Cooking Demonstrations
Beautiful produce turned into something delicious right before your eyes…
Our Cooking Demonstrations celebrate the flavour, versatility, and stories behind heirloom ingredients - from vibrant tomatoes and heritage apples to garlic, pumpkins, herbs, and more. Throughout the day, talented local chefs will share simple techniques, seasonal recipes, and clever tips you can take straight home to your own kitchen.
These sessions are about inspiration, not intimidation. You don’t need to be a trained cook to enjoy them - just pull up a seat, watch, listen, and gather ideas! You might learn a new way to roast your veg, preserve the season’s goodies, or let our Tasmanian produce shine in a simple dish.
The Cooking Demonstrations Pavilion is located right near the heart of the festival, making it easy to pause between wandering the stalls and tasting local produce.
Sessions run across the day and are included with your festival admission. Check out the programme below, or simply wander around on the day, and follow the delicious aromas inside!
The Chefs
Nick Raitt
Originally from New Zealand, Nick made the early career move to Sydney to learn the trade at the renowned 'Restaurant Forty One'. After stints in upmarket eateries 'Otto' and 'Coast', Nick spent time in London at the exclusive 'Cuckoo Club', working with some of London’s emerging talents.
Returning to Sydney in 2009, Nick led the kitchens at 'Public Dining Room', 'Steel' and 'La Scala', cooking a full spectrum of cuisine styles from modern gastronomy, to charcoal and wood-grill cookery as well as classic Italian.
Starting with Josef Chromy Wines in 2016, Nick has developed a love for the ease of access to arguably the freshest, highest quality food available in Australia, right on his doorstep! With a love for the simple and pure cooking, Nick builds dishes into something special and unique to the surroundings of the kitchen.
The strongest influences on Nick's career have been in French and Italian cuisine. His inspiration lies in the simplicity and care for each individual ingredient that comes with Italian cooking, paired with the balance and technique that is the basis of French kitchens. Bringing these techniques into modern Tasmanian cuisine provides an exciting and exploratory phase to Nick’s journey as a Chef.
Nick will be presenting in the Cooking Demonstration Pavilion at 10:00am and 1:00pm.
Executive Chef, Josef Chromy
Mariela Luciani is a plant-forward chef originally from Argentina, now based in Tasmania, where she has been cooking since 2014. Her food is shaped by a love of seasonal produce, Asian-fusion flavours, and the years she spent living in the countryside surrounded by fruit trees and gardens — an experience that deeply influenced her approach to preserving, abundance, and simple, honest cooking. Her style is fresh, a little cheeky, and rooted in memory, place, and creativity, blending her Latin background with Tasmanian ingredients to create thoughtful dishes that tell a story.
Mariela will be presenting in the Cooking Demonstration Pavilion at 11:15am and 2:15pm.
Head Chef, Sweetbrew Coffee House