Gidgegannup Small Farm Field Day: Slow Olive Festival returns for second year

WA’s new Slow Olive Festival is back by popular demand, with the second annual event returning to this year’s Gidgegannup Small Farm Field Day after a triumphant debut. Olive enthusiasts can expect displays from local producers, a heavenly array of oil and olive tastings, an olive oil competition, expert cooking demonstrations, and an olive-themed food stall serving lunch and snacks. The festival is being organised by the Swan Valley and Eastern Regions Slow Food Convivium, led by Gidgegannup resident Vincenzo Velletri. Mr Velletri said the festival was about encouraging people with backyard olive trees to make use of their fruit, and to showcase how olive oil could be used and enjoyed in various recipes. “Last year’s event was very, very good. Lots of people came and all the stallholders were very happy,” he said. “When we do the event, we try to put something in that people have never heard about before. This year, we’re doing some deep-fried stuffed olives as an appetiser, which is a part of the traditional street food back in Italy.” Mr Velletri has been involved in the slow food movement for more than two decades, and is passionate about inspiring people to take an interest in the food they eat and where it comes from. He has about 160 olive trees at his Toodyay Road property, using the fruit to create homemade olive oil and pickled olives for his catering business Il Paiolo, as well as his family and friends. “My family had always an olive grove back in Italy, so when we came here we tried to find somewhere where we could plant some olive trees,” Mr Velletri said. “It’s very much a connective sort of tree: part of Italy, part of our history.” The festival runs all day and aims to appeal to everyone, from foodies to industry participants to those keen to grow their first olive tree. This year’s event is being run in partnership with Coral Coast Beef, an award-winning WA grass-fed beef producer that will be offering cuts directly for sale and samples from a woodfired grill. Chef and author Concetta Sultan will hold workshops all day on how to preserve and process olives in the Agricultural Hall. At 11.30am, University of WA School of Agriculture honorary research fellow Professor Stan Kailis will discuss table olives, different cultivars, and how best to process them. His presentation will be followed at 12.10pm with a talk on how best to taste olive oils, hosted by Olive Council of WA international judge Isabella Okis. Competition winners will be announced at 2.30pm, with award categories for local oils pressed last year and oils freshly pressed this year. Anyone can enter the competition on the day, which will be judged by national judges from the Olive Council of WA. Other attractions will include a display of the machinery and equipment required to run an olive grove, and an information stall with free booklets detailing the history of olives, with recipes and information on local producers. The Gidgegannup Small Farm Field Day will be held from 9am-4.30pm on Sunday, May 28, at the Gidgegannup Showgrounds at 2171 Toodyay Road in Gidgegannup. Entry for children under 16 is free. Tickets are $15 for adults and can be purchased at the gate or online at https://events.humanitix.com/gidgegannup-small-farm-field-day-bn8ruyjr