March market set to show off what regional producers can bring to the table (or the glass)

A market day is coming to the NSW high country, bringing fine food and drink with it.

Business Development and Marketing Executive at Thredbo Alpine Hotel Jade Locke said the Taste of the Snowies Gourmet Market would bring something to delight all taste buds.

“All vendors there will be selling something that you can either eat or drink,” she said.

“Once you walk into the festival, all the food trucks and stalls will be set up for people to browse through and we’ll also have live entertainment.

“It won’t be a market where there is clothing or other goods for sale.”

The Taste of the Snowies Gourmet Market will include a range of restaurants, cafes, distilleries and farmers, such as Jindabyne Brewing, Dalgety Brewing, Tumut River Brewing, Shut the Gate Winery, Capital Brewing Bentspoke, Nine Circles Distillery, Bentspoke Brewing and Birchwood Jindabyne.

“We started by extending an invite to producers in the Snowy Mountains region, and then we went to the South Coast and Canberra regions for additional vendors,” Ms Locke said.

But before The Taste of the Snowies Gourmet Market kicks off on 2 March, Brad Spalding from Wildbrumby Distillery will stop by on the evening of 1 March for the Canvas + Cocktails event.

“Brad has lived in the region for a long time and has previously run the Thredbo Snow Sports School and is now the owner of Wildbrumby Distillery,” Ms Locke said.

“He will be leading the ‘paint-and-sip’ and also be making cocktails during the event, as well.”

Ms Locke said the Taste of the Snowies Gourmet Market was a combination of beer and wine festivals Thredbo had organised in previous years.

“We’ve found visitation is increasing and we want to showcase what this region has to offer,” she said.

“They were combined because we started running out of weekends to run festivals alongside other events.

“The goal is giving someone that’s coming from somewhere like Sydney or Canberra a little taste of what we have here.”

Ms Locke said that while the Snowy Mountains were a popular place for people to visit for their winter holidays, the area was changing.

“Over the years, this region has grown as an all year round destination,” she said.

“Maybe 10 years ago, people would only visit for skiing and snowboarding – now things like mountain biking and hiking are becoming more common.”

Ms Locke said the gourmet market was part of a growing movement to expand what the Snowy Mountains was known for.

“If you look towards the likes of the Victorian Alps, they do have quite a big food and beverage presence there.

“That is something we want to aim for too, in the Snowy Mountains.

“That way, if you were to come down in the summer – whether it is for sporting, biking, hiking, sightseeing or indulging in a foodie weekend – there’s something for everyone in the family.”

The Taste of the Snowies Gourmet Market will be held on 2 March 2024 from noon to 5 pm, while the Canvas + Cocktails will be held on 1 March from 6 to 9 pm.

Tickets cost $20 and are available via Thredbo’s website.