As those that were there will attest, last year’s Pair’d Margaret River Region festival was a swell time.
Among the events on offer: cookbook author and soprano Silvia Colloca singing opera in a cave; long-table lunches in a karri forest celebrating ancient Noongar wisdom; watching Argentine grill-master Francis Mallmann and his pals throw some chook, dhufish and whole lambs on the barbie while a cumbia band did its thing; plus a wine-fuelled disco.
Since making its debut in 2024, Pair’d has proven that the worlds of wine and music have more in common than meets the eye (or ear). And that the coastlines, vineyards and restaurants of Australia’s south-west make splendid backdrops for the enjoyment of great tunes and vino.
If the line-up for this year’s edition of Pair’d is anything to go by, the Margaret River region looks set to once again host much revelry this November.
While Pair’d has no shortage of global star power – the Chef’s Table alumnus, the Gordon Ramsay proteges, plus superstar DJs – there’s plenty of local talent in the mix too.
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The spread of events is similarly broad and runs the gamut from sprawling beachside barbecues to intimate dinners, and free events to big-ticket, bucket-list experiences with prices to match.
Yet for all this diversity, every event has one thing in common: a strong Margaret River connection.
“Every year we ask ourselves: what could only happen here?” says festival director Hannah Pike.
“The answer always comes back to the same things: the land, the ocean, the producers and the people who’ve given their lives to this place. That’s really what Pair’d is.”
Pair’d is also about good times. Here’s a snapshot of some of the people and events bringing said good times to Margaret River this November.
Playing with fire
Last year, Francis Mallmann shared the pleasures of Argentine open-fire cooking with guests at Pair’d. This year, the focus switches from South America to North America with second-generation pitmaster and Chef’s Table star Rodney Scott bringing his Carolina-style whole hog barbecue to the party.
Scott will join Sydney-based Morgan McGlone (Bar Copains, Bar Vincent and formerly of Husk in South Carolina where he met Scott) and Perth’s one-hat Texas-inspired barbecue pop-up Big Don’s Smoked Meats for An Evening With The Pitmasters: a celebration of American barbecue at Wills Domain.
While the event will be locals’ chance to sample Scott’s porky wizardry, he is equally excited about tasting some local specialties.
“What I’m most looking forward to at Pair’d is the wines,” he says.
“I remember tasting some beautiful wines the last time I was in Australia. I’m also looking forward to the food and Australia’s beautiful culture.”
The return of Burnt Ends & Friends
Scott is also on the bill for the second edition of Burnt Ends & Friends: a sprawling open-fire celebration also being held at Wills Domain and curated by Perth-born Dave Pynt of Singapore’s Michelin-starred Burnt Ends.
Joining Scott, Pynt and Wills Domain executive chef Jed Gerrard around the barbies will be Matt Abergel of Hong Kong’s legendary yakitori and Japanese whisky hotspot Yardbird; Ben Cross of Bali’s popular Masonry and Bar Vera; plus Larissa Goncalves of Beaufort Street powerhouse Si Paradiso.
“Burnt Ends & Friends is about bringing together people that know how to barbecue, cook great food and like having a good time,” says Pynt.
Pynt is also cooking with Leeuwin Estate head chef Dan Gedge at The History Makers, an intimate 24-person wine dinner held at Leeuwin Estate’s art gallery featuring rare vintage Margaret River wines hosted by Australian wine writer Nick Ryan.
Celebrating First Nations culture, flavours and voices
Nature’s Table, another of the festival’s key events, returns for round three. This year, Wadandi-Pibulman cultural custodian Zac Webb and Paul Iskov of native food pop-up Fervor are taking inspiration from the story of the peppermint tree (wonnil in Nyoongar).
Joining Webb and Iskov is former Masterchef contestant Mindy Woods, a Bundjalung woman who was awarded the international World’s 50 Best Champions of Change award last year for her work in celebrating Indigenous culture through food.
Wandadi man Josh Whiteland will again be playing his didgeridoo and sharing knowledge at Ngilgi Cave as part of Ngilgi Reverie. This year, he’ll be joined by Melbourne-based, Noongar singer-songwriter Bumpy who will perform in one of the southwest’s best sounding natural amphitheatres.
A global wine dinner series
London’s St John Restaurant is one of the pioneers of modern nose-to-tail cooking, but not as well known is the restaurant’s commitment to wine, including founder Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver owning their own vineyards in the south of France.
For those of a certain age, Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister – better known as Kruder & Dorfmeister – helped define the trip-hop sound. More lately, the Austrian DJ duo have also started making their own wine.
Here’s hoping they bring some bottles of their handiwork to the Pair’d Beach Club at Meelup Beach as part of Kruder & Dorfmeister’s first Australian appearance in more than a decade.
The beach club will host other reunions too. Ben Ing of Busselton’s Alberta’s joins former Noma kitchen buddy Gus Stieffenhoffer-Brandson (now at Published on Main in Vancouver) while Bangkok DJ-chef Mendy Indigo returns to also help soundtrack the club.
In other goods news: Scott Bridger of Fremantle’s glorious seafood destination Pearla & Co is running the raw bar.
Grape expectations
Howard Park is again hosting The Grand Tasting that brings all the region’s key producers to one location. In a mash-up of two previous events, this year’s New Wave Gathering is being held at Chow’s Table: one address, twice the party.
Finally, there’s Somms in Town. One of the new additions to the program, this initiative sees respected Perth sommeliers including Emma Farrelly (State Buildings), Foni Pollit (Mayfair Lane) and Katia Taschetti (Threecoins & Sons) popping up at venues around the region pouring and talking about the good stuff.
Pair’d Margaret River Region runs from November 19 to 22. Tickets go on sale at 10am AWST on Wednesday July 1.
Max Veenhuyzen is a journalist and photographer who has been writing about food, drink and travel for national and international publications for more than 20 years. He reviews restaurants for the Good Food Guide.
