Renowned chef Peter Kuruvita is calling on local producers, chefs, restaurateurs and businesses to showcase their passion and talents in the 2025 edition of The Curated Plate.
Expressions of interest to be a part of the Sunshine Coast’s spectacular annual 10-day food festival will close on 3 February, 2025.
In his role as festival culinary director, Mr Kuruvita is curating the event program, which he says will be the biggest celebration of local flavours the festival has seen in its six-year history.
With the program starting to take shape, he is urging the food and drink industry to get involved and help shine a light on their business and the region.
Mr Kuruvita said there was less than a month remaining until the closing date for expressions of interest and called on venues, chefs and producers to embrace The Curated Plate food and drink festival which was attended by thousands of locals and visitors annually.
“This year’s festival will have a greater focus on honouring our local producers and offering a smorgasbord of different cuisines,” Mr Kuruvita said.
“It’s an opportunity for the food and drink industry to showcase their offering to locals and visitors who will, in turn, drive year-round visitation.
The award-winning annual festival will run from 25 July to 3 August, 2025, and includes a range of events across the Sunshine Coast region, from the beach to the hinterland.
Each business or organisation manages their own individual event including logistics and ticket sales.
Participating in the program is free and all event organisers keep 100 per cent of the revenue from ticket sales from any event they run.
They are supported by Peter Kuruvita as Culinary director and The Comms People who provide individual marketing and communications advice, upon request.
Sunshine Coast Council will promote and market The Curated Plate Festival.
Mayor Rosanna Natoli said the festival created enduring opportunities that strengthened the local economy.
“The festival is brought to life through a collaborative approach with the Sunshine Coast’s local industry association, the Food and Agribusiness Network, and destination marketing organisations, Visit Sunshine Coast and Tourism and Events Queensland,” Mayor Natoli said.
“We are looking to create a program full of diverse experiences for locals and visitors with extraordinary events that take place in unique settings, from our farms to beaches, from our breweries to distilleries.
“We also want our local restaurants to participate and do something special for The Curated Plate.”
The festival is also about recognising and celebrating the passion, talent and dedication of our local industry.
Mr Kuruvita said 2025 would include a bigger focus on telling the stories of local producers, chefs, restaurants and experiences which he says was a strong incentive to be involved.
“If you’re unsure about participating or need guidance on how to get involved, I’m here to help,” Mr Kuruvita said.
“My role is to support local businesses in creating unique event concepts that spotlight the Sunshine Coast’s food and drink offerings.
“Whether it’s about attracting new patrons or giving loyal customers a fresh reason to visit, The Curated Plate is a platform to celebrate and elevate your business.”
Mr Kuruvita said he was looking for event concepts that showcased the region.
From the ideas shared, he will focus on curating the 10-day festival program to ensure there is a spread of ideas, cuisines and locations included.
Event concepts can be shared online or by reaching out to Mr Kuruvita on peter@peterkuruvita.com.
For more information, industry should head to The Curated Plate website.
Food lovers can subscribe to stay up to date with festival news or follow on socials @thecuratedplate.
This Curated Plate Food and Drink Festival is an initiative of the Sunshine Coast Council, supported by the Queensland Government, through Tourism & Events Queensland, the Food and Agribusiness Network and Visit Sunshine Coast.
