Taste Port Douglas flies in culinary stars

Taste Port Douglas, the major gourmet festival in Far North Queensland, celebrates its 10th anniversary this year with over 40 events across four days. 

Presented by Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort Port Douglas, the food and drink event will return from August 6-9 with an impressive line-up of leading Australian chefs and international culinary talent. 

Supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland, it will see Port Douglas hosting dinners, long lunches (above) masterclasses, chef-led events and some destination experiences.

Guest pan handlers will be jetting in from Singapore, Bali and Vietnam. 

Kirk Westaway from JAAN by Kirk Westaway, Rishi Naleendra of Cloudstreet, both in Singapore, will be joined by Ryan Clift of The Cave by Chef Ryan Clift at The Edge, Bali; Michael Wilson, chef-patron of Marguerite and Hortus in Singapore, and Sam Aisbett of Akuna in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Appearing at Taste Port Douglas for the first time, Mindy Woods of Karkalla, Byron Bay, heads a 
fresh wave of Australian talent. She joins TV favourites Manu Feildel and Laura Sharrad, Colin Fassnidge, Matt Stone and Tasmanian maestro Massimo Mele, along with veterans Guy Grossi and Ray Capaldi. 

Port Douglas sits between two UNESCO World Heritage-listed natural wonders, the ancient Daintree Rainforest and festival founders Reina and Spencer Patrick are inviting guests to experience standout locations hosting events. 

“The 2026 program is a celebration of everything Taste Port Douglas has become over the past decade, world-class culinary talent, unforgettable food and drink experiences, and a genuine connection to place,” says festival director Reina Patrick. 

Find out more at www.tasteportdouglas.com.au

Culinary stars align to lift spirits in Far North Queensland

A very popular food festival in Far North Queensland (FNQ), Taste Port Douglas, will return to the tropics from August 8-11 for its eighth year.

Some of my all-time favourite chefs are among the line-up this time around with organisers predicting this year's festival is set to the biggest and best yet, with dining experiences spanning across both its home of Port Douglas and, for the first time, Cairns.

Following a turbulent start to the year, weathering Tropical Cyclone Jasper, Taste Port Douglas’ co-founders Reina and Spencer Patrick are excited to bring the area back to life, welcoming an all-star line-up of some of the nation’s top culinary talent. 

Chefs involved include the great Mark Best (ex Marque in Sydney, my one-time special occasion favourite); Colin Fassnidge, who I first met when he was cooking fresh off the plane at Le Grande Bouffe in Rozelle in 2004, working in a hole-in-the-wall kitchen, and Massimo Mele (top image), who has created Peppina, the tremendous Italian-accented eatery in Hobart's The Tasman hotel.

Other standouts include local hero Nick Holloway from perennial favourite Nu Nu, and Victorians Ian Curley, Adam D'Sylva and Raymond Capaldi, all of whom will escape the Victorian winter to show off their talents, along with several TV cheffie types including Manu Feildel.

On the menu this year will be a smorgasbord of events, masterclasses and tropical parties, backdropped by the reefs and rainforests of the tropics.



Local eateries will welcome a series of chef-led events, including the long seaside luncheons, ‘A Night of Fire’ at Flames of the Forest (above), and several new events.

There will be a total of 25 events taking place over the four-day weekend.

Following a turbulent start to the year, weathering Tropical Cyclone Jasper, Taste Port Douglas’ co-founders Reina and Spencer Patrick say they are excited to bring the area back under a positive spotlight.



“This year's Taste Port Douglas will be a culinary celebration like no other, with a spectacular line-up of events and masterclasses hosted by some of the best talent in the country," says Spencer Patrick.

"Following the cyclone in December it’s been a tricky start to the year for the local community and businesses, and we’re now excited to see the festival bring FNQ back to life, welcoming both interstate and international guests to feast with us once again.

“We hosted more than 10,000 visitors at Taste Port Douglas last year, many of whom travelled from overseas to feast with us, and this year we anticipate an even bigger crowd with bringing our capital city into the action.”

Tickets ware on sale now at tasteportdouglas.com.au, where you can also see the full festival program.

Head to Port Douglas for a special taste of the tropics

Port Douglas is always a tempting destination - but even more so when there is a food and wine festival happening.

I attended the Port Douglas Carnivale a few year ago and that event has now been complemented  by Taste Port Douglas, the seventh edition of which will be held from August 10-13.

Several of Australia's top chefs and hospitality talent have been lined up to visit Far North Queensland by organisers Spencer and Reina Patrick at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Port Douglas resort.

Tickets are now on sale for culinary masterclasses, signature dinners and food experiences at tasteportdouglas.com.au.

Among the stars who will be in attendance are TV chef Massimo Mele from Grain of the Silos in Launceston and Peppina in Hobart; Adam D’Sylva from Lollo, Tonka and Coda in Melbourne; Guy Grossi from the Grossi Group; Ian Curley from The French Saloon and Kirk’s Wine Bar and Jerry Mai from Pho Nom and Bia Hoi.

Other big names will include journalist, author and TV presenter Matt Preston, star sommelier and wine writer Samantha Payne and restaurant industry legend Raymond Capaldi.

All will join forces with local producers and restaurants to dish up a culinary program of over 20 food- and drink-focused events.

“We are stoked to collaborate with Australia’s diverse and talented culinary community at Taste Port Douglas," says local star chef Spencer Patrick.

"They are the key ingredient to the festival's reputation as one of Australia’s most celebrated and dynamic gourmet weekends of the year. 

"Culinary events of this scale contribute to skill-sharing and fostering interstate relationships in the hospitality community, providing unique opportunities to connect key players to the region’s suppliers, growers and producers and a hungry audience of local chefs."