Our master chef set for Lara

Alex de Vos
Leading Geelong chef Matt Dempsey will showcase his culinary skills alongside childhood hero Gabriel Gate at Sunday’s Lara Food and Wine Festival.
Fresh from an “eye-opening” trip to Russia’s capital Moscow, Mr Dempsey told the Independent he was excited about participating in the second annual festival at Lara.
The award-winning culinary master said audiences at this year’s event could expect an educational and entertaining demonstration combining local flavours with classic Italian staples.
“We’re going to be showing audiences how to make gnocchi using some Meredith blue cheese, which is a local product,” Mr Dempsey said.
“It’s something I can get the audience to participate in and it’s a dish they’ll be able to go away and make at home – it’s no good making something they’d find in a restaurant.
“It’s going to be pretty exciting.”
Mr Dempsey said he was also looking forward to rubbing shoulders with the Mr Gate, a master of French cuisine.
“Gabriel was a big influence for me years ago,” Mr Dempsey said.
“He was certainly someone I looked to for inspiration and ideas.”
Last year the former Pettavel chef was named Electrolux Young Chef of the Year. He is set to represent Australia at a prestigious San Pellegrino Cooking Cup in Venice.
As part of his national prize, Mr Dempsey will also jet to London in June for a month’s work experience in David Thompson’s Michelin-starred Nahm Restaurant.
Earlier this year the Independent revealed Mr Dempsey had signed on as chef at a new restaurant to replace Smorgy’s on Geelong’s Cunningham Pier.
Sunday’s Lara Food and Wine Festival will feature a range of stalls, demonstrations and entertainment from 10am to 5pm at historic Pirra Homestead, on Windemere road.
The Independent is a sponsor of the festival.