Planning for the 2023 Taste Bundaberg Festival is in full swing with three celebrity chefs to return to the region to provide their knowledge, expertise and support to the local farming and culinary industries.
In this week’s Bundaberg Regional Council Ordinary Meeting it was announced Colin Fassnidge of My Kitchen Rules fame, master chocolatier Kirsten Tibballs and television chef Mark Olive have been invited to come back to the region for the ten-day event.
Taste Bundaberg Festival starts in August and runs for ten days, with a range of dining experiences, markets, cooking classes and events happening across the region.
Arts, Culture and Events portfolio spokesperson Cr John Learmonth said the three celebrity chefs were ambassadors in previous years and had been reengaged due to their passion for the event, love for the region and their popularity with festival-goers.
“The Taste Bundaberg Festival showcases authentic food and drink experiences crafted from the rich farmlands and pristine coastline of the region,” he said.
“Colin and Kirsten were our ambassadors for the ten-day event last year while Mark was our 2021 ambassador.
“This year, they will again have the opportunity to partner with local industry while highlighting the hard work of our local farmer, distiller, brewer, fisherman and grazier who provide fresh local flavours to a passionate culinary community.”
About Colin Fassnidge
Born in Dublin and trained by the legendary Raymond Blanc, Colin Fassnidge was the executive chef at the Four in Hand in Paddington for over 10 years
Apart from being an award-winning chef and a TV host, he’s also written his own cookbook, Four Kitchens.
Colin has appeared as a judge on Channel 7s ratings winner My Kitchen Rules, and most recently hosted Kitchen Nightmares Australia in 2022.
About Kirsten Tibballs
Renowned chef Kirsten Tibballs is often referred to as the ‘Queen of Chocolate’ for her contribution to the chocolate industry. Kirsten is the author of two cookbooks, Chocolate to Savour and Chocolate.
She appears regularly on MasterChef Australia and contributes recipes and articles to the world’s leading pastry publications including So Good, Pastry and Baking North America, Pastry and Baking Asia Pacific, Baking Business and Australasian Baker.
About Mark Olive
Mark Olive, aka ‘The Black Olive’, has been a chef for over 25 years and has become a wellknown Australian celebrity starring in his own television series ‘The Outback’.
Mark’s passion for fusing native food and culture with contemporary lifestyle cooking has led to a huge international profile specialising in gourmet Australian Indigenous cuisine.
He’s been a celebrity on SBS ‘The Chefs’ Line’, co-hosted two series as a celebrity chef on the series ‘On Country Kitchen’ and frequently joins Adam Liaw on ‘The Cook Up’ on SBS.
Are you doing a Lunch/ Dinner on the Bridge in August 2023? Please please,
Judy, I was at the meal on the Burnett Bridge a while back now. It has been and forgotten as far as recent Bundaberg history would go.