International TV Food Show to Give Millions a Taste of Australia

Eric Ripert

One of America's most influential food figures is taking food lovers from more than 40 countries on a personal culinary tour of Australia, in a new TV food show which has just gone to air in the United States this week.

The 12-part series, Avec Eric, follows the culinary adventures of Michelin three-star chef, author and TV personality Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin restaurant in New York City as he traverses the globe searching for creative inspiration. Australia is featured in half of the 12 episodes.

Ripert was one of 80 influential and respected international food and wine VIPs invited to Australia by Tourism Australia late last year, as part of its Restaurant Australia campaign.

During the visit and featured in the series, Ripert enjoyed a range of diverse Australian culinary experiences across the length and breadth of the country, filmed in natural settings using fresh produce and local ingredients harvested from land and sea:

• Heli-fishing in the Northern Territory;
• A food and wine safari on South Australia's Kangaroo Island;
• Learning about the culinary traditions of Aboriginal Australians in Western Australia's Margaret River region, and sampling some of the region's best wine and produce; 
• The innovative global dining scene of Sydney and fly-fishing in New South Wales' Southern Highlands with award winning local chef James Viles;
• Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market and eclectic laneway eateries plus famous Blackmore Wagyu beef; 
• Joining 80 of the world's most influential and respected food and wine VIPs at Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania, to sample a spectacular menu created by Ben Shewry, Peter Gilmore and Neil Perry AM.

Eric Ripert said that Australia was a thriving culinary destination and one that he'd wanted to explore for a long time.

"From the rich history, culture, and vastly diverse landscapes, Australia is home to one of the world's most vibrant dining scenes and finest ingredients harvested from both land and sea," he said.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O'Sullivan said that Eric Ripert and his award-winning show provided an ideal platform to showcase the 'people, produce and places' which make Australian food and wine experiences so distinctive and unique.

“What better way to help tell Australia's great food and wine stories than using the powerful lens of such a renowned and respected figure as Eric Ripert and his award-winning Avec Eric food show.

“After its US premier, this show will be distributed to more than 40 other countries, reaching an estimated global audience of million viewers. This is exactly the outcome we were hoping for when we first conceived the idea of inviting the world's most influential food and wine figures to dinner down under, as part of our Restaurant Australia campaign,” Mr O'Sullivan said.

The Emmy® and James Beard-award winning series Avec Eric airs on in the US on Yahoo! and the Cooking Channel from 28 February 2015. The show, produced by ACE Content, has been supported by Tourism Australia's state and territory tourism partners as well as Virgin Australia and Wine Australia.