Celebrity Chef Nigella Lawson is returning to the Margaret River Gourmet Escape, hosting a dinner at Xanadu Wines in November.
‘Supper with Nigella’ will be held on Saturday, November 17, from 8:30pm – 11:00pm. The event will feature a decadent menu of Nigella’s famous late night eats and a Q&A with Kate Langbroek. Tickets are on sale now for $250 per person (plus booking fee), which includes a pre-signed copy of Lawson’s book ‘At My Table’.
The WA Gourmet Escape festival has extended from three to 10 days this year, with events to be held across the Margaret River region as well as the Swan Valley region.
“I love the Margaret River Gourmet Escape crowd: it’s like hanging out with warm, like-minded people who create such an upbeat and joyous atmosphere,” Lawson told The West Australian.
“What makes Gourmet Escape particularly special is how laid-back it is. It’s got a beautiful beachy vibe, and although there are more formal events, the crucial character of the Margaret River Gourmet Escape … is not at all formal, but relaxed, enthusiastic, unpretentious and just so gorgeously welcoming.”
The orange wine that blew Nigella away
The TV star also revealed she’s a huge fan of Margaret River’s Cullen Winery.
“I’d happily travel the 9000 miles from London for a glass of anything from Cullen Winery,” she told The West Australian. “And I think Vanya Cullen’s approach to wine-making goes to the heart of what’s special about both Margaret River and Gourmet Escape. Though my particular favourite is the Cullen Amber.
“I steamed off a label last time I was at Margaret River Gourmet Escape, and have it at home, framed. It’s a thing of beauty, like the wine!”
Lawson first tried Cullen Amber in 2016. She posted a picture of the wine on her Instagram account, noting: “Before I leave Australia, have to give a shout out to this utterly fabulous wine from @cullenwines, recommended to me by the equally fabulous Chiara @icebergsdiningroomandbar.”
The wine is the first Amber wine produced by the Margaret River region winery and is a blend of semillon and sauvignon blanc, coming from its certified biodynamic vineyards.
Cullen Winery co-owner Vanya Cullen told The Margaret River Mail the idea behind the wine was to make a white wine like a red.
“It is our first orange wine and it is quite amazing,” she said. “It is so wonderful to get this kind of positive feedback on our product and we were so thrilled to see Nigella’s recommendation.”
Other culinary stars heading to the Gourmet Escape include Rick Stein, Skye Gyngell, James Lowe, Julien Royer and Niki Nakayama, as well as Australia’s best culinary talent such as Guy Grossi, Luke Mangan and Guillaume Brahimi.
The diverse program of events will see 45 food and wine events take place in more than 25 unique locations.
