If you’re familiar with the Margaret River Region, you’ll know it’s home to fine wine, excellent produce and beautiful natural landscapes. And this November, the region is playing host to a brand new festival that combines the best of all three. Pair’d brings with it an exciting line-up of events – it’s hard to know where to start. We’ve done some of the legwork for you, though: here are some of the best events to check out when the festival is on, from November 14 to 17.
Set against the backdrop of Castle Bay, Margaret’s Beach Club brings indulgent dining to a beachside setting. During the day, bask in the sun with music from Ken Fan, DJ at Ibiza’s Cafe Del Mar. Or have your wine and food with a sunset view, with evening sessions featuring live performances from Blur bassist Alex James, who now moonlights as a cheesemaker and winemaker. Chefs Dave Pynt, Aaron Carr, Ben Ing and Ben Jacob are also putting on seafood barbeque spreads, and it wouldn’t be a Pair’d event without a selection of fine Margaret River Region wines, curated by sommelier Cyndal Petty.
Underneath the towering trees of Tanah Marah, this four-course feast showcases foraged and fermented local ingredients, all hand-picked by Noma alumni David Zilber, Ben Ing and Paul Iskov. Wadandi custodian Zac Webb will also offer a traditional Welcome to Country and share stories about the land as each course rolls out. The setting is as much a part of the experience as the food, with each dish designed to honour the natural bounty of the region, diving into the heart of Western Australia’s rich heritage and landscape.
This one’s for the wine lovers – or anyone who wants to improve their knowledge for the next time the drink order falls to them. Family-owned Howard Park Wines brings together the crème de la crème of Margaret River Region’s wineries for one long, leisurely afternoon. Opera singer and cookbook author Silvia Colloca will set the scene with live music, while the wines to sample will range from bestsellers to one-off special drops; all of them will be available to purchase and take home on the day. Plus, there’ll also be unlimited dishes to complement the wines.
If you’re looking to change up from your typical wine and food pairings, New Wave Gathering is the event for you. Bringing together some of Margaret River Region’s most avant-garde winemakers and culinary changemakers, this sunset event is an eclectic celebration of experimental food and wine. Chef Andy Hearnden (aka Andy Cooks on Tiktok) has collaborated on the menu while Nick Ryan provides wine insights. Brian Cole, Grant Smillie and Attica’s Ben Shewry will DJ throughout the night.
It wouldn’t be a food festival without street eats, and Night Hawker is the place to be. It’s a collaboration set to bring together some of Australia’s favourite chefs – including Dan Hong, Mal Chow and Rosheen Kaul – to serve up a huge array of Asian street food-inspired dishes. Designed to take you on a culinary journey through different regions, the offering includes dumplings, skewers and more. Eagle Bay Brewing Co will be on-site serving local beers, alongside wine from House of Cards to enjoy alongside the eats. Different DJs will play rotating sets of hip-hop, R’n’B and K-pop tunes throughout the night.
Tickets are on sale now and selling fast. See the full line-up and plan your
visit.
This article is produced by Broadsheet in partnership with Pair’d Festival.
