MEDIA NOTIFICATION
PHOTO CALL: FRIDAY 21 AUGUST AT 2PM AT Ba8 SHANGRI-LA HOTEL
Media are invited to a ‘meet and greet’ with Masterchef judge and accomplished chef, Gary Mehigan – whose celebrity status hit fever pitch in the tropical north recently with his four course lunch selling out in just three hours. Gary will share his stories about Masterchef and his feelings about food, fresh produce and in particular, his passion to ‘cook’.
PIP MILLER PR 0419 681543
CELEBRITY CHEF GARY MEHIGAN
Foodie events take celebrity status at Festival Cairns this year with chef Gary Mehigan from TV’s Masterchef a draw card on the opening weekend; giving two, free, half-hour cooking demonstrations at The Pier’s Farmgate Markets on Saturday 22 August at 9.30am and 11am and the following day, crafting his Food Essentials menu, as part of the Regional Food Showcase, for a SELL OUT ticketed lunch at Sebel Reef House & Spa (a highlight of Festival Cairns newcomer, Taste of Palm Cove).
Cairns’ newest local food market, Farmgate, will be the venue for the charismatic Gary to turn his hand to the region’s fresh seasonal produce. The Saturday morning market specialises in locally produced and manufactured food plus agricultural value-added products sourced within a 200km radius of Cairns.
Get ready for a pressure cooker cook-off with Gary donning his Masterchef hat to adjudicate as keen local cooks battle for the title of Festival Cairns Masterchef.
Sample the British-trained chef’s creations the following day at Taste of Palm Cove. A special ticketed lunch created and crafted by Gary will be presented at Sebel Reef House and complemented by Stoneleigh Wines. Gary believes that food should be fun, nurturing and the reason people come together to celebrate life and good times. As special guest of this exclusive lunch, Gary will swap frying pans for a microphone to chat about food, life and of course, Masterchef.
- Saturday 22 August: Farmgate Market Cooking Demonstrations 9.30am and 11.00am
- Sunday 23 August: Sebel Reef House & Stoneleigh Wines Ticketed Lunch from 12 noon. SOLD OUT
As well as his role as judge for Channel Ten’s new Masterchef series, Melbourne-based Gary has a regular cooking role on Channel Ten’s 9am with David & Kim, appears in the first series of Boys Weekend which airs in more than 12 countries. His series Good Chef, Bad Chef, which he completed in 2007, has been bought by several overseas networks including UK FoodTV, and is due to go into a second series in 2009.
For more information go to www.festivalcairns.com.au
As event manager of Festival Cairns 2009, Cairns Regional Council gratefully acknowledges the support of major sponsors Arts Queensland, Queensland State Government, Ergon Energy and Pacific Toyota.
Ends
For more information:
Belinda Griffin, Festival Cairns Coordinator
T: 07 4044 3593 M: 0407 966 530 E: festival@cairns.qld.gov.au
www.cairns.qld.gov.au www.festivalcairns.com.au
Issued by:
Pip Miller PR
T: 07 4032 4400 M: 0419 681543 E: pip@pipmillerpr.com.au