Thursday, August 1
Cooking Class: Oyster Masterclass
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- 3.30pm
- $120 pp
- The Poyer's, Lemon Tree Passage
- Join chef Ludovic Poyer, sommelier Stephane Pommier and oyster grower Paul North for a relaxed afternoon of tasting and learning about oysters, Australian sparkling and French champagne. Includes cooking demonstration of two delicious dishes, four glasses of bubbles, an apron to take home and learn how to 'sabre' a bottle of champagne.
Friday, August 2
Tour of the NSW Department of Primary Industries Port Stephens Fisheries Institute in Taylors Beach
- 1.30pm
- $10pp, $5 for children 5-12 yrs
- Return coach from Nelson Bay)
- Go behind the scenes to learn about the future of sustainable seafood and how our seafood industry is supported by science.
Saturday, August 3
Port to Plate Gala Dinner
- Doors open 5:45pm
- $150pp
- Broughtons at the Bay
- Experience exceptional local seafood, prepared by five talented local chefs. Enjoy a six course dinner including a matched Hunter Valley wine tasting with each course, with commentary by winemakers, chefs and emcee, food educator Paul Miranda.
Sunday, August 4
Barefoot Bowls, Beers and Oysters
- Noon
- Free bowling at Soldiers Point Bowling Club
- No booking required
- This barefoot bowls afternoon comprises a few of our favourite things - supremely fresh seafood (including Holberts Oysters), a wide choice of beers, fresh air and healthy competition, free live music and a great vibe.
Thursday, August 8
Cooking class: Ocean to Table
- 6pm
- $45pp
- IN HOUSE Kitchen, Nelson Bay
- Led by Chef Stephen Daley, learn to prepare local snapper and kina roe poke, mirin, sake and seaweed with black sesame lavosh. Glass of wine/beer and taste of the dish included. Home Interior's store open for shopping with a special discount on the night.
Friday, August 9
Signature Series: Nine & Dine
- 2pm Tee off, Dinner 6pm
- Horizons Golf Resort
- $60 golf and dinner, $35 dinner only
- A great chance to play at Horizons, Port Stephens' premier golf course, and enjoy a seafood dinner celebrating locally sourced produce. Includes nine holes of golf, with a cart. Everyone welcome.
Saturday, August 10
Tour of the NSW Department of Primary Industries Port Stephens Fisheries Institute in Taylors Beach
- 10.30am
- $10pp, $5 for children 5-12 yrs
- Return coach from Nelson Bay
- Go behind the scenes to learn about the future of sustainable seafood and how our seafood industry is supported by science.
Sunday, August 11
Munch & Move
- 11.30am
- $59pp
- Departs Mavericks on the Bay
- Join us in a free-wheeling coach trip to four dining destinations, enjoying a delicious taste of seafood and a glass of matched wine/beer at each stop. Commences at Mavericks on the Bay, then to The Point Restaurant, Murray's Brewery and finishing at Seabreeze Hotel
Thursday, August 15
Cooking Class: Fish to Dish
- 12pm
- $35pp
- Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens
- Head Chef Mitchell Turner and Sous Chef Chris Turton show you how to fillet a Kingfish, prepare dishes of Meurette of Yellowtail Kingfish and Kingfish Crudo and share delicious tastes of both.
Friday, August 16
Signature Series: Four course degustation lunch at The Little Nel
- 12.30pm
- $49pp
- The Little Nel, Nelson Bay
- The Little Nel team proudly present a delicious 4 course lunch featuring the finest, freshly caught and prepared seafood, all locally sourced
Saturday, August 17
Signature Series: "Pop up restaurant" at Evviva Café & Bar
- 7pm
- Evviva Café & Bar, Nelson Bay
- $90 or $120 with matched wine
- Matt and Luke, 2019 My Kitchen Rules winners, present a four course dinner of salmon ravioli, octopus with duck fat potatoes, snapper with seasonal vegetables and chamomile semifreddo.
Sunday, August 18
Signature Series: Italian 3 course lunch at Sienna's Restaurant
- 12pm
- $60pp
- Sienna's Pizzeria Bar & Restaurant, Nelson Bay
- A traditional Italian lunch hosted by Nonna Anna-Maria. Start with pasta, a main of slow-cooked stuffed calamari, with side dishes & red wine. Finish with traditional tiramisu and a digestivo of Limoncello
Thursday, August 22
Cooking Class: Crustaceans & Pasta
- 6pm
- $35pp
- Broughtons at the Bay, Nelson Bay
- Bluey's chef Craig Compton, shares techniques as he creates king prawn and crab ravioli with seafood bisque. Enjoy a glass of bubbles and a taste of the dish.
Saturday, August 24
Signature Series: Cruise & Lunch at The Poyer's
- 10.45am
- $105pp
- Depart d'Albora Marinas, Nelson Bay
- Cruise on Moonshadow-TQC from Nelson Bay to Lemon Tree Passage Marina. Enjoy a specially designed seafood-inspired three course menu at The Poyer's featuring oysters. Champagne on arrival, seafood bouillabaisse and a dessert of marinated fruit sabayon with Grand Marnier.
Cooking Class: Tip to Tail
- 11am
- $100pp
- The Anchorage, Corlette
- Take your seat at the chef's table with resident chef Michael Jenkins. Learn how versatile a whole fish from from tip to tail! Chef Jenkins will demonstrate creating sublime fish stock, bisque, curries and sumptuous share plates all from locally caught sustainable seafood. Two course share plate lunch and wine tasting by Thomas Wines
Signature Series: Seafood & Semillon Dinner
- 7pm
- $155pp
- The Anchorage, Corlette
- Explore this divine match with head chef Michael Jenkins who will create a superb five course seafood degustation experience and winemaker Andrew Thomas will present five perfectly matched Hunter Valley Semillon wines, all from the Thomas Wines stable
Sunday, August 25
Horizons Love Sea Food Family Day
- 1pm
- Free Entry
- Horizons Golf Resort, Salamander Bay
- Chef Paul Watson will demonstrate a classic seafood dish - beer battered fish and homemade chunky chips, with a little help from any children who'd like to join in. Live music, seafood specials and a great vibe on the garden terrace make this a fun afternoon for everyone!
Saturday, August 31
Jazz Luncheon Cruise Cruise
- 11.45am
- $85pp
- Departs from d'Albora Marinas, Nelson Bay
- Enjoy a Moonshadow-TQC Cruise and enjoy a two course buffet lunch including a selection of fresh, local seafood and live jazz by Eric Gibbons New Orleans Market Trio. This popular event has become a festival favourite over many years.
Tasters Trail
- 3.30pm-6pm or 4.30pm-7pm
- $59pp
- Meet at Sandpipers, Nelson Bay
- This walking tour stops at four different venues around the CBD and marina, sampling the finest fare at each stop with a tasting plate and glass of matched wine. Team up with friends or make some new ones along the way. Venues are Sandpipers Restaurant, Siennas Pizzeria Bar & Restaurant, Evviva Cafe & Bar, The Wharf Bar & Grill.
Tastes Port Stephens Winemaker's Dinner
- 6pm
- Nelson Bay Golf Club
- Members $65pp, visitors $80pp
- Join Greg Silkman from First Creek Wines for an elegant four course dinner with matched wines in the modern, stylish Nelson Bay Golf Club. Menu includes a selection of canapés, entrée of prawn avocado wonton and Asian slaw stack, main of fillet steak served with Paris mash with wild mushroom, beans, jus and finishes with a cheese platter for the table
Hot Potato Band
- 7.30pm
- Soldiers Point Bowling Club
- $30pp online, $35 at the door
- If you're in the mood for some high energy music with a bold and brassy sound then this is the festival event for you. This 10 piece band's unique sound features an array of horns, three drummers, a sousaphone and a vocalist. Expect catchy music and lyrics, infectious dance moves and audience interaction with a classic New Orleans sound. They are never a band to shy away from a good time.
Love Sea Food program:
Tastes weekend program:
Tastes Port Stephens Food, Wine and Jazz Weekend
- Saturday, August 31 between 9am-5pm and Sunday, September 1 between 9am-4pm
- Stockton, Magnus and Yacaaba streets Nelson Bay, Apex Park and d'Albora Marinas
- Free entry
Free family fun at the festival
- 10.30am daily: Fish feeding at d'Albora Marinas
- 11am Sunday: Under 12's casting competition at Apex Park
- 11.30am-2.30pm Saturday and Sunday: Face painting in Apex Park
Cooking up a storm in the seafood marquee on Saturday, August 31
- 10am Ludovic Poyer, The Poyer's Fish soup of the Bay
- 11.15am Port Stephens Oyster Growers Demo, How to shuck an Oyster
- 11.30pm Port Stephens Oyster Growers, Professional Oyster Shucking Competition
- 12.45pm Ben Way, Little Beach Boathouse, Seared local game fish with sauce vierge and a burnt corn salad
- 1.45pm Alex Stollznow, Sydney Fish Market Catch of the Day
- 2.45pm Marc Cartwright, Mercure Hotel Chef, Torched kingfish sashimi, foie gras mousse, fried panko, basil oil, pickled heirloom tomatoes and cauliflower cream
Cooking up a storm in the seafood marquee on Sunday, September 1
- 10am Mitchell Turner, Rick Stein at Bannisters Port Stephens, Pondicherry curry with blue eye trevalla and fried Amritsari local squid
- 11.15am Port Stephens Oyster Growers Demo, How to shuck an oyster
- 12pm Port Stephens Oyster Growers Father's Day special, Dad's oyster shucking competition
- 12.30pm Commercial Fisherman's Co-op Father's day special, Dad's prawn peeling competition
- 1.15pm Michael Jenkins, The Anchorage, Prawn bisque with saffron, tomato and fennel
- 2.15pm Stephen Daley, Bay Cooking School, Spice and tea smoked flathead, fermented garlic, micro greens and citrus
Free live jazz across three stages
Saturday
- 9am Port Stephens PCYC Concert Band - Upbeat jazz tunes - Stockton St Stage
- 9.30am Jude & The Dude - Jazz standards and smooth tunes - Apex Park
- 9.30am Pocket Jazz - Classic jazz, six piece band - Magnus St Stage
- 9.45am Rehab Brass Band - New Orleans 2nd line jazz and funky rock - Stockton St Stage
- 12.30pm Jugalug String Band - Pre-western swing, 20s and 30s string, jug - Magnus St Stage
- 1.30pm The Djangologists - Music inspired by Django Reinhardt = Stockton St Stage
- 1.30pm University of Newcastle Jazz Orchestra - Apex Park
- 2.30pm Queen Porter Stomp - Old time jazz: New Orleans meets Jamaican ska - Magnus St Stage
- 2.45pm Hunter School of Performing Arts Jazz Band - Apex Park
Sunday
- 9.15am The Tangled Souls - Jazz soul singer - Apex Park
- 9.30am Half Nelson - 1920's, 1940's jazz & blues - Stockton St Stage
- 9.30am Howard Ward Jazz Band - 4 piece Dixieland jazz band - Magnus St Stage
- 12pm Steph Russell Quartet - Contemporary & traditional jazz - Magnus St Stage
- 12.30pm Megs & Josh Duo - Jazz, Blues, Soul - Apex Park
- 12.45pm Fish Fry - Jump jive jazz & R'n'B - Stockton St Stage
- 1.45pm Jude & The Dude - Jazz standards and smooth tunes - Apex Park
- 2pm Footloose Band - A little bit jazz and a little bit rock 'n' roll - Magnus St Stage
Complete program: