Council beefs up Omeo event

Omeo Region Business and Tourism Association, with the support of East Gippsland Shire Council, will run its first Omeo High Country Paddock to Plate Roast and Farmers’ Market on Sunday March 10, 2019.

Supported by Council to the tune of $10,000 annually for the next three years under its Regional And District Events Sponsorship (RADES) program, the event is to highlight the Omeo Region’s High Country beef.

Organisers will host a celebrity chef who specialises in using beef to produce a four-course long lunch showcasing local beef and other speciality produce of the area.

A farmers’ market with up to 30 stallholders selected for their unique produce and crafts will also be held.

East Gippsland Shire Mayor Cr Joe Rettino said the event, to be held during the same week as the nationally significant High Country calf sales, would build on East Gippsland and the High Country’s standing as food producer and tourist destination of note.

“Our High Country beef is a credit to the producers and an event such as the paddock to plate ‘Roast’, which will attract food writers and critics, will only enhance our reputation to a broader audience,” Cr Rettino said.

Other events to be held in the region in March include the annual Hinnomunjie Picnic Races on the Saturday of the March long weekend (March 9), followed by two days of calf sales at Benambra, Hinnomunjie, Omeo and Ensay, and the Ensay producers’ dinner.