South Australia to host two-day culinary itinerary for World's 50 Best Restaurants Academy

The group of media and influencers who chair the voting panels for the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards, known as The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, will visit South Australia from 6 to 8 April 2017 for a two-day itinerary with the support of Tourism Australia and the South Australian Tourism Commission.

The 26 Academy Chairs, many of whom are considered influential food journalists, will experience the best of the region’s vineyards in the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley, meet with local producers and South Australian chefs, and dine in some of the state’s best restaurants as part of their two-day annual general meeting.

The official Academy Dinner, a key event in the two-day program, will be held on Friday 7 April at Hentley Farm, one of South Australia’s best restaurants. Other highlights of the program include: Wild Adelaide Welcome Feast in the Adelaide Hills with Duncan Welgemoed from Africola cooking wild South Australian produce over fire; a bush breakfast with kangaroos; and a helicopter tour over the Barossa, landing at the famous Steingarten Vineyard for a St Hugo Riesling tasting experience.

Tourism Australia Managing Director John O’Sullivan said, “South Australia is providing an exceptional itinerary that will further highlight Australia’s incredible restaurant, food and wine scene to some of the world’s most influential identities. Following the Academy Chairs’ visit to South Australia, they will also have the opportunity to visit another Australian region, with the aim of them leaving Australia as long-term ambassadors of our food and wine”.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants will be held in Melbourne in April 2017, with more than 200 of the most influential people in the global restaurant industry visiting Australia for the program of events. The gala awards night will be held at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building on the evening of 5 April 2017. The Academy Chair trip to South Australia will complete the official event program.

South Australian Minister for Tourism Leon Bignell said the visit to South Australia would be a major highlight of the panel’s visit to Australia.

“It's fantastic to welcome some of the world's best known food and wine influencers to Adelaide,” Minister Bignell said. “We are the wine capital of Australia and our food scene is attracting talented chefs from around the world who are choosing to make South Australia home. Our fresh ingredients coupled with premium wine and craft beverages will be sure to impress these visitors as they visit our city and regions.”

Wine Australia, Official Wine Partner of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, will invite 50 of the best sommeliers in the world to discover Australia’s incredible wine offering in April. The group will include sommeliers from The World’s 50 Best Restaurants, the Best Sommelier in the World competition and top sommeliers in New Zealand and Australia. Wine Australia has also selected a panel of renowned Australian wine experts to choose the wines being served across the official program of events.

The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is compiled from the votes of The World’s 50 Best Restaurant Academy, comprised of over 1,000 members, each selected for their expert opinion of the international restaurant scene by the 26 Academy Chairs. The Academy Chairs are appointed for their knowledge of their part of the restaurant world, and are some of the most influential people in food and restaurants globally.

As part of The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Australia program, the visiting chefs and media will have the opportunity to take part in a country-wide tour, taking in some of Australia’s best food and wine experiences. Tourism Australia will also be hosting an additional 30 high profile food and wine media from across 15 key markets.

Some of the experiences they will enjoy include:

• Beach dining and flying over the Great Ocean Road and Twelve Apostles, diving for abalone, cooking on the beach and meals at Brae and The Royal Mail Hotel.
• Exploring NSW’s 300km-long South Coast Oyster Trail, meeting local growers and sampling oysters fresh from the waters of Pambula and Tathra along the way.
• Incredible dining feasts in secluded locations only accessible by helicopter in the Northern Territory.
• Barramundi fishing, dining under the stars at El Questro and enjoying the ultimate in outback indulgence at Berkeley River Lodge with heli-fishing in remote locations in the Kimberley in far north Western Australia.
• Sailing, snorkelling and diving the Great Barrier Reef, feasting on the best seafood.
• Art meets food in Tasmania with seafood, farmers market and Hobart’s world-class Museum of Old and New Art (Mona).
• Cellar door tour of famed Clonakilla winery, and a tour of Australia’s largest indigenous art collection at the National Gallery of Australia and sampling coffee by Australia’s Barista Champion.
• Discovering the best of South Australia’s fresh produce, unique flavours and acclaimed wine, including the Barossa’s newest luxury cellar door and dining experience at St Hugo as well as a visit to Australia’s seafood capital on a hunt-and-gather seafood experience.