Tasting Australia and Adelaide University partner for eight unique events

Audience at a Tasting Australia Event

Event details

Tasting Australia
2 - 11 May 2025

Tasting Australia is the country’s longest running eating and drinking festival. A 10-day showcase of everything South Australian: our produce, our people, and our place. Each autumn it invites audiences to step beyond a standard food festival to discover deliciously different experiences that feed their curiosity. In 2025, Adelaide University will team up with Tasting Australia in one of our first major sponsorships. 

Adelaide University is proud to present eight unique masterclasses at Tasting Australia 2025, each telling an important story that connects back to the university. From learning about oyster conservation and waste-free cooking, to trekking across Blewitt Springs visiting winemaker alumni, this year’s slate of events offers new and exciting formats for sampling exquisite food and wine.

Audience at a Tasting Australia event.

About

Arts  Community Festival

For

Community

Session details

Vineyard Safari

A four-wheel drive science field trip where adventure meets education.

More information

Sous Chef! You Chef! With Douglas McMaster

“Waste is a failure of the imagination” - Douglas McMaster, world-renowned UK-based zero-waste pioneer in the food and beverage industry

More information

Australia’s No.1 Riesling Freak

Learn all about top SA winemaker Rieslingfreak, from the pair behind the brand, John & Belinda Hughes.

More information

Moss Wood Family Tree

Taste some of the best wine from one of Western Australia’s most iconic winemakers. Join the Mugford family for a behind the scenes look at their family wine empire, Moss Wood.

More information

Oyster Lunch with Darren Robertson

We’re mixing research with pleasure at the recently opened Taikunthi restaurant on campus, pairing mouth-watering oysters and wine selections with world-class research presentations.

More information

Bravo Barbaresco

Aussie and UoA alum David Fletcher succeeded where many fail – as an expat winemaker in a secluded Italian region known for a particular type of grape. He’s back down under to sample his wines and share tales from abroad.

More information

Sous Chef! You Chef! With Kane Pollard

Inaugural Waite chef in residence takes you on a research-backed and sustainable tour de force of flavour at the cutting-edge Food Innovation Lab at Waite Campus.

More information

Sous Chef! You Chef! With Helly Raichura

It’s all about legumes as Chef Helly helps you cook a menu featuring nutrient-packed legumes while learning about their nitrogen-fixing abilities and how they help enrich soils.  

More information

Speakers

“Waste is a failure of the imagination”

Hailing from the UK, Douglas McMaster opened the world’s first zero-waste restaurant, Silo, in Brighton in 2014. He’s the author of “Silo: The Zero Waste Blueprint”, an inspirational deep dive into sustainable food prep.

John Hughes grew up in Clare Valley, a region known for its amazing Riesling varieties. Along with his partner Belinda Hughes, John pours his passion into each Rieslingfreak offering, taking inspiration from German winemaking techniques.

Hugh Mugford and parents Clare and Keith of Moss Wood will offer three vintages each of their semillon, chardonnay, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon varieties, showcasing their taste evolution over time. Hugh will offer insights into the winery –- one of Western Australia’s most iconic, and delve into the history of Moss Wood’s 1969-planted vines.

The first Waite Chef in Residence, Kane is a pioneer in the sustainable cooking space in South Australia. Whether he’s whipping up new concoctions for Topiary or serving up research-backed dishes in Waite, Kane is on the cutting edge of new-age cuisine.

Helly combines sustainability with research, leading a nutrient-packed cooking class that incorporates nitrogen fixation in legumes, a discovery that could revolutionise agriculture. Helly is known for Enter Via Laundry, her fine-dining Indian restaurant in Melbourne.

A Michelin-star trained chef from London, Darren Robertson brought his skills to Australia in 2001, training at the acclaimed Tetsuya’s in Sydney, voted the 5th best restaurant in the world in 2007. He now runs Three Blue Ducks in Sydney, a humble café on the coast that priorities ethical and sustainable practices.

Event highlights

Tasting Australia Event
Tasting Australia Event
Tasting Australia Event
Tasting Australia Event

About Tasting Australia

Tasting Australia is a longstanding annual tradition that showcases South Australian cuisine and wine, drawing guests from around Australia and the world. There’s a range of events to attend, and you can always stop by Town Square for a wander, the official Tasting Australia Festival Hub.

Discover Tasting Australia