Now the Carnivale is Over..

Port really knows how to party! …and at the end of this year’s Port Douglas Carnivale there is one thing for sure; this event has proven to become highly successful as a food festival of the region. With some adjustment to moving Food Wine and a Taste of Port forward to the first weekend and adding two new food events to the end of the 10 day festivities, it did not deter the throng of Port locals, Cairns and interstate visitors to the sell out events.

What a lot of fun there was at the Food Fight at the Sugar Wharf on Thursday evening? Organised by a group of restaurateurs called “Eat Port”, they decided that it was time the industry worked together to promote their establishment. 300 people showed up to barrack for their favourite restaurant, which incidentally was won by Tommy Young of 2 Fish Restaurant; it’s an event definitely not to be missed next year.

Eight rivalling chefs of the Food Fight called‘surrender’ the next evening, to present a stunning eight course degustation menu to 160 guests at Rex Smeal Park. The highlight was the previously filmed cooking demonstration of each course in the respective chef’s kitchens and beamed up on screen before the presentation of the dish. Another excellent event.

Despite the economic downturn of the region, it was encouraging to see a total sell-out of all Carnivale events and the great support for the Port Douglas restaurant industry. …and not to forget that only a week prior to Carnivale, Sea Temple Port Douglas hosted celebrity chef Manu Fiedel for a cooking demonstration luncheon for over 100 guests and dinner for 140 guests. It appears Port is draw card for food.