Merry Perth to eat, drink

Eat Drink Perth, a festival of food, wine and dining, kicked off yesterday for a month of foodie events.

The festival involves 110 businesses and 140 events, including a chicken feet eating competition, progressive dinners, the Food Truck Rumble, cooking demonstrations, kids' pasta making classes and a new event, the Man v Meatball eating competition.

Chef Joel Valvasori, whose restaurant Lalla Rookh is staging the event, said it involved 60 seconds of meatballs scoffing. Restaurateur Scott Taylor said the event was a terrific way for the hospitality industry to showcase its wares.

Many of the events are free and the City of Perth is underwriting the festival for $130,000. "Money well spent," Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said.