Shore Leave 2023: The culinary geniuses, experts behind another year of Geraldton’s food and cultural festival

A host of renowned chefs and culinary experts from across the country are making sure that bellies are full in between the artistic and adventurous events dotted throughout Geraldton’s third Shore Leave Festival. The name Matt Moran may ring a few bells, as a regular guest on MasterChef as well as the host of his cooking show, Paddock to Plate. Growing up on a dairy farm in New South Wales, Moran said “farming is very important to me, and I understand how tough it can be, so the fact we can celebrate it is wonderful”. His experience in farming allowed him to pioneer the paddock to plate philosophy, emphasising the importance of people knowing the origin of the food on their plate. The menu for his Saturday night feast at Yanget Farm will be showcasing local meat, poultry, sourdough and dairy. “You’re only as good as the produce you have, and the region has a lot to offer,” Moran said. “It’s a casual, fun and relaxed dining experience that showcases what WA has to offer — I’m really excited for it, I love WA.” Moran’s executive chef Laura Baratto is equally responsible for the operation, putting in days of preparation in the lead up to the event. Engineering the menu was a breeze, said Moran. “It’s easy. It’s really just getting a list of products from someone and then just designing a menu. It’s been seamless and Laura’s been all over the top of it,” he said. WA’s very own Brendan Pratt, former head chef at Vasse Felix, is the brains behind the marquee Abrolhos long table lunch, on again this Friday. It’ll be Pratt’s third Shore Leave, so he’s no stranger to the labour of love that is hosting a long table lunch on Wallabi Island. “We’ve been planning it for about five months, and it’s been intense for the last few months just organising everything in the lead up,” he said. “Eating on the beach, the view — you can’t beat it,” said the top chef, who has worked in Michelin Star restaurants across the world. Accompanying the two culinary sensations will be the hard working hands of the Central Regional TAFE students, helping prepare in the lead up for the Morning With Matt Moran event on Friday morning. “It’s so amazing to just see the work that goes in to it. The quantity of food and people helping,” culinary student Deb Patterson said. WA wine critic Erin Larkin will be guiding guests through the long table hunch as the host, alongside WA Good Food Guide’s Georgia Moore. As well as the delicious events put on by Larkin, Pratt, Moran and more, the 12th Flotsam and Jetsam exhibition is launching this weekend, welcoming another year of art repurposed from debris found at the Abrolhos Islands. More than 112 entrants’ final products, created over the past month, will be assessed by judges on Saturday. For the full list of Shore Leave events on now and over the weekend, visit shoreleavefestival.com.au