[MUSIC NEWS] DARK MOFO Announce Winter Feast Stallholders
The Winter Feast will transform the Nipaluna/Hobart waterfront into a hub of hedonism, with tens of thousands of people expected across both weekends of this year’s Dark Mofo. Celebrating Lutruwita/Tasmania’s wealth of culinary talent and impeccable produce, the Feast presents over 70 stallholders—40 per cent of them new—from across the state, amid crackling fires, music and community, to feed festival-goers in body and soul.
Chris Twite, Dark Mofo’s Artistic Director, said: ‘The Winter Feast is a candlelit haven from the cold weather. It’s where we refuel, nourished by the ritual of coming together around the fires, enjoying the incredible array of food and drink, and sharing stories of exploration and discovery among friends and strangers.’
This year, the Feast welcomes international guest chef Floriano Pellegrino, who runs Michelin-starred restaurant Bros’ in Puglia with his partner Isabella Potì. Renowned for their avant-garde interpretation of Italian cuisine, the duo blends fine-dining technique with the traditions of southern Italy. Pellegrino will collaborate with Roberto Mele of MAMA Hobart artisanal bakery to create five phenomenal dishes, including a ricotta and pickled mulberry tart, that combine Italian flavours with Tasmanian produce. And, Isabella will be there in spirit—via a mould of her lips that diners have to kiss to get at the limoncello foam inside.
Hobart’s tiny ten-seat-restaurant Scholé makes its first appearance at the Feast, with acclaimed chef Luke Burgess serving up a Japanese-inspired dish of crispy potato mochi with umami mushroom gravy. David Moyle, fresh from a stint at the Waterloo Inn, Swansea, presents fried cheesy rice balls made with bull kelp and an array of toppings, from braised abalone to fresh truffles. Lilly Trewartha returns with her Katsu Sando and South Hobart’s cosiest winebar South will be back with their slow-cooked possum bao.
Other dishes include turmeric congee from fermentation-favourite Rough Rice, an Indonesian meatball noodle soup, bakso, by Kaki Lima, and Spice on Wheels’ aromatic curries, including a beef rib korma, to keep everyone warm.
Mona’s Executive Chef Vince Trim can be found cooking with fire at the Heavy Metal Kitchen, and Analiese Gregory is back, grilling scallops in wakame butter and baby abalone from the pristine waters of the west coast.
Newcomer Brine presents their ‘unhappy meal’—a dirty martini, hot chippies and fried olives—with a kid-friendly option so no one is left out. Mini-feasters might also enjoy Dark Dogs (not your average showground fare), a venison and chorizo pastry roll from Deloraine’s Frank & Lottie, and plenty of snacks on sticks for bitesized fun. The Feast is free for under 16s when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Beverages include a refreshing Strawberry Bubble from Tasmaniac Distillers, a hot buttered whisky from Battery Point Distillery and a selection of cocktails from Local Absinthe—the green fairy made right here in the green state. Moo Brew returns with moreish lagers, hearty ales and their festival-exclusive Dark Lager, and Mona’s wineries, Moorilla and Domaine A, offer rich sumptuous reds, rare, back-vintage whites, and an elegant sparkling. Oxbow Lab will present non-alcoholic brews using native botanicals and local fruit sourced from organic Tasmanian farms.
For dessert, there’s All Things Cherry (Pies)—the clue is in the name—Food Culture’s rose and walnut Yunnan Baba, an olive oil ice cream made by Canopy Ice Cream, and a gooey chocolate chip cookie from Nectar Eater that is suspiciously vegan.
Amanda Vallis, Winter Feast Curator, said: ‘The generosity, abundance and creativity of Tasmania’s food culture is on full display once again this year, with tasty offerings from all around the island. Feast your eyes and fill your belly with warming comfort food, salty snacks and decadent desserts, and wash it down with a seemingly endless supply of hot toddies or refreshing brews. Drink it all in.’
From Pacific choirs to pipe bands, over a hundred musical acts will complete the bacchanalia, with artists performing throughout the Feast. The music program kicks off with The Gathering, a First Nations-led celebration of culture, connection and storytelling for the first night of the Feast. Curated by Dark Mofo’s Tasmanian Aboriginal cultural advisor Caleb Nichols-Mansell, this year’s Gathering centres the ‘Matriarchs of Music’, presenting a fully-femme line-up of artists like Emma Donovan, BADASSMUTHA, DENNI, Bumpy, Stiff Gins and Nidala Barker.
Winter Feast music programmer Sam Dowson said: ‘This year’s program is really focussed on presence. These are world-class musicians who will be performing in an intimate environment where celebration, mourning, connection and curiosity all co-exist. Working alongside Caleb Nichols Mansell on The Gathering has been incredibly special—we’re honoured to present this exceptional female-led lineup for the first night of the Feast.’
Caleb Nichols-Mansell said: ‘The Gathering has never just been about programming a line-up. For me, it has always been about creating a culturally grounded opening for the festival, one that holds purpose, protocol, ceremony, music and community together. In my last year as Cultural Advisor and Music Programmer, ‘Matriarchs of Music’ felt like the only way to take my final bow. It is a love letter to the women, aunties, grandmothers, sisters and gender-diverse kin who have carried our songs, our stories, our grief, our resistance and our joy across generations.’
The Feast spreads across Salamanca Lawns and Princes Wharf Shed 1 and runs on both weekends of the festival: Thursday 11th–Sunday 15th and Thursday 18th–Sunday 21st June.
Season passes are still available, via darkmofo.net.au/winter-feast.
As part of the Winter Feast’s commitment to reaching zero waste, all stallholders will stock reusable cups and compostable crockery and cutlery. The Feast is a completely cash-free event.
The Feast will host a private, sensory-friendly session for people with disability and their families, assisted by Young Leaders of Tasmania, from 3–4pm on Sunday 21 June. Registration is essential.
Free admission to the Winter Feast’s Free Sunday Community Day on 21 June is made possible by the generous support of the City of Hobart.
A full list of stallholders follows below.
Stallholders
| Floriano Pellegrino X MAMA HobartVillino Coffee RoastersWillie Smith’s CiderCallington MillMoo BrewMoorilla + Domaine ALocal AbsintheAunt Alice WinesTasmaniac DistillersTolpuddle VineyardOxbow Lab Killara DistilleryMade by MonksCommunion Brewing Co.Elle’s PantryBattery Point DistilleryBruny Island Oysters TasmaniaDr. EdgeWelcome Swallow BreweryTorch Bearer WinesSalvage Drink Co.Bottega CrippaDoux Cafe | Momo JunctionCHATTOCanopy Ice CreamAnju Korean Fish FingerBrineScholéRough RiceDavid MoyleDairy King by Zac GreenBasque Moons SouthQueen Sheba Injera Catering Frank & LottiFood CultureSonnenHometown SecretTaylor & Smith X AloftKatsu by Lilly Trewartha Borg X Future PerfectRuby & Ava DessertsLa Sardina LocaMarla Singer | Taco TacoTasmanian Juice PressAll Things Cherry (Pies)L’appel WinesWestside Laundry Kaki LimaAnaliese GregorySpittin’ PigTT IslandRude Boy x Punch & LadleDark DogsSpice on WheelsCharcoal OctopusTruffle Farm CateringBicheno BrewingArt of Pizza x Red Brick Road Cider Works DistilleryWarung IndonesiaCrazy SconeLand Nautical DistilleryAtom WinesNectar EaterHeavy Metal Kitchen |