The Herb & Chilli Festival is back and better than ever for another year of spice, flavour and fun. Located in the picturesque Yarra Valley on March 18-19, the event founded and organised by nursery owners Di and Clive Larkman is perfect for those who are passionate about all things herb and spice.
The Herb and Chilli Festival is a space open for all that wish to immerse themselves in the world of spice and discover the many unique flavours and cultures from around the world. Let your taste buds explore over 20 different cuisines through eating competitions, cooking demonstrations and entertainment for all ages.
Exploring all food possibilities, the weekend’s busy schedule is filled with cultural and food-driven events, some including a cooking class run by a surprise celebrity chef, deep south blues music performed by Steve Boyd’s Rum Reverie and the wildly popular Stinger Wing Challenge.
With a lifelong passion for herbs and chilli, nursery operators Di and Clive Larkman, along with their family, celebrate flavour through food on this weekend-long festival each year, sharing their love for the spice world with the community of Melbourne. Now in its 11th year of operating, The Herb & Chilli Festival is renowned for showcasing its love for herbs and chilli with over 80 different stalls and events across the two-day-long festival.
The Larkmans encourage festival goers to get outside their comfort zone and experiment with unique flavours and cultures on show from across the globe ranging from Mexico, Turkey, India, South America and many more. Festival attendees can test their taste buds with a range of explosive flavour-filled international products and dishes such as the chilli wine from Disaster Bay Chilli, Grumpy Gary’s Rim Reaper sauces that’ll set fire to one’s mouth, tantalising wood-smoked meats from Zuya African BBQ – not for the faint-hearted and Blonde Chilli, Australia’s largest premium hot sauce distributor, dishing out their famous Death sauce, known to be one of the hottest in the world.
The Larkmans have made getting to and from this year’s festival easier than ever with the introduction of the festival’s very own Chilli Express Bus. The bus will be completing trips from Lilydale Station every half hour from 9:30am – 4:30pm and returning on the hour from 1am to 5pm.
Tickets are $10 return and can be bought online in conjunction with a festival ticket. Tickets for the event are $27 for adults and kids under 14 are free. To feel and look the part, purchase tickets online and receive a free Herb & Chilli Hat on arrival.
