The Taste of Tasmania: It Will Be Going Ahead But Not As We Know It

After lots of speculation, the Hobart City Council has confirmed that The Taste of Tasmania will be going ahead this year but could be a much smaller and modified event due to covid-19 and its restrictions.

The council are currently in the process of coming up with a way to revamp the well-loved Tasmanian food event so that the State doesn’t miss out completely.

However, the coronavirus means that we should expect the festival to be drastically scaled down from what we have seen in previous years.

Hobart City Alderman, Marti Zucco, spoke about what the future of The Taste might look like and what alternative solutions are being considered, in the wake of covid-19, so that the event can go ahead.

As a previous stallholder and a former Chairman of the event, he stated that the event will continue to go ahead and that the council are currently in discussions regarding how The Taste will look this year under the current circumstances.

“I have put forward a number of scenarios, my scenario on going on what we have got today would be that the shed be used for stalls, whether it is limited or complete, no table and chairs inside the shed. People go in and grab their food and eat it outside, but you know that it only one scenario.”

Mr Zucco stated that ongoing discussions with the Premier and council members will hopefully give them a sense of what they can potentially achieve and begin the planning process, working in conjunction with the restrictions and public health recommendations.

“It is going to be some form of Taste… maybe we need to rebrand at least for this particular year and rethink for next year.”

“Personally, I would like to see it a minimum of three days but again it is all relevant to all the scenarios.”

The Taste of Tasmania last year cost Tasmanians over one million dollars to hold the event. Yesterday the Council approved $300,000 towards this year’s event with the State Government already flagging that a further $250,000 will be available. This funding will ensure that the festival will continue even if it is in a different form.

The Taste, for many Tasmanian and interstate visitors, marks the finish of the grand Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race and brings in the New Year. Although The Taste will be on a much smaller scale this year, Mr Zucco is hoping for the original intent of the event to still be considered in the planning.

“It has got to wrap around [The Sydney to Hobart] and it has got to sort of have some New Year’s Eve flavour to it as well.”

For now, the event will be going ahead but only time will tell what The Taste of Tasmania 2020-2021 will look like.