One of Australia’s most prestigious food and beverage festivals, Tasting Australia, has announced Journey Beyond as the new presenting partner starting in 2025. Journey Beyond, known for operating iconic travel experiences across the country, is now set to enhance the festival that showcases South Australia’s distinguished offerings in food, drink, and travel.
The announcement coincides with the unveiling of the first event for the 2025 festival season: Tasting Australia by Train. After its massive success at its debut in 2024, this once-again anticipated event will feature a collaborative culinary journey from Melbourne to Adelaide. Operated by Journey Beyond, this journey will merge the culinary talents of the Ayubi family from Parwana and Duncan Welgemoed from Africola, for what is dubbed as Tasting Australia by Train: Africola X Parwana. Guests will travel onboard The Ghan’s dining and lounge carriages operated by the Overland, spending a luxurious 10-hour journey suffused with gourmet delights.
The festival, which runs from 2-11 May 2025, will be an expanded celebration across both Adelaide and regional South Australia. The program for the festival launches in early December with tickets available to buy from Thursday, December 5th on the Tasting Australia website.
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison, remarked on the new partnership, saying, “Tasting Australia has become a key fixture on our state’s events calendar, and we’re thrilled to welcome Journey Beyond as the presenting partner for this iconic festival. This partnership brings together South Australia’s finest food experiences with Australia’s leading experiential travel company, Journey Beyond and its exceptional travel offerings, creating new opportunities to showcase our state’s unique food culture to a wider audience.”
Echoing this sentiment, Tasting Australia Festival Director Karena Armstrong noted, “Journey Beyond’s commitment to offering extraordinary travel experiences aligns perfectly with the ethos of Tasting Australia. Together, we will create unforgettable moments for festival-goers, showcasing the very best of our state’s food and drink while opening up new ways for visitors to experience South Australia.”
Chris Tallent, Chief Executive Officer at Journey Beyond, spoke about the strategic alignment between the two entities. “Just like Tasting Australia, Journey Beyond plays an important role in the state’s visitor economy, with over 85,000 guests travelling to South Australia annually onboard our iconic rail journeys. We are delighted to partner with Tasting Australia and provide a platform to showcase Journey Beyond’s incredible experiential travel offerings across our magnificent state and country.”
The service provided by Journey Beyond is centered on a gourmet experience aligning perfectly with the festival’s essence. “On board trains like The Ghan, Indian Pacific, and Great Southern, guests are treated to multi-course meals crafted by talented onboard chefs,” added Tallent. These offerings highlight the local flavours and ingredients, showcasing regional Australian cuisine along the journey.
Justine Lally, Executive General Manager of Marketing and Product at Journey Beyond, said, “The Melbourne-Adelaide day-trip introduced for the first time last year sold out, and we are thrilled to provide this experience again for guests in 2025.”
This partnership marks an enriching chapter for Tasting Australia, promising to offer visitors a revitalised perspective of South Australia’s food and wine landscape through an exceptionally integrated travel and culinary experience.
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