This week’s dream: a fabulous food festival Down Under

It was founded only five years ago, and takes place in one of the most remote corners of the planet. But Western Australia’s Gourmet Escape Food Festival has already established a global reputation, says Sean Thomas in The Times – attracting big name chefs from as far afield as the UK and the US to the Margaret River wine region, where it is held each November. Last year, Nigella Lawson and Rick Stein turned up, while Heston Blumenthal, an earlier attendee, has described it as the best event of its kind in the world. Vineyards were first planted in this area in the 1960s, and artisanal cheesemakers, excellent bakers and “inspiring” restaurateurs followed. The superb quality and diversity of the local produce is key to the festival’s appeal – along with the beauty of the surrounding landscape.

Lying 170 miles south of Perth, Margaret River is serene and verdant, like an “emptier, sunnier” Sussex with elements of the Basque country. A spectacular hiking trail runs the length of its coastline, passing by magnificent cliffs, coves and “alluring” beaches. There’s no end of swimming, bird-watching, and kayaking to do, as well as famously good surfing. Inland lie forests of huge karri trees, with “tranquil”, dappled tracks that are great for cycling on fatbikes. And a canoe ride on the river itself will take you past cascades, buttercup glades and sacred Aboriginal backwaters.

The food festival itself includes idyllic beachside events, where people kick off their shoes and sip white wine in the surf, and others at wineries such as Leeuwin Estate, which has “Glyndebourne-like” grounds. The pavilions are packed with people sampling, shucking, guzzling, nibbling, laughing and dancing. A ceaseless whirligig of gourmet pleasures, it is like partying in a Garden of Eden that even boasts “very generous” measures of excellent local gin. For more information, see www.gourmetescape.com.au and www.westernaustralia.com.