A Taste of River Cottage in Coffs

Real food champion, chef and media personality Paul West will be joining local food producers and providers at the popular annual FoodCon industry event this month.

Well-known as the former host of self-sufficiency lifestyle programme ‘A River Cottage Australia’, Paul is a great supporter of locally-grown and sourced food, sustainable agriculture, community and regional living.

The trained chef-turned-farmer will share his personal journey of growing, cooking and sharing farm-fresh produce with fellow food producers and providers from the Coffs region. Mr West said industry-only events like FoodCon were essential to grow the popular paddock-to-plate movement.

“Across the country there is a growing appetite for locally grown produce and value-added food,” he said. “Every region has its unique food offering thanks to its climate and geography and the Coffs region is one of few that can boast a complete coast to country food offering.

“But behind every successful food growing region is a collective of passionate growers, producers, chefs and providores dedicated to producing sustainable food and showcasing the best their region has to offer. I’m excited to be part of FoodCon, which is such a terrific opportunity for Coffs food producers and providers to connect, collaborate and grow their local industry together.”

Other guest speakers for the day include Rose Wright, a highly respected thought leader in agri and culinary tourism and Airlie Trescowthick, a young farmer and innovator, committed to making a difference to Australian agriculture through her online platforms ‘Farm Table’ and ‘Farmer Exchange’. Airlie will join the event on the big screen via Skype from her farm in Deniliquin.

Organised by Coffs Harbour City Council to highlight the growing Mid-North Coast food industry, FoodCon 2018 will also feature local industry speakers, ‘meet and mingle’ networking opportunities and the hugely-successful ‘Producers’ Expo’ showcasing local produce and products.

“The event is an opportunity for people across the food value chain to connect, exhibit products and services to potential markets, as well as collaborate and inspire the future direction for our region’s food journey,” said Fiona Barden, Section Leader for Council’s Industry and Destination Development team.

“Our focus this year is collaboration and we’ll be exploring ideas around how food businesses can partner to grow their own business, grow the industry sectors and grow our regions’ food economy,” she said.

FoodCon 2018 is open to food producers and providers and will be held on Monday, November 26 2018, at Coffs Harbour Showground from 8am – 3pm. Entry is free for industry, but pre-registration is essential via www.foodcon.com.au