Waite festival showcases impact on food, drink

Community

About 5000 people visited the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus last month for its inaugural food and wine festival, the Waite Festival.

The festival showcased the campus's leading research and education and the impact these have on our food, drink and lifestyle.

Festival-goers were offered a range of foods and cooking demonstrations, wines, non-stop live music and other entertainment, tours and research trails - all among the lovely setting of the Waite Campus lawns.

"Research and education at the University's Waite Campus has national and international significance to the agriculture and wine industries. But more than that, this research has tremendous impact on the food and drink we consume and our everyday lifestyles," said the Director of the Waite Campus, Professor Geoff Fincher.

"We wanted people to come to the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus to see what we do here, to experience the science behind our food and drink, and to have a really good time."

Cereals bred at the Waite Campus account for 90% of the State's barley production - used in beer production and animal feed - and 66% of SA's wheat production - used in a range of foods. Other leading research includes horticulture, plant and pest science, plant genomics, oenology (wine-making) and viticulture, and soil and land systems.

The Waite Festival offered three information trails - Grape, Grain and Green & Groovy - as well as interactive exhibitions and displays looking at the science behind our beer, wine, bread and pasta. There also were demonstrations from talented chefs including Maggie Beer, the opportunity to sample the finest wine, beer and food, competitions and raffles, and live music from local jazz groups including etypejazz and JJ Fields.

The festival was officially opened by the Hon Michael O'Brien MP. In honour of the occasion, he planted a rare Wollemi Pine in the Waite Arboretum.

Story by Robyn Mills