Paul West has been announced as Gunnedah Harvest Festival chef

Harvest Gunnedah Committee Chair Cr Colleen Fuller said Mr West, who is known for his cooking with farm-fresh food, would be an important part of the celebrations on October 2.

"Having chef Paul West here for Harvest Gunnedah is wonderful news," Cr Fuller said.

"Our Shire already knows the benefits of sustainable farming and cooking with produce straight from the farm, and Mr West is a perfect fit. As well as being a chef, he knows about growing fruit and vegetables and using them to create family meals.

"The inaugural Harvest Gunnedah is shaping up to be a great event, and to have Paul West there is just the icing on the festival cake."

Paul West was the host of four seasons of the television program A River Cottage Australia which followed his journey to grow farm-fresh food and share it with the community. He now travels Australia hosting cooking demonstrations, and is a guest presenter for shows including Gardening Australia and Catalyst.

Paul is trained as a chef and has worked in all areas of food production, from WWOOFing (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) around Australia, growing fruit and vegetables, to cooking in the bistro of Melbourne's renowned Vue de Monde.

Read also:

He will feature in the program of Harvest Gunnedah, where local growers will share their produce alongside market stalls and a great line up of live entertainment.

Harvest Gunnedah will celebrate the role farming has played in Gunnedah's past and present, with generations of families producing food for the local area and across the globe.

The festival has received funding of $17,000 through the Australian Government's Building Better Regions Fund, along with $20,000 awarded to the Gunnedah Jockey Club through the Back to the Track program.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: