If you do not know, the Taste is week long festival on Hobart's waterfront featuring Tasmanian Food and Wine. It is a showcase of the great things Tassy can do, or at least that was its original intention.
(Deep Breath)
The Taste does not promote great food and wine. I feel that it now should be called "The Trough". It is full of people queueing up to dig in to fish and chips. Serious.
And I am only getting started.
(Deep Breath)
The design of the interior is poorly thought out for the flow of pedestrian traffic that this event now commands. I think that perhaps the HCC need to rehire Jan Gehl to remap the shed layout. It is impossible to walk the length of the shed. Impossible. Just to prove it I have recorded a lap of the shed, end to end. I finished it in 1 min 53 sec. Try to beat that!
With the extra seating outside why not remove one row of seating inside and increase the walk way areas? Why we are at it, why not rope off the queues, that way they don't stand in the walkways?
(Deep Breath)
I could not find any free water, but plenty of bottled water for sale from Hartz, a major sponsor.
Now my big bone of contention
(Very DEEP Breath)
Merch. The Hobart City Council are now selling merchandise. What great marketing hairbrain scheme is that. I dont want a "Taste" hat. Your kidding aren't you? And they have mobile trolleys hawking the stuff. I really don't want to be interrupted when eating my expensive fish and chips with a "would you like to upsize that with a hat"!
And...AND... the Hobart City Council are selling "Taste" branded wine, formerly known as clean skin wine. This is in direct competition to the wineries who paid a small fortune to be there. This is the worst idea of all. If I were a winery at this event I would have walked out and asked for my money back. It is outrageous for the Hobart City Council to ask stall holders to pay serious, and I do mean serious (~$12,000 for a corner stand), money to attend, only to have the owners of the event compete with them.
What is next from the HCC. Will they start a sausage sizzle with homebrand snags, as well as selling some Coon on crackers?
Alderman Ron Christie was contacted for a response about the HCC selling wine at Taste, with no reply.
Maybe I have gotten Taste all wrong. Maybe it is just an event to hang out at, get some grub and get slowly pizzled in the sun? I don't actually know what the objectives are or mission statement is. Do you?
There were some positives though:
- The new outdoor seating and the taking over of Salamanca Lawns. Big Tick
- An impromptu barbershop Happy Birthday for our friend from roving buskers, sweet
The Taste is no longer what I am looking for in a Wine and Food event.
I will save my money for Savour Tasmania.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteThe HCC organisation gets worse as well. I am blind myself with a guide dog and hope to get to the Taste soon but a friend went yesterday with her guide dog and Taste security guards harrassed her and tried to stop her entering. I personally think a law suit against the HCC is warranted and if the Mercury wants to speak to her then get in touch with me and we can organise contact.
I have been going for years and want the unusual quality food that you can't get just round the corner.
I went to Taste of Melbourne just before moving back to Tassie so will be interested to see how this compares.
The price on the cleanskins was scandalous though.
Dale.
Tasmanian Relocation Consultant and budding food critic so check out our forum
http://www.settledin.com.au/forum/
My tip for finding the good food at the taste is to go to the stalls without queues! How counter intuitive is that...thanks for posting birthday memories too. ;-)
ReplyDeletePen
I lived in Tassie for 8 years. In that time I went to the taste every year and every year SWORE I would not go back the next. My mum who used to come down over Xmas/New Year HATES it. She twitches at the thought of the food standards. I get frustrated that small local producers who may not be able to infiltrate the stores are not getting a look in. Why do places like Mures etc even NEED a position at Taste? They have a place down the road already! I don't have a problem with some of the higher end restaurants being there - as it gives people a chance to see if the food the offer is something they may like to experience on a larger scale, HOWEVER I do object to larger scale producers etc.
ReplyDeleteAs for the lack of seating etc, yeah well, don't get me started. I honestly think the HCC needs to remove ALL seating inside, make it a one way system with a dedicated currency. The london equiv has what they call crowns and you buy them before you go in, and everything is in that currency. You can then get a refund on the unused ones on the way out IIRC.
Taste is not longer a showcase of boutique producers and restauranteurs, but a large scale corporate event which has lost its way.
Hi Paul, nice one. I always enjoy it when someone (else!) nails their colours to the mast! so good on you for doing so.
ReplyDeleteI was and have been a Taste critic over the years with similar reservations that many other people have expressed so I wont add to them now.
The new look shed in my opinion, looks great though your circumference confirmed that its still a chore to negotiate.
All this aside I think its a step in the right direction towards a Taste that we might all one day agree on represents the best of Tasmanian Food and and beverage.
I'm shocked about the Cleanskins situation! I'm sure we have not heard the last of this issue!
Happy New Year
Steve
Hi Paul - I agree with Steve. In the past I have been critical of Tastes, but see this years as a distinct improvement on past events. Naturally when you're trying to appeal to everyone there are always going to be many who can find fault, and there are indeed faults with Taste, as you point out. But on the whole I think this years is the best I have experienced after 22 years of fruitless wishing and hoping about the possible potential of this event.
ReplyDeleteI also wholeheartedly agree with you regarding stalls who have actual restaurants nearby (Mures, Fish Frenzy, Flathead in the form of Blue Eye, Customs House when they participated, and others) - what the hell is that about? Why would they bother even applying? Yeah, I know why really, but... seriously!
I understand about the selection criteria for Taste, as dictated by HCC, having been on the selection panel one year myself, but even with the panel who represent many food/wine related areas, the ultimate say is overriden by HCC, so the blame there must fall on council.
Don't get me wrong. I don't hate Taste, it is just it is not a Food and Wine event showcasing Tasmanian produce. That is Savour Tasmania's role.
ReplyDelete