Foodie adventures

Devouring seasonal produce and delighting in its story is part and parcel of the Off Season experience.

Cool-climate indulgence permeates lively local markets, bespoke tours and tastings, and farmgate feasts with the lowest food miles imaginable. Connect with the island’s premium ingredients and the people who grow them.

Try these full-flavoured foodie experiences in Tasmania this winter.

On the farm

Tenderised by fire and nurtured by ice-cold soil – it doesn’t get any more authentic than meat and vegetables fresh from the source.

Enjoy a curated afternoon of storytelling, foraging and hearty dining by the river at Derwent Distillery, with Sirocco South’s passionate forager Mic Giuliani as your guide. Gaze upon steely seas from the north-west clifftops at Table House Farm during a picturesque long-table lunch. Or venture into the verdant west coast for a good old nosh-up at the Post Office – a 1913 heritage building clad with tin and cedar, offering tasteful accommodation in Waratah.

Rambling across 92 agricultural acres is historical Rathmore. Feast on fire-cooked lamb farmed onsite and fill-up on Derwent Valley produce, from winter truffles to rich red wines. Speaking of truffles, the Off Season conveniently coincides with the harvest: button up your coat and go hunting for some aromatic orbs at the Truffle Farm, then feast on the bounty by the fire.  

Savour hand-crafted, high-quality cheese

In southern Tasmania, sample only the purest cheese from grass-fed cows at the Wicked Cheese Company in Richmond. Travel further south and you’ll find Bruny Island Cheese Co. – an artisan cheesemaker using traditional techniques, infused with Tasmania’s ocean air, clean rain and lush pastures (even lusher in winter).

Over on King Island, the award-winning cheese from King Island Dairy Cheese Store will have your mouth watering, and if you’ve never heard of a High Cheese (like high tea for cheese fanciers) or a Cheesy Flight (like a beer tasting without the fuzzy head), familiarise yourself with these quirky must-dos at Ashgrove Dairy Door and Visitor Centre.

Satisfy your sweet tooth

Discover chocolate heaven in Tasmania’s north west at Anvers Chocolate Factory in Latrobe. Dig into handmade chocolate truffles, chocolate oranges, fudge and pralines for true comfort food in a cosy setting.

Up in the wild rainforests of Tasmania's north west, a local family has been sourcing award-winning honey for over 60 years. Blue Hills Honey produces the rare Leatherwood tree Eucryphia lucida – only found in the ancient and primitive takayna / Tarkine rainforests – alongside other varieties, including Tasmanian manuka, blackberry and meadow. In Perth, taste Tasmanian Honey Company’s pure leatherwood honey and sip a zesty hot toddy to stay warm.

If you’d rather swap sugar for salt, Tasman Sea Salt’s sustainable east-coast saltworks produce some remarkable seasonings, pairing perfectly with winter wine and produce from nearby Mayfield Estate.

Taste the ocean’s offerings

During the Off Season, there are some truly unique opportunities to sample Tasmania’s aquatic staples.

Join a winter long-table feast at Freycinet Marine Farm, showcasing fresh mussels and other seafood from the pristine east coast. Wade out into the marine farm’s icy waters to harvest oysters straight off the rack, then enjoy the juicy shellfish with a glass of wine.

At Candy Abalone, stock up on this sumptuous seafood – canned, dried or ready-to-eat. Looking to chow down on top-notch lobster? Dine in at Hursey Seafoods for a relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere, with picturesque views of Stanley’s Tatlows Beach.

The bivalves taste sweeter in winter: Tarkine Fresh Oysters offers intimate live shucking demonstrations during the Off Season, while Tassie Scallop Fiesta (4 August) rings in the new fishing season in style up north.  

Discover in-season, cool-climate produce

Farm-to-table food starts with wholesome ingredients, and at Farm Gate Market, that means having urban access to the freshest array of produce in the heart of Hobart in winter.

Join the humming crowd for this Sunday ritual, unearthing new finds from passionate local producers and experiencing the rich flavours of freshly farmed food.

Up in Launceston, in the heart of the Tamar Valley, the Harvest Launceston Community Farmers’ Market is brimming with wintertime produce. Warm up to artisan bread and pastries, ethical meat and seafood, and locally roasted coffee.

Want more?

Let the gastronomic goodness continue with these Off Season offers:

• Tunnel Hill Mushrooms reveals a magical realm of fungi in the shadows. Pick delicious mushrooms grown in an 1891 railway tunnel and taste the fried-up bounty in this intimate workshop.
  
  
• If you’re looking for delectable romance on King Island, Island Larder offers a three-course Off Season feast for two. Drop in for a friendly morning coffee, collect your lovingly prepared meal and take it with you to enjoy at your cosy accommodation.
  
  
• Reach dizzying gastronomic heights at Westella Vineyard’s seasonal solstice feast, where the delicious morsels pair brilliantly with cool-climate wines.
  
  
• It doesn’t get more wintry than homemade pumpkin soup warmed over the firepit, with a steaming mug of hot chocolate for good measure. Stay in seclusion at Twamley Farm, lap up the comfort food and kick back in a hot tub under the stars.