By Marie-Antoinette Issa.
As Autumn rolls across Central West NSW, Orange F.O.O.D Week returns for its 35th year, drawing visitors to the region’s cool-climate wines and exceptional produce.
For Chef Joel Bickford - Group Culinary Director of The Point Group (Shell House, The International and soon-to-open Fort Denison) - the festival is more than a calendar highlight. It’s a chance to reconnect with the producers and community that define Orange.
"Food Week is incredibly special. It’s an opportunity to collaborate, celebrate local produce and connect with the people who make this region what it is,” he says.
Hotel Canobolas, one of Orange’s most historic venues, returns as a sponsor for the third year, hosting eight events across the 10-day program. Among them are the returning Locally Grown dinner, Night Markets stall and Forage After Party, alongside a new addition: Fire & Wine.
At the heart of the program is Locally Grown, a six-course dinner celebrating leading regional producers including Margra Lamb, Trunkey Pork and local farms, alongside dairies, cheesemakers and charcutiers.
"Working with our producers is the highlight. With such incredible quality in the region, it really is a Chef’s dream,” Joel says.
Menus are shaped by seasonality first, with wine pairings curated alongside Head Sommelier Alex Kirkwood, showcasing the depth of Orange’s cool-climate vineyards.
New to this year’s program, Fire & Wine offers a more elemental experience, centred around whole-carcass cooking over coals in an open-air setting.
"Everyone is drawn to fire - the flames, the aroma, the atmosphere. It’s immersive and brings a completely different energy,” he says.
Cooking over coals relies on instinct rather than precision, imparting depth and smokiness that suits the region’s produce - from slow-cooked lamb and pork to vegetables roasted directly in embers.
For Joel, that connection between land and table is what defines regional dining.
"When producers are on your doorstep, it creates a genuine connection to the food and a level of quality you can’t replicate.”
His pick of the program? Fire & Wine.
"It’s going to be relaxed, full of atmosphere and all about great food, wine and warm hospitality.”
