Bay joins global Taste family

CALLING all food fanatics, drinks devotees, cuisine queens, gourmands and gastronomes: Taste is heading your way! This international culinary festival, considered by many to be an unforgettable experience of foodie and restaurant heaven, will now also be held in Port Elizabeth.

With the festival set to take place at the Boardwalk Entertainment Complex from March 6 to 8 next year, the Bay will be joining a global list of Taste festival cities stretching from Sydney to Mumbai. These unique events see each host city's top restaurants and chefs gather under one roof to present their signature dishes to thousands of visitors.

The experience, cuisine and atmosphere of each festival is unique to the city in which it is held, and Port Elizabeth is expected to be no different.

"We have gone out of our way to represent the culinary delights of the Eastern Cape, ensuring this year's event will be the start of an annual celebration that will become the most eagerly anticipated culinary occasion of the year," Taste festival director Justine Drake said.

Taste of London was launched first, in 2004, with other major cities across the world following suit. These include Johannesburg which has hosted a festival since 2007, followed by Durban and Cape Town in quick succession.

Taste has set new benchmarks for food and drinks worldwide, with 25 festivals now being hosted around the globe.

When the Bay gets its turn next year, eight top restaurants and a selection of hand-picked gourmet food producers from the city will be tasked with creating a host of dishes to thoroughly tickle visitors' taste buds.

And, as with the other festivals, there will be a wide range of exhibitors, craft brewers, artisan producers, premium drinks brands and award-winning wineries represented to provide a bounty of the country's finest food and drinks on offer.

Visitors will essentially be able to sample and shop for a range of produce in the laid-back atmosphere of a boutique food market.

"We have set out to capture and showcase the outstanding passion for good food, the exquisite and varied expanse of coastal cuisine as well as the rustic delights of small inland towns, to provide a delectable offering that is unique to the city and local region," Drake said.

Tickets at R80, which will include a tasting glass, may be booked at www.itickets.co.za, and for more information on the event, visit www.tasteofpe.com

You may also follow @TasteOfPE on Twitter or like TasteofPE on Facebook for regular updates.