Normally a fairly sleepy town, Kenilworth was bustling on Easter Saturday. And with good reason – not only was it a gloriously warm and sunny day, Easter Saturday was the day of the Kenilworth Cheese Wine and Food Fest.

About a 40 minute drive from Noosa, this annual event is a celebration of Mary Valley produce, a veritable farm-to-fork feast, as well as a great day out for the whole family. Centred around the renowned Kenilworth Cheese Factory, the festival comprises of a diverse selection of stallholders and activities including a Cheester Egg Hunt, a Cheese Rolling Contest and Line Dancing. There was something for everyone!

Persimmons

But I was there for the food: with passionate growers and producers on site to talk about their wares, stalls selling gourmet goodies from jams to bush-tucker, wine and cheese tastings, and cooking demonstrations, this foodie was not disappointed.

Locally made jams & preserves

The stalls offered a diversity of local produce, including Eumundi Beef (Grass Fed Mary Valley Beef), Moffatdale Ridge Winery (wines and liqueurs), Dagan Growers Market (organic fruit and vegetables), Witjuti Grub Bushfood Nursery (native food plants and products) and Cedar Creek Farm Bush Foods (Bush Food Cooking).

Witjuti Grub Bushfood Nursery

My purchases (amongst other things) included a Roasted Macadamia Liqueur (quintessentially Sunshine Coast) , a jar of Rosella Jam (divine on toasted sourdough) and some beautiful persimmons. Brunch was cooked by Peter Wolfe from Cedar Creek Farm, and comprised of various goodies made using bushfoods including Macadamia Satay Crocodile Spring Rolls, Roo Parcels, Bunya Nut Felafel and Bush-Tomato Chutney. I was pleased with my choices, as it was all very tasty indeed.

Bushfood cooking at the Cedar Creek stall

After some colourful conversations with some of the local characters and bumping into several friends, it was indeed a very pleasant few hours. Mark your diary for next year’s Kenilworth Cheese Wine & Food Fest: Saturday March 30th 2013.

For more information:
www.kenilworthfoodfest.org.au