TRUFFLE MASTER CLASSES - $149.00 per person per class

The festival masterclasses are back, offering a rare opportunity to watch as WA truffles are prepared and used in a range of interesting dishes. Sit back and relax as one of Australia’s best-known chefs cooks up a storm with fresh truffles and then taste the results of his labours! We’re delighted that this year’s master chefs are Alain Fabregues of The Loose Box and Shannon Bennett of Melbourne’s Vue de Monde. Each will take two classes.

Friday 1 August
10.30am - 12.30pm  Alain Fabrègues, Loose Box Restaurant
2:30pm - 4:30pm        Alain Fabrègues, Loose Box Restaurant

Alain Fabrègues, the Loose Box, Mundaring, WA

Chef Fabrègues has received two knighthoods, in 1994 from President Mitterrand and in 2003 from President Chirac, and is an MOF.   The Loose Box has twice been awarded the title of Best Restaurant in Australia.  Alain has also recently been admitted to the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association's Hall of Fame. 

Alain, a natural chef, started cooking as a child of six, helping his grandmother make patés. His family has a tradition of cooking which dates back to Napoleonic days (his great-great grandmother cooked for Napoleon's army). Alain was an apprentice in Bordeaux, and later went on to work with various masters of French cuisine. Alain's education and apprenticeship was under the late Jean Delaveyne, the noted master. He is also the recipient of many awards which include the Meilleur Ouvrier de France 1991, the Mérite Agricole 1994, and the Mérite National 2004. Named Chef of the Year for four consecutive years, Alain was recently admitted to the Restaurant and Catering Industry Association's Hall of Fame.

Download Mini Tasting Menu

Bookings required - Telephone (08) 9295 0202
Venue - The Civic Centre (Jacoby St)

Saturday 2 August
10:30am - 12:30pm   Shannon Bennett, Vue de Monde, Melbourne
2:30pm - 4:30pm       Shannon Bennett, Vue de Monde, Melbourne

Shannon Bennett

Shannon's restaurant, Vue de Monde in Melbourne, Australia is testament to the belief that restaurant food can be a wondrous, unforgettable experience.  Without compromise in his principles or ingredients, Shannon has fashioned his own innovative way of cooking, matching the efforts of acknowledged masters worldwide.

Vue de Monde was awarded Restaurant of the Year, three hats and an unprecedented 19/20 in The Age Good Food Guide 2007.   Vue de Monde was awarded Restaurant of the Year by Australian Gourmet Traveller for 2006 and again in 2007.  This is the first time in the award's history that it as been won two years in a row by the same restaurant.  Vue de Monde also won the national awards for Restaurant of the Year and Fine Dining Restaurant of the Year in the 2005 Restaurant and Catering Awards for Excellence.

Shannon's philosophy at Vue de monde is to provide a dining experience that is theatrical and that cannot be replicated in the home environment.  Shannon achieves this through his dedication to the dining experience as a whole, from the sourcing of rare ingredients to his uncompromising approach to classical technique, and his commitment to the very best restaurant service including crockery, cutlery and glassware.

Download Mini Tasting Menu

Bookings required - Telephone (08) 9295 0202
Venue - The Civic Centre (Jacoby St)

PERTH HILLS WINE SHOW

The annual Perth Hills Wine Show is the largest event in the Perth Hills Vignerons' calendar and showcases 20 local wineries and over 100 wines. This is also one of very few regional wine shows where you can buy as well as taste the wines.

The entry fee includes a quality etched tasting glass, a catalogue and free tastings. There will be door prizes of wines throughout the weekend.

Wine - Perth Hills wine will be available for purchase by glass or bottle

GALA TRUFFLE DINNER

Two of the Perth Hills' finest dining rooms are offering exclusive dining events which  showcase fresh local truffles and fine wine.
                                   
The Loose Box offers a truffle-themed menu throughout the season,   but on the Friday and Saturday of the festival, it is hosting two very special seven-course truffle gala dinners priced at $300, which includes matched French wines.

The Darlington Estate Winery is offering a special six-course truffle dinner on the Thursday and Friday of the festival. The cost is $169 for food only, $199 with Darlington Estate wines or $249 with guest wines.

Bookings &             The Loose Box: Ph (08) 9295 1787,
Media enquiries:    Darlington Estate Winery: Ph (08) 9299 6268

Thursday 31 July
7:30pm        Darlington Estate Winery, 39 Nelson Road, Darlington
(Bookings directly with Darlington Estate on 9299 6268)
6 courses - Download Menu HERE
Price $169 food only / with Darlington Est wine $199 / with guest wine $249
Website: www.darlingtonestate.com.au

Friday 1 August
7:00pm        The Loose Box, Great Eastern Hwy, Mundaring
(Bookings directly with The Loose Box on 9295 1787)
7 Courses - Download Menu HERE
Price $300 matched with French wines
Website: www.loosebox.com.au

7:30pm        Darlington Estate Winery, 39 Nelson Road, Darlington
(Bookings directly with Darlington Estate on 9299 6268)
6 courses - Download Menu HERE
Price $169 food only / with Darlington Est wine $199 / with guest wine $249
Website: www.darlingtonestate.com.au

Saturday 2 August
7:00pm        The Loose Box, Great Eastern Hwy, Mundaring
(Bookings directly with The Loose Box on 9295 1787)
7 Courses - Download Menu HERE
Price $300 matched with French wines.
Website: www.loosebox.com.au

SLOW FOOD "Down the Road Luncheon"

Join Slow Food Perth Convivium for a leisurely and casual long table luncheon which celebrates local produce and fresh WA truffles. Perth Hills' wines will be available for purchase by the glass or bottle.

When:	Sat 12.30pm
Where:	Slow Food Tent, Sculpture Park, Mundaring
Cost:	$69, wine extra.
Bookings:

1. Appetiser pickled zucchini and feta with sun-dried tomatoes (made in the Hills at a Slow Food workshop event Feb 2008)
2. Entrée: a trio of bruschetta; fungi with fresh truffles; liver pate; traditional
3. Main: Polenta with lamb and a fresh truffle sauce

OLIVE OIL APPRECIATION - with Arnaud Courtin

Arnaud Courtin is an expert on olive oil and one of the owners of York Olive Oil Co. Taste, try and learn the differences between various oils, and the varieties and uses of olives. 

PIZZA MAKING CLASSES with Theo

Let award-winning pizza king Theo Kalogeracos of the renowned Little Caesar's Pizzeria in Mundaring show you the secrets of making savoury and sweet pizzas. Theo has twice been named World's Best Pizza Make and will give you some great ideas about what you can do with the not-so-humble-pizza! The class includes tastings.

TRUFFLE INFORMATION SEMINAR

The History, Mystery and Science of Truffle Cultivation

Professor Nick Malajczuk is a forest microbiologist. He also happens to knows more about truffle-growing than anyone else in Australia. Nick has travelled extensively around Europe and Australia, consulting with truffle farmers and sharing his knowledge. Join him for a rare and fascinating presentation about the black truffle, its history, cultivation and future.

GOURMET PRODUCE MARKETS

Sculpture Park will be transformed into a lively marketplace offering tastings and sales of gourmet produce. Taste before you buy and chat to over 30 producers as you discover fresh and unusual products from the Perth Hills region and beyond.

SLOW FOOD TENT

All too often, our food comes from cans and packets. Visit the Slow Food Tent for a closer look at how real food is produced. A range of interactive thought-provoking displays are aimed at showing children where our food comes from, along with giving children and adults alike an opportunity to explore the five senses. Visit the Slow Food Market Cafe to purchase and enjoy great coffee and some slow food treats while you take a look at the giant fungi sculpture.

TRUFFLE DOG DEMONSTRATION

The Wine & Truffle Co operates the largest trufferie in the southern hemisphere and uses dogs to harvest its truffles. Come along and see the company's highly-trained truffle dogs put through their paces. 

WINE & TRUFFLE CO CAFE`

Feeling peckish? The Wine & Truffle Co cafe will be selling some very special truffle dishes on both days of the festival.  Visit the WTC tent throughout the weekend to buy and enjoy free tastings of other WTC truffle products.

TRUFFLES GALORE!

See and smell a fresh truffle, guess its weight and win a prize, pick up free truffle recipes and browse through a range of truffle- and fungi-themed merchandise.

GIANT FUNGI SCULPTURE

Bridget Waters is Western Australia's best-known food artist. Visit the Slow Food Market Cafe and watch as Bridget creates a giant sculpture made from fresh mushrooms.

FREE FUNGI WALK

Join Roz Hart from the Perth Urban Bushlands Fungi Project on a free Fungi Walk, Sunday August 3rd from 10am - 12 noon. It is anticipated Perth Urban Bushlands Fungi volunteers will take participants through the Black Cockatoo Reserve (TBC) and will discuss and identify different fungi varieties prevalent in the Hills.

When:	Sunday 3 August 10:00am - 12:00pm
Where:	Mundaring Arts Centre
Cost:	This is a free event
Bookings:

TRUFFLE TREASURE HUNT BY BIKE

Families, groups and individuals are invited to join the Munda Biddi Trail Foundation for an afternoon of healthy fun as you explore the Munda Biddi Bike Trail, which conveniently begins right at the CWA hut in Sculpture Park, the heart of the festival. Using your free Munda Biddi Treasure Map, you will bike your way down to Mundaring Weir, picking up clues and answering questions along the way.

Register as an individual, family, group or couple and win some great prizes.

Download Registration Form here

THE MUNDARING MAGICAL FOREST

The forest offers a wealth of free activities for the festival's younger visitors. Activities include storytelling, face painting, arts and crafts, a bubble machine, a wishing well, and lawn displays. Listen to some interesting educational fun facts about fungi and the enchanted forest where the fairies, elves, and witches live. Keep your eyes open and you might just see them!

SEEN AND HEARD HEAD SPACE

Seen and Heard Youth Space 
Seen and Heard is a program funded by the Shire of Mundaring and delivered to the community via Parkerville Children and Youth Care. For young people aged 12-20 to hang out and meet new people. Activities include jewelry making, bucking bull, sport, art and craft, games and prizes.

MUNDARING ARTS CENTRE

The vibrant Mundaring Arts Centre showcases one of the State's most impressive ranges of art and craft. Throughout the festival weekend, the art centre will be open to the public and is also hosting a range of special fungi-themed workshops, demonstrations and exhibitions. A free guided fungi walk also leaves from the art centre. Details follow.

Drawing & printmaking with food for children

Designed for the young at heart, these workshops explore ways to create cards, pictures, prints & imagery out of fungi, vegetables, jelly crystals, food coloring and pasta, with a special emphasis on the mushroom. This is art at its very best: easy, chemical free, fast & fun opening worlds of possibilities for home projects for both young people & their parents alike. Four sessions of 45 minutes' duration will run over the Saturday, with a 30 minute break between sessions. Maximum group size: 15.

Exhibition of fungi-dyed textiles

An installation of Fungi dyed textiles by West Australian artists. Local artists will transform the Community Room walls into a textile installation featuring information and samples of fungi dyes and techniques. An absolute treat for the kids and visual feast for the adults showing you anything is possible; so make sure you pop in to have a look!

Fungi-dyed textiles with Donna Franklin

Donna takes a scientific approach to fungi and actually grows fungi onto the fabric. She will demonstrate the amazing possibilities of dying textiles with fungi spores. See a Puff Ball dyeing demonstration and view spores under a microscope.

Fabric Dyeing Demonstration

Peggy Buckingham, Liz Odd and Heather Davis of Feltwest cook up a truffle textile treat with a fun, fungi dyeing demonstration. Be one of the first people to witness what colour truffle dye is. Learn about the affects of different mordants and fungi on a variety of fabrics."