The details
The Flavours of Summer Festival, which runs from January 8–28, will shine the spotlight on the best of the Lockyer Valley’s produce by showcasing the season’s most delicious varieties of food, wine and beer. Working with the region’s best local suppliers, producers and retailers, Spicers Hidden Vale will host the three-week-long food festival, which will feature daily activations and events for both in-house guests and day visitors, with everything from hands-on foodie demonstrations (like sourdough and gourmet-sausage making) to moon-lit feasting dinners, cheese tastings, outdoor movies, lawn games, poolside charcuterie sessions and Ink gin cocktail-making classes. If you book a stay during the festival (January 8–28), you’ll be given access to the festival’s full itinerary of events. From Friday to Sunday each week, the activities will open up as ticketed events to the public, which will include a three-course dining experience at the on-site hatted restaurant Homage. The festival will peak on Australia Day weekend, with everything from whip-cracking demonstrations to a delicious Aussie barbecue challenge and ‘seafood and semillon’ by the pool.
The foodie stuff
For the uninitiated, Spicers Hidden Vale is a foodie haven. Its on-site restaurant, Homage, recently received one hat in the 2018 National Good Food Guide. You don’t have to be staying there to experience the Homage goodness – you can venture out there for breakfast, lunch or dinner any day. There is a genuine paddock-to-plate vibe here – everything from the sourdough bread to the salted butter is made on site, and you’ll often see the chefs frolicking in the market garden of a morning to get the best produce for the day’s menu. Head chef Ash Martin is all about preserving the purity and flavours of the local region, so if it’s not grown on site, then it’s sourced from the immediate region. For the Flavours of Summer Festival, the Homage team will be taking the deliciousness to new heights, hosting food masterclasses, market garden tours, pool-side charcuterie sessions, as well as Friday night feasting dinners in the glorious old barn.
The location
Spicers Hidden Vale is located about an hour from Brisbane, and it’s a pretty scenic and chilled drive. The property is about 12,000 acres (yeah, it’s massive) with an historic Australian homestead at the heart. A series of restored colonial cottages (with all the modern fixtures and finishings) are dotted across the site, with views over the Lockyer Valley. For the Flavours of Summer Festival, the property will be activated across all corners – so expect everything from sipping Ink gin while playing bocce on the lawn, to dining in the historic barn, adventure walks, and sipping Aperol spritzers by the elevated pool.
Keen to experience the Flavours of Summer Festival? Head online for bookings and more info.
