Trewartha

Mandy Hall — Mandy Hall

Mark Jensen — Mark Jensen

Mat Lindsay

Matteo Carboni

Mug Chen — Mug Chen

Nick Tadija

Nicola Palmer — Nicola Palmer

O'Tama Carey

Ollie Wong-Hee

Paul Stone — Paul Stone

Rebecca Sullivan — Rebecca Sullivan

Rodney Dunn

Rose Adam — Rose Adam

Sam Smith — Sam Smith

Scott Huggins

Shannon Fleming — Shannon Fleming

Sharon Romeo — Sharon Romeo

Sharon Winsor

Sophie Pope

Tom Campbell — Tom Campbell

Tom Tilbury — Tom Tilbury

Trinh Richards — Trinh Richards

Vanessa Button

Zoe Birch

2025 Beverage Stars

Amber Ochota

Andrew Hardy

Anita Goode

Bianca Welsh

Cody Banks

Colin McBryde — Colin McBryde

Curly Haslam-Coates — Curly Haslam-Coates

David Ridge — David Ridge

Ella Hoban

Fiona Donald — Fiona Donald

Gareth Belton

Gwyn Olsen

James Audas

Justine Henschke — Justine Henschke

Katie Spain — Katie Spain

Kaaren Palmer

Kavita Faiella

Kim Chalmers — Kim Chalmers

Lauren Langfield — Lauren Langfield

Luke Whearty

Matt Deller MW

Matt Paul

Max Allen — Max Allen

Melanie Chester

Monica Berg

Nick Corletto

Olivia Moore

Pablo Theodoros

Paddy Gilhooly

Paul Carpenter

Peter Fraser

Riley Harrison — Riley Harrison

Sam Milne

SamTaylor — Sam Taylor

Sean Baxter

Sid Pachare

Stacey-Lee Edwards — Stacey-Lee Edwards

Stephen Pannell

Sue Bell — Sue Bell

Topher Boehm

Jasper Button

Tasting Australia Spirit Awards Judges

Ollie Margan HEAD JUDGE

Bill Lark PATRON

Cara Devine — Cara Devine

Darren Leaney

Duncan McRae

Fred Siggins

James Irvine

Kayla Reid

Krystal Hart

Luke Sanderson

Marshall King

Rocky Hair

Sam Bygrave

Past Alumni

Marco Pierre White

Jock Zonfrillo

Adam Liaw

Aaron Turner

Alanna Sapwell

Alejandro Huerta

Alex Atala

Alice Zaslavsky

Amanda McInerney — Amanda McInerney

Amy Hamilton — Amy Hamilton

Analiese Gregory

Andrew McConnell — Andrew McConnell

Angelina Mondavi — Angelina Mondavi

Annie Smithers — Annie Smithers

Anthony Myint

Ashley Ratcliffe — Ashley Ratcliffe

Belinda Jeffrey

Belinda Thomson — Belinda Thomson

Ben Devlin — Ben Devlin

Ben Haines — Ben Haines

Ben Shewry — Ben Shewry

Bethany Finn — Bethany Finn

Big Sam Young — Big Sam Young

Bill Lark — Bill Lark

Breen Matti

Brent Savage

Bridget Raffal — Bridget Raffal

Callum Powell — Callum Powell

Carlo Mirarchi

Chae — Chae

Charlie Melton — Charlie Melton

Charlie Seppelt — Charlie Seppelt

Charlotte Hardy — Charlotte Hardy

Chester Osborn — Chester Osborn

Chris Crawford — Chris Crawford

Christian Canala — Christian Canala

Christian Puglisi

Christine Manfield — Christine Manfield

Costardi Brothers

Curly Haslam-Coates — Curly Haslam-Coates

Dan Hong

Dan Redman — Dan Redman

Dan Hunter

Daniel Airoldi — Daniel Airoldi

Darren Lange — Darren Lange

Dave Pynt — Dave Pynt

Dave Verheul

David LeMire — David LeMire

David Ridge — David Ridge

Dylan Grigg — Dylan Grigg

Emily Salkeld — Emily Salkeld

Federico Zanellato

Fraser McKinley — Fraser McKinley

George Campbell — George Campbell

Gill Meller — Gill Meller

Greggory Hill

Guy de Rivoire

Guy Parkinson

Heidi Bjerkan

Hugh Allen — Hugh Allen

Iain Cameron — Iain Cameron

Ian Hongell — Ian Hongell

Jacinta Jenkins — Jacinta Jenkins

Jacqui Challinor — Jacqui Challinor

Jake Smyth

James Erskine — James Erskine

James Lindner — James Lindner

James Lowe — James Lowe

Jemma Whiteman — Jemma Whiteman

Jan Ordway — Jan Ordway

Jerry Mai

Jessica Hill Smith

John Hughes — John Hughes

Josey Baker

JP McMahon

Justine Henschke — Justine Henschke

Jyoti Bindu

Karen Martini — Karen Martini

Kris Lloyd — Kris Lloyd

Kylie Javier Ashton — Kylie Javier Ashton

Lachlan Barber — Lachlan Barber

Laura Carter — Laura Carter

Lauren Eldridge — Lauren Eldridge

Laurent D'Harcourt

Leah Adint — Leah Adint

Liz Carlisle

Louis Tikaram

Louisa Rose — Louisa Rose

Luke Burgess — Luke Burgess

Luke Powell — Luke Powell

Lulu Lunn — Lulu Lunn

Magdalena Roze — Magdalena Roze

Marcell Kustos — Marcell Kustos

Mark Kurlansky

Mark LaBrooy — Mark LaBrooy

Mark Wright — Mark Wright

Mark Reginato — Mark Reginato

Marvin Lattrez — Marvin Lattrez

Marquis Sauvage

Matt Dunne — Matt Dunne

Matt Stone — Matt Stone

Max Sharrad

Mehmet Gurs

Melissa Palinkas — Melissa Palinkas

Mike Bennie — Mike Bennie

Monty Koludrovic

Morgan McGlone

Mrs Singh

Nathan Sasi

Ned Goodwin — Ned Goodwin

Nesh Simic — Nesh Simic

Nick Stock

Nick Tesar — Nick Tesar

Norbert Neiderkofler

O Tama Carey

Palisa Anderson — Palisa Anderson

Paul Baker

Paul Hotker — Paul Hotker

Paul West

Peter Clarke — Peter Clarke

Peter Gilmore — Peter Gilmore

Philippe Mouchel

Poh Ling Yeow — Poh Ling Yeow

Raymond Capaldi

Richard Leask — Richard Leask

Rick Kinzbrunner — Rick Kinzbrunner

Riley Harrison — Riley Harrison

Robert Hill-Smith — Robert Hill-Smith

Robert Walters — Robert Walters

Rosheen Kaul — Rosheen Kaul

Rodolfo Guzman

Ryan Davidson — Ryan Davidson

Sacha La Forgia

Salloum Sisters

Sally McGill — Sally McGill

Sam Barry — Sam Barry

Sam Wigan — Sam Wigan

Sashi Cheliah — Sashi Cheliah

Sat Bains

Sav Sexton — Sav Sexton

Sean Connolly — Sean Connolly

Selina Kelly — Selina Kelly

Severine Perru — Severine Perru

Shane Wilson — Shane Wilson

Shannon Martinez — Shannon Martinez

Shanteh Wale — Shanteh Wale

Sharon Flynn — Sharon Flynn

Shaun Quade

Shohei Yasuda

Simone Watts — Simone Watts

Skye Seppelt — Skye Seppelt

Somer Sivrioglu

Steph Toole — Steph Toole

Stuart Oldfield — Stuart Oldfield

Symon Conway-Lyden — Symon Conway-Lyden

Terry Nattawoot

Tessa Brown — Tessa Brown

Thomas Johns

Tim Hardy — Tim Hardy

Tom Bradman — Tom Bradman

Tony Carroll — Tony Carroll

Tony Love — Tony Love

Troy Rhoades-Brown

Victor Liong

Victoria James — Victoria James

Will Meyrick

Warren Randall — Warren Randall

Kevin Glastonbury — Kevin Glastonbury

Leanne Altmann — Leanne Altmann

Angus Love — Angus Love

Adam Liston

Alex Bellas — Alex Bellas

Alex Crawford — Alex Crawford

Andrew Davies — Andrew Davies

Benjamin Cross

Ben Williamson — Ben Williamson

Benjamin Cooper

Billie Justice Thomson — Billie Justice Thomson

Bryan Martin — Bryan Martin

Brigitte Hafner — Brigitte Hafner

Charlie Lu — Charlie Lu

Claudette Zepeda — Claudette Zepeda

Dana Kinter — Dana Kinter

Daniella Guevara — Daniella Guevara

Darren Purchese — Darren Purchese

Elli Beer — Elli Beer

Emily Thomas — Emily Thomas

Gabriel Stengle — Gabriel Stengle

Hansol Lee — Hansol Lee

Helly Raichura

Imogen Czulowski — Imogen Czulowski

Isobel Little — Isobel Little

Jack Ingram — Jack Ingram

Jae Bang — Jae Bang

James Henry — James Henry

Jessie Spiby — Jessie Spiby

Jo Barrett — Jo Barrett

Julia Busuttil Nishimura — Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Justin James — Justin James

Mark Best

Mitch Orr — Mitch Orr

Narin ‘Jack’ Kulasai — Narin ‘Jack’ Kulasai

Nornie Bero — Nornie Bero

Paul Carmichael

Rosa Matto — Rosa Matto

Shane Delia

Stacey Conner — Stacey Conner

Terry Intarakhamhaeng — Terry Intarakhamhaeng

Thi Le — Thi Le

Thomas Robinson — Thomas Robinson

Tom Jack — Tom Jack

Will Doak — Will Doak

Matt Moran

Paul Stone — Paul Stone

Sam Smith — Sam Smith

Trisha Greentree — Trisha Greentree

Will Doak — Valerie Henbest

Adam Wadewitz — Adam Wadewitz

Alex Schulkin — Alex Schulkin

Alex Kirkwood — Alex Kirkwood

Amelia Nolan — Amelia Nolan

Andrie Whisson — Andrie Whisson

Anais Gschwind — Anais Gschwind

Ashley Huntington — Ashley Huntington

Briony Liebich — Briony Liebich

Brad Hickey — Brad Hickey

Bryan Martin — Bryan Martin

Corrina Wright — Corrina Wright

David Swain

Erin Larkin — Erin Larkin

Galit Shachaf — Galit Shachaf

Greta Wohlstadt — Greta Wohlstadt

Helen Masters — Helen Masters

Hugh Holds — Hugh Holds

Jacob Davey

James Spreadbury — James Spreadbury

Jono Koerner — Jono Koerner

Jono Hersey — Jono Hersey

Kate Goodman — Kate Goodman

Kate Laurie — Kate Laurie

Kerri Thompson — Kerri Thompson

Liz Carey — Liz Carey

Louis Schofield — Louis Schofield

Matt Dickson — Matt Dickson

Max Veenhuyzen — Max Veenhuyzen

Michael Downer — Michael Downer

Nick Mills — Nick Mills

Nick Ryan — Nick Ryan

Rob Mack — Rob Mack

Rose Kentish — Rose Kentish

Samantha Connew — Samantha Connew

Samantha Payne — Samantha Payne

Sebastian Crowther — Sebastian Crowther

Sophie Carbonneau — Sophie Carbonneau

Steve Crawford — Steve Crawford

Taras Ochota

Tim Kenny — Tim Kenny

Tom O'Reilly — Tom O'Reilly

Irina Santiago-Brown — Irina Santiago-Brown

Liam Van Pelt — Liam Van Pelt

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