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

Kane Pollard FESTIVAL CURATOR

Meira Harel FESTIVAL CURATOR

Banjo Harris Plane FESTIVAL CURATOR

Duncan Welgemoed FESTIVAL CURATOR

Jessica Ducrou FESTIVAL ADVISOR

Patron and Legends

Simon Bryant PATRON

Cheong Liew LEGEND

Maggie Beer — Maggie Beer LEGEND

2026 Culinary Stars

Nieves Barragán Mohacho — Nieves Barragán Mohacho

Punk Royale — Punk Royale

Brendan Roach

Blayne Bertoncello — Blayne Bertoncello

Chayse Bertoncello — Chayse Bertoncello

Callum Hann — Callum Hann

Calum Horn

Clare Falzon — Clare Falzon

Darren Robertson — Darren Robertson

Enrico Sgarbossa

Fabian Lehmann — Fabian Lehmann

Mandy Hall — Mandy Hall

Nicola Palmer — Nicola Palmer

Paul Stone — Paul Stone

Shannon Fleming — Shannon Fleming

Sharon Romeo — Sharon Romeo

Tom Campbell — Tom Campbell

Trinh Richards — Trinh Richards

Alex Crawford — Alex Crawford

Alexis Bessaeu — Alexis Besseau

Audrey Shaw — Audrey Shaw

Ben Devlin — Ben Devlin

Daniel Puskas — Daniel Puskas

Denny Bradden — Denny Bradden

Karena Armstrong

Mark Best

Matt Stone — Matt Stone

Max Sharrad

Simone Watts — Simone Watts

Victor Liong

Imogen Czulowski — Imogen Czulowski

Agnes Wyszomirska — Agnes Wyszomirska

Jimmy Toone — Jimmy Toone

Jo Barrett — Jo Barrett

Laura Sharrad — Laura Sharrad

Mindy Woods — Mindy Woods

Nick Tadija — Nick Tadija

Phil Helyard — Phil Helyard

Quentin Whittle — Quentin Whittle

Sarah Glover — Sarah Glover

Sofia Levin — Sofia Levin

Jason Roberts — Jason Roberts

Ozge Kalvo — Ozge Kalvo

Mark Kamleh — Mark Kamleh

Quang Nyugen — Quang Nyugen

LC Nguyen — LC Nguyen

2026 Beverage Stars

Amber Ochota

Anita Goode

Bernice Ong

Fiona Donald — Fiona Donald

Gareth Belton

Gwyn Olsen

Katie Spain — Katie Spain

Lauren Langfield — Lauren Langfield

Paddy Gilhooly

Riley Harrison — Riley Harrison

SamTaylor — Sam Taylor

Steph Turnbull

Sue Bell — Sue Bell

Alex Marchetti — Alex Marchetti

Amelia Nolan — Amelia Nolan

André Hueston Mack — André Hueston Mack

Belinda van Eyssen — Belinda van Eyssen

Ben Haines — Ben Haines

Adam Wadewitz — Adam Wadewitz

Kate Laurie — Kate Laurie

Charlotte Hardy — Charlotte Hardy

Steph Toole — Steph Toole

Selina Kelly — Selina Kelly

Michael Downer — Michael Downer

Marcell Kustos — Marcell Kustos

Louis Schofield — Louis Schofield

Kerri Thompson — Kerri Thompson

Irina Santiago-Brown — Irina Santiago-Brown

Dylan Grigg — Dylan Grigg

Cyndal Petty — Cyndal Petty

Mathilde Tytgat — Mathilde Tytgat

Hannah Green — Hannah Green

James Erskine — James Erskine

Alice Tremayne — Alice Tremayne

Cassandra Charlick — Cassandra Charlick

Tania Davey — Tania Davey

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 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 Ridge — David Ridge

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 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

Mark Kurlansky

Mark LaBrooy — Mark LaBrooy

Mark Wright — Mark Wright

Mark Reginato — Mark Reginato

Marvin Lattrez — Marvin Lattrez

Marquis Sauvage

Matt Dunne — Matt Dunne

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

Severine Perru — Severine Perru

Shane Wilson — Shane Wilson

Shannon Martinez — Shannon Martinez

Shanteh Wale — Shanteh Wale

Sharon Flynn — Sharon Flynn

Shaun Quade

Shohei Yasuda

Skye Seppelt — Skye Seppelt

Somer Sivrioglu

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

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

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

Gabriel Stengle — Gabriel Stengle

Hansol Lee — Hansol Lee

Helly Raichura

Isobel Little — Isobel Little

Jack Ingram — Jack Ingram

Jae Bang — Jae Bang

James Henry — James Henry

Jessie Spiby — Jessie Spiby

Julia Busuttil Nishimura — Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Justin James — Justin James

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

Sam Smith — Sam Smith

Trisha Greentree — Trisha Greentree

Will Doak — Valerie Henbest

Alex Schulkin — Alex Schulkin

Alex Kirkwood — Alex Kirkwood

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

Liz Carey — Liz Carey

Matt Dickson — Matt Dickson

Max Veenhuyzen — Max Veenhuyzen

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

Steve Crawford — Steve Crawford

Taras Ochota

Tim Kenny — Tim Kenny

Tom O'Reilly — Tom O'Reilly

Liam Van Pelt — Liam Van Pelt

Cara Devine — Cara Devine

Darren Leaney — Darren Leaney

Duncan Mcrae — Duncan Mcrae

James Irvine — James Irvine

Kayla Reid — Kayla Reid

Krystal Hart — Krystal Hart

Luke Sanderson — Luke Sanderson

Rocky Hair — Rocky Hair

Ollie Margan — Ollie Margan

Melanie Chester

Max Allen — Max Allen

Matt Turnbull

Matt Paul

Matt Deller MW

Martin Moran

Mark Bulman

Luke Whearty

Luca Baioni

Lachlan Jeffries

Lachlan Duncan

Koen Janssens

Kim Chalmers — Kim Chalmers

Kaaren Palmer

Justine Henschke — Justine Henschke

Jules Ashmead

Jasper Button

Jane Bromley

James Audas

George Georgiadis

Frewin Ries

Ella Hoban

David Ridge — David Ridge

Curly Haslam-Coates — Curly Haslam-Coates

Colin McBryde — Colin McBryde

Cody Banks

Bianca Welsh

Andrew Hardy

Anais Gschwind

Tom Jonas

Topher Boehm

Stephen Pannell

Stacey-Lee Edwards — Stacey-Lee Edwards

Sophie Carbonneau — Sophie Carbonneau

Sid Pachare

Sean Baxter

Sam Milne

Peter Fraser

Paul Carpenter

Pablo Theodoros

Olivia Moore

Nick Corletto

Monica Berg

Milly Badman

Jamie Musgrave

Piotr Szewczuk — Piotr Szewczuk

Stacey-Lee Edwards — Stacey-Lee Edwards

David LeMire — David LeMire

Scott Huggins — Scott Huggins

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