By David Allan-Petale
Dressed for a cool night on a warm Dunsborough beach, celebrity chef and domestic goddess Nigella Lawson opened this year's Margaret River Gourmet Escape with fellow foodies including Ashley Palmer-Watts from Dinner by Heston.
The opening night party, sponsored by Audi, was held at Dunsborough's idyllic Castle Rock Bay with tents on the beach lit up as the sun went down and the wine and food began to flow.
Nigella Lawson at the Margaret River Gourmet Escape's opening party at Castle Bay Beach.Credit: Margaret River Gourmet Escape presented by Audi
Lawson is one of the major drawcards of the 2016 Margaret River Gourmet Escape, which kick offs this weekend, with her event, 'An Audience with Nigella Lawson' at Voyager Estate on Saturday, already sold out.
Several satellite events and Gourmet Village appearances will let WA foodies meet and hear from their favourite chefs as well as sample their fare during the three-day festival.
Castle Bay Beach in Dunsborough.Credit: Margaret River Gourmet Escape
Visitors can get acquainted with the latest food trends at home, with two thirds of the Australian contingent new to the festival, including young gun Andrew McConnell (Cutler & Co, Melbourne), Giovanni Di Serio from Asado and one of WA's finest local chefs Aaron Carr (Vasse Felix), who will showcase the exceptional ingredients of the Margaret River region.
Signature events include a Gourmet Beach BBQ, Feast in the Forest, Margaret River's Secret Garden as well as a bunch of showcase dinners, demonstrations and intimate master classes.
Lawson was spotted dining at local Perth eatery Long Chim on Tuesday evening ahead of her appearance at this weekend's Margaret River Gourmet Escape.
She was spied having a bite with fellow celebrity chef George Calombaris at the popular Thai eatery in the Treasury Buildings in the CBD.
Nigella Lawson dined at local Perth eatery Long Chim on Tuesday evening ahead of her appearance at this weekend's Margaret River Gourmet Escape.Credit: Margaret River Gourmet Escape presented by Audi
Lawson alsojoined renowned British chef Rick Stein and a who's who of the culinary world at the launch of the Margaret River Gourmet Escape at Crown Towers in Perth on Wednesday night, the lavish soiree giving foodies, local celebrities and special VIPs a taste of WA's best produce.
Lawson earlier got a taste of one of WA's best new restaurants, praising chef David Thompson's famed take on Thai street food on social media.
Long Chim said in an online post it was thrilled to have Lawson and Calombaris eat at the restaurant.
With another Long Chim set to open in Sydney in August, Lawson's comments would have been music to the ears of Thompson, a close friend of the British TV chef and best-selling cookbook author.
The UK celebrity is no stranger to the delicacies of WA, taking a shine to Wilyabrup winery Cullen in January and sharing her own gourmet escape experience with her 500,000 Instagram followers.
Lawson fell in love with Cullen's Amber wine, a semillon/sauvignon blanc blend from the winery's certified biodynamic vineyards.
Cullen Winery co-owner Vanya Cullen said at the time the feedback from Lawson was great exposure for them.
Gourmet Escape runs from November 18-20. Tickets through Ticketek from 11am, July 22