Don relishes return to region

There are endless reasons why Don Hancey can’t stay away from the Great Southern.

WA’s Food Ambassador has been a big part of the annual Taste Great Southern festival since its inception in 2005, but his love for the region began well before when he used to holiday in Walpole as a child.

“I’ve been coming down south to the Great Southern for over 15 years and the quality of the product on offer from really small events to great winery and food events, it’s simply world class,” he said.

“I love coming down to the Great Southern, absolutely love it. To me, the Taste Great Southern Festival and what it offers, it’s a world-class offering and I hope it grows to be an international festival destination.”

Hancey’s vision for the festival comes as no surprise to its organisers, with the event continuing to grow in its 11th year, and now a major part of the annual tourism spend in regional WA.

The popular chef’s knack of pairing local produce with premium wines comes to great use, especially when he salivates over the region’s fresh seafood on offer.

“Citrusy rieslings with oysters and seafood is a perfect match,” he said. “If you have a stunning piece of fish or some avocados or some limes or asparagus from the region, you don’t have to do a lot with it as it is already bloody perfect.

“If a farmer or a producer has taken an immense effort to produce a product often the best way to respect it is to use it in its simplest form.”

One event Hancey is particularly looking forward to is the first-ever Taste of Plantagenet Fair on February 28, in which he will join old friend Anna Gare for a cook-off of Great Southern produce.

“Anna and I go back decades and we have a lot of fun on stage,” he said.

“We’re good on stage together as we have a good banter and a good knowledge of WA produce and the producers.

“That’s going to be fun but … you can actually educate people in quite subliminal ways about the importance of buying local, shopping local and supporting local producers.”