Overview
Tasmania is home to brilliant restaurants and cafes that rival the mainland's best. And if you're looking to get a richer understanding of where phenomenal food actually comes from, there really is no better place.
With the island's inland farms and coastal regions bursting with remarkable produce, Tassie is full of growers ready to guide you through an enlightening, hands-on adventure that will give you a unique culinary and agrarian perspective (not to mention the very likely chance that they'll feed you very, very well indeed).
Here, we've teamed up with Tourism Tasmania to highlight a selection of experiences that offer hands-on foodie encounters to seek out and savour.
Tourism Australia
41 DEGREES SOUTH
Set a 40-minute drive west of Launceston on the outskirts of Deloraine, 41 Degrees South is a salmon farm, wetland and ginseng plantation. Featuring 20 freshwater ponds filled with water sourced from nearby Montana Falls, the farm invites you to take a self-guided tour to explore the sustainable processes that support this world-class producer of salmon.
The property's owners, Ziggy and Angelika Pyka, also make the most of Tasmania's cooler climate with a thriving grove of Korean and American ginseng. Wander through the crops before making a purchase at the on-site store and stopping by the cafe to enjoy a dish made with the freshest salmon washed down with a local wine or beer.
Tourism Australia
TWAMLEY FARM
Twamley Farm is a picturesque working farm spread across 7000 acres flanking the Tea Tree Rivulet near the charming village of Buckland. The property offers farmyard activities, accommodation and cooking classes that provide an opportunity to level up your skills in Italian and French cooking. Hosted by the gourmet catering business, Gert and Ted, the classes — fronted by the eponymous Gert — will show you how to prepare a range of dishes before you sit down for a long lunch with your fellow attendees.
With several classes to choose from, including spring harvest feasts and festive season treats, Twamley Farm's stunning setting is the ideal place for a countryside culinary escape.
Pure Foods
PURE FOODS EGG FARM
Head to a top-notch cafe in Tassie and there's a good chance it's using Pure Foods Eggs in the kitchen. Experience what goes into this superior product via a 'Pure Tour' a foodie experience touted as the "ultimate eggspedition" that'll take you on a journey through the company's scenic property in the Northern Midlands region and the largest free-range egg farm in Tasmania.
Throughout the 90-minute behind-the-scenes tour, you'll explore the custom-built facilities and see how its high-tech production methods set a new industry standard. After seeing the happy hens in action, you'll receive a dozen free-range eggs to take home so you can whip up your favourite dish with the finest eggs on the island.
Sirocco South Forage and Feast
SIROCCO SOUTH FORAGE AND FEAST
Mic Giuliani, the man behind Sirocco South, is a local foraging master with over 50 years of experience. So yes, Mic was doing it before it was cool.
You can catch him serving delicious Tassie-inspired Italian cuisine at Hobart's Farm Gate Market every Sunday or on one of his Sirocco South foraging trips where he'll show you how to find food in the wild. Once you've collected enough seasonal ingredients, Mic goes to work producing a six-course lunch featuring quality meat and seafood paired with award-winning wines from Bream Creek Vineyard.
Overlooking the spectacular Frederick Henry Bay, Sirocco South is a deluxe foraging experience in an idyllic location that helps guests appreciate the wonders of wild food. In short: it's heaven on earth for foodies.
Tourism Australia
UNEARTHED CHEFS TOUR
Get a rare glimpse into the operations of some of Tasmania's top growers and producers via an Unearthed Chefs Tour. This morning or afternoon adventure sees you transported from your accommodation to the seriously delicious Tasting Trail Cradle to Coast to meet some of the North-West's finest culinary creators.
The tour will take you around a saffron farm, to search for truffles and then on to a luxurious wine tasting at Lake Barrington Estate, with a stop to admire the coastline along the way. A heavenly lunch prepared by chef Naomi Parker is also on the agenda, as is a wander through Sheffield — the Town of Murals — before arriving back at your accommodation.
Tourism Australia
FORK N FARM HOMESTEAD
The ForknFarm Homestead is a striking 24-acre property set in the scenic surrounds of the West Tamar Valley. It's a popular destination for farm-stays thanks to its charming cabins and it also hosts artisan cooking workshops where you can level up your talents with owners Cassie and Aaron "Lob" Lobley.
Over the years, this enterprising duo has mastered a host of agrarian culinary skills, ranging from cheesemaking and open-fire cooking to pickling and preserving. There's a host of one-day and two-day sessions to consider or you can create a personalised experience if you attend in a group of four or more.
Tourism Australia
BLUE HILLS HONEY
Blue Hills Honey's distinctly Tasmanian product comes from 2000 beehives hidden deep within the lush takayna/Tarkine rainforest. While this award-winning apiary specialises in leatherwood honey, the honey house also offers a selection of other varieties like manuka, blackberry and meadow.
This craft honey farm has been in operation for over 60 years and you can see how it all works on its rural property in the community of Mawbanna. Alongside a factory for touring and a tasting room, there's a cafe overlooking the surrounding farmland that serves everything from honey-baked brie to Thai beef salad.
Tourism Australia
OYSTER BAY TOURS AT FREYCINET MARINE FARM
Freycinet Marine Farm is beloved for its Pacific Oysters and Tasmanian Blue Mussels. Owned by Giles and Julia Fisher since 2005, the cafe makes for the perfect pitstop if you want to sample the region's famed cuisine.
You can discover how the product arrives in the shop with a fantastically hands-on (and knees-in) Oyster Bay Tour. With the help of an expert guide, the tour will see you wade into shallow waters to harvest oysters straight out of the sea and show you how to shuck 'em like a pro. To finish, you'll get to enjoy your freshly claimed oysters and mussels with a glass of local riesling.
Tourism Tasmania
CURRINGA FARM
In Hamilton, about a one-hour drive from Hobart, Curringa Farm presents an idyllic chance to experience life on a Tasmanian working farm. Spanning 750 acres, this sheep and cropping property has won numerous awards for its charming cottage accommodation.
Whether you're heading along for the day or staying overnight, Curringa Farm has two immersive tours on offer to suit your travel plans. The 'Shearers Smoko' is a two-hour walking tour of the farm where you'll meet and greet sheep and farm dogs alongside a morning or afternoon tea. Meanwhile, the 'BBQ Lunch & Farm Tour' presents an outstanding paddock-to-plate experience.
Jamie Roberts
THE TRUFFLEDORE
On the foothills of Cradle Mountain is where you'll find this truffle-filled farm, accommodation and shop. From October till April, The Truffledore is open for tastings and tours on Fridays and Sundays from 9am–4pm. Head off on the 45-minute tour to feed the farm animals and discover where the delicious winter truffles are grown.
During the winter months, you can hunt and harvest truffles for yourself on Saturdays. Just make sure you book ahead of time to secure a spot. If one day on the farm isn't enough, book into one of the charming cottages for a delightful overnight stay.
Ready to plan a trip for your tastebuds around Tasmania? To discover more, visit the website.
Top image: Tourism Australia