From Bondi’s Best To Jo Barrett: This Festival Is Serving World-Class Talent And Bucket-List Dining

Buckle up, food lovers, because this is not your average food and wine festival lowdown. Set against the region’s breathtaking coastlines, forests and rolling vineyards, the hotly-anticipated Taste Great Southern 2026 is right around the corner. Set to bring a buffet of bold flavours, world-class wines, intimate collabs and the country’s best chefs together to the table, all you have to do is prepare to embark on a tastebud-tingling getaway.

Curated by the clever crew at Ahoy Management, this festival doubles as an invitation to explore the Great Southern your way. From high-end canapés and sparkling with views over the Southern Ocean, to a guided hike through the Porongurup Ranges followed by a gourmet lunch, or a self-paced hop-on, hop-off wine adventure through Denmark’s iconic vineyards, the festival lets you craft a weekend that suits your tastes, pace, and style.

Here’s a taste of the five unmissable experiences you won’t want to miss.

Tides of Taste x Singlefile: Where Culinary Currents Meet

When four culinary heavyweights pack their knives and head south, you know something seriously scrumptious is about to go down. Jo Barrett, Evan Hayter, Paul Iskov and Corey Rozario are cooking up a storm at the ultra-exclusive cliff-top mansion, Maitraya Private Retreat. Overlooking the wild Southern Ocean, expect endless collaboration canapés, an oyster bar overflowing with Leeuwin Coast’s magnificent molluscs, and free-flowing Singlefile wines and Boston Brewing Co. beers for hours on end. It’s not every day the doors to Maitraya swing open, and certainly not for a feast like this one. Get in quick, this one is sure to sell like hot cakes.

Denmark Wine Hop: A Wine-Led Wander Through The Great South

This is one joyride your taste buds will thank you for. The Denmark Wine Hop takes you on a grape-fuelled gallivant through four of the region’s finest: Singlefile, The Lake House, Rockcliffe and Forest Hill. There’ll be buses looping all day, so you can saunter between the cellars at your own pace, with each stop providing a 75ml pour and live music. No arguments over who’s driving—just wine, whimsy and maybe a little wobble by the end of the tour. All that’s left is deciding which winery to use your complimentary food voucher.

Taste Market: The Great Southern Gathered

Albany’s Middleton Beach is turning into a smorgasbord of epic proportions, and you’re invited to come back over and over for seconds, thirds, fourths. You get the picture. Gathering the Great Southern’s finest drops, bites and local legends in one seaside setting, this is the festival’s beating heart. Think premium wine poured by the pros, masterclasses with wine whisperers Cyndal Petty and Emma Farrelly, and endless stalls of creative bites cooked by chefs Luke Foyle (Juanita's), Guy Turland (The Bondi Chef), and Shane Vermaak (Majuba). With Perth’s very own food journo Max Veenhuyzen hosting the Sunday sessions, this edible extravaganza is not to be missed.

Peak To Plate: Hike And Dine With The Bondi Chef

Your daily 10k step count does not take a day off, even when at one of the country’s most delicious festivals. Keep up your cardio with Peak to Plate, a 2.5 hour guided hike of Nancy’s Peak Circuit through the breathtaking Porongurup Ranges, followed by a next-level lunch by legendary chef Guy Turland. After you’ve conquered the climb, you’ll head to Karribank, where The Bondi Chef will be serving up a gourmet feast inspired by the very peaks you just scaled.  Did we mention your meal will be accompanied by Cherubino wines, we mean, can you go wrong? 

Chefs on the Green: Good Food and Friendly Competition

Bowls, banter and brilliant food—this one’s got it all. The Age Good Food Guide's 2024 Chef of the Year, Jo Barrett and WA’s own Jacob Dvauz and Corey Rozario are teaming up for a barefoot banquet on the green, proving that a great meal doesn’t need stuffy service and white tablecloths to impress. Hosted at Denmark Riverside Bowls Club, the day kicks off with a welcome glass from La Violetta and a zero-waste, multi-course long lunch before things roll into a friendly game of barefoot bowls with guests vs chefs. Game on.

There’s more where that came from. From Cold Nips’ sunrise yoga and Southern Ocean dip at Middleton Beach supporting the Foodbank Albany, to Menang/Goreng man Lindsay Dean’s catch-and-cook experiences, whisky tastings at Limeburners, long table lunches at Majuba Bistro, and guided farmers market tours—Taste Great Southern 2026 is a unique celebration of place, produce, and people.

Tickets are limited, and experiences almost always sell out. Start planning your weekend in the Great Southern here and secure your spot for a taste of what the region does best.

Editor’s note: This article is sponsored by Taste Great Southern and proudly endorsed by The Urban List. To find out more about who we work with and why read our editorial policy here.

Images: Jenny Feat.