Erle Levey
Gourmay, the month-long celebration of food in the Mary Valley, is gearing up for 2025 with the focus on local food, people and their stories. ERLE LEVEY was at the meeting that looked at the way ahead for this festival.
“Authenticity is what we are aiming for. As much as I love celebrities, GourMay is about us.’’
Enthusiasm and authenticity are driving the Mary Valley’s month-long celebration of food, GourMay, to an even brighter 2025.
A planning meeting at Kybong this month saw a very positive evening with lots of energy, interesting suggestions and great comment.
“The big takeaway from the evening is we are not doing too much wrong and we are heading in the right direction,’’ GourMay’s Malcolm Oakley said.
“The fact that we’ve had this meeting is an indication of the interest in the event and in seeing it continue.
“The success of GourMay 2024 was the mix of events on offer and we’re hoping to create a similarly interesting calendar.
“We want a calendar that has something for everyone – art, culture, music, education, humour, kids – and of course food.’’
The events could be a picnic, workshop, walk, talk, lunch, dinner, farm tour, treasure hunt, breakfast, paint and sip.
It must take place in the Mary Valley between May 1 and May 31, 2025, have a food element with the emphasis on local produce.
Festival Day will be Saturday, 10 May, at Imbil.
The launch of GourMay is scheduled for Saturday, 2 November, at Amamoor.
Sponsorships are being negotiated.
Slow Food Noosa will be involved, as their philosophy of food that is good, healthy and fair is in line with that of GourMay.
Mary Valley Rattler general manager Sherry Lowe said the historic railway organisation would be part of the festival.
“The Rattler team will be proud to be involved because our story is the story of the Mary Valley – the farmers, the producers, and the people.’’
While writers and musicians can find the second book or album hard to follow-up with another hit, the success of GourMay has had no trouble.
The first one in 2023 was new and exciting, capturing the attention of a good following.
Malcolm said getting it off the ground was the hardest, considering how much effort was needed to organise events and encourage participation.
“I think that GourMay has shown that the second year was one of growth,’’ he said. “Now it is a matter of continuing that momentum.
“Thanks goes to those who hosted an event in 2024. Welcome to the Slow Food Noosa team who started this journey with us last year, and that their principles fit in nicely with those of GourMay.
“It’s a matter of looking back at what we did well, what can be improved, and then looking forward to 2025 with some new ideas.
“The calendar is important to decide what will be held, on what day and where.
“We had 25 events last year, at least 40 volunteers, and 15 not-for-profit groups represented at the festival day.
“It seems that those who came last year will want to come back.’’
A feature of GourMay is it caters for all lifestyles.
“People are looking for authentic experiences,’’ Malcolm said, “and the one thing they have been saying to me is there are lots of fabulous food events around the world, and a couple on our doorstep, but we are very much about our people. Our food produce.
“Authenticity is what we are aiming for. As much as I love celebrities, GourMay is about us.’’
The Walking with Macadamia tours have been highly popular and continue to attract a lot of interest.
Proving successful last year was the sunrise breakfast at John Tidy‘s avocado farm in Amamoor.
It captured the spirit of what GourMay is all about and caught the imagination of those who enjoyed local food at a breathtaking location on top of the hill overlooking the Mary Valley.
The Rail Trail evening was also popular and a second event is being considered.
The Slow Food Noosa film with food night at Kandanga was praised for the nature of the event, as well as the focus on local produce prepared and presented by a passionate band of volunteers.
Forage Farms saw 80-100 people attend the farm for a tour that included discussion on natural sequence farming to build soil health, increase biodiversity and retention of water on the property.
The cooking presentations, competitions and demonstrations as part of festival day in Imbil were of such interest that people from out of the area – even interstate – are planning their holidays around GourMay, Malcolm said.
“People are prepared to come back and tell their friends.
“The beauty of the region is the variety of things we have here.
“There is lots of good content for discussion groups. There are some good stories to be told.’’
VISION FOR THE VALLEY
For GourMay’s Malcom Oakley, it’s simply a matter of being passionate about something that gives him such energy to help organise the month-long event.
“We feel that it’s something worthwhile and creates a good sense of community … there’s a feel-good factor of the community achieving something together.
“For me, it’s also because we are four villages and there’s that sense of belonging together.’’
Having parents who were very involved in supporting the community has given Malcolm a strong sense of purpose.
“We grew up on an island in the south of England – the same as MasterChef Gary Mehigan.
“Mum and dad were very involved in their community in different ways. So it’s sort of something that’s in our family that makes us want to do these things.’’
With a background in catering in Sydney over many years Malcolm was keen to celebrate what the Mary Valley has to offer.
“The momentum has snowballed with more people becoming involved.
“Instead of a celebrity chef from other parts of Australia we want to celebrate the talent that we have here … and that sums it up
“We don’t want to be like other events but will take elements from them.
“We’ve said it’s all about us – there’s enough people here and all sorts of different stories to tell, so it’s not the same each year – the same, but different.’’
NATURAL COMMITMENT
For John and Julia Tidy of Amamoor being involved with GourMay was only natural.
They have farmed their organic avocado property for 21 years and see GourMay as a way of bringing the Valley together.
“There’s so much produce – vegetables and crops in the Valley,’’ John said. “It’s one of the food bowls of Queensland.’’
John and Julia have been part of the festival from the start.
Their sunrise breakfast last year went really well, John agreed.
“Everyone gathered at 5.15am and we walked up hill, talked about the avocados, the organic and biodynamic principles at our place.
“We had some of the best views you could imagine, and people are are eager to do it again this year.’’
The menu comprised of local eggs from Bunya Grove Farm, bacon from Mary Valley Smallgoods, sourdough from Jeremiah’s Crust at Carters Ridge, Montville Coffee and
home-made chutney by Julia.
SUPPORTING FARMERS
Amber and Tim Scott of Kandanga Farm Store have been one of the main supporters of GourMay since its inception.
“We’re all about local food production,’’ Amber said. “We’re here to help farmers and growers to produce food that’s organic and regenerative.
“That’s the way to have the healthiest people, the healthiest landscape, the healthiest animals … so GourMay is a perfect fit to celebrate what’s grown locally and what’s in our backyard.
“Of course we wanted to be involved – and help in telling the stories of where food comes from. That’s really really important to us.
“We have to get away away from this idea that food is a commodity because it’s not.
“The food we eat is the most important decision we make on a day-to-day basis. We need to know where the food comes from, knowing the stories of where it comes from and the people behind it.
“That is so important. We need to know what the farmer believes in, and then you can support the farmers who share your values.
“It comes back to you are what you eat.’’
In the past, Kandanga Farm Store has hosted long lunches, dinners, farm tours, picnics in the paddock … even workshops for baking sourdough and sausage making.
So what’s in store for 2025?
“Watch this space,’’ Amber said. “We’ll do a farm tour again because it’s about fulfilling our vision of educating people and connecting with the landscape, and where their food comes from. The people behind it, the people who are managing it.
“It’s not just about eating fine food, it’s about doing the walk then enjoying the meal.’’
Indeed, GourMay is proving popular because of its individuality and the genuine reason for becoming established. Members of the different communities are looking forward, once again, to meeting local producers and artisans then sharing in the many small pleasures that the coming-together over food brings.
FESTIVAL LAUNCH
It is proposed the launch event for GourMay will be held at the Village Green at Amamoor on the evening of Saturday, 2 November.
The evening will be about people from the Mary Valley community getting together to enjoy good conversation, as well as food, refreshments and entertainment by local vendors, producers and musicians/performers.
The Mary Valley Rattler is expected to be running a train to the event from Gympie with participation from Slow Food Noosa members presenting and discussing their produce.
To apply to be involved in GourMay or to host an event: www.gourmaymaryvalley.com.au/application-forms.html
To discuss any potential event call 0405 105 702.
