Some big beer lovers were in Wollongong on Friday to discuss preparations for Wollongong’s first major craft beer and barbecue festival, Crafted Live, set for Easter.
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Across April 15 and 16 MacCabe Park will be a mix of smoked meats, hops and great music.
Twenty beer and cider companies will be on show, more than 35 serious cooking teams will battle at the barbecue to be crowned the Grand Champion, experts will give their tips and tricks to American-style barbecue and acts like Tex Perkins and Ash Grunwald will set the musical vibe onstage.
“The activation of this space is going to be great to get this alive, in my opinion, it’s an under-utilised area,” owner of Illawarra Brewing Company Dave McGrath said of the park.
He said he thinks Australia’s love for slow cooked meats was coming along, while the growth of the craft beer industry means there’s a beer for every occasion and to suit every meat.
“I recently came back from the States and saw what it’s doing there … you go there and [barbecues are] full double trailers, it’s epic size,” Mr McGrath said.
Meanwhile event founder Simon Rollin said he believes Australia is still in its craft beer “infancy” and even New Zealand was years ahead.
“We haven’t even scratched the surface in Australia, it’s set to explode. As is the low and slow American-style barbecue cooking,” Mr Rollin said.
Craig Sheen from Camden can’t wait to have a crack at the barbecue challenge with his son Ryan, a former butcher.
Crafted Live will be one of five competitions the duo will enter this year, though he said there’s at least another 20 comps across the country and New Zealand that are on his wish list.
“I’m not in it to win it, in to have a go because I love it. It’s more about the camaraderie,” Mr Sheen said.
“What I like to cook is beef, it’s my favourite: beef brisket and beef short ribs. The proteins in competitions are usually beef, beef brisket, chicken, pork, pork ribs, and seafood in some coastal areas … and sometimes there’s some mystery ingredients.”
Mr Sheen and son will be up against teams like the Flaming Coals, Smokey BBQ Bandits, Grilla’s in the Mist and Techs Us BBQ with organisers still accepting entries.
Destination Wollongong spokesperson Lydia Allen said the festival ticks all the boxes as part of their major event hit list.
“As part of our strategy for 2016 to 2020 we want to hit six different priority sectors for major events,” she said.
“We can build upon [the strategies] and that’s where the opportunities are with the facilities that we have.”
These strategies include food and beverage, adventure, the arts, innovation, sport and motoring.
On the same weekend St George Illawarra take on the Cowboys at WIN Stadium and 500 mustangs will line up for a show and shine at Lang Park on Grand Pacific Drive.