Often called the most beautiful part of the South West, The Blackwood River Valley launched the State’s first official Food Trail last month.
With the strong food culture in the south west of the state, it is foodie country.
The Blackwood River Valley Food Trail is one of at least 11 food trails that will launch across the State over the next year and coming out of an initiative of Tourism WA and the Taste 2020 report will showcase the regions gourmet food and beverages.
Food tourism is one of the fastest growing tourist activities with WA and especially the southwest, being also one of the world’s 36 biodiversity hot spots, is prime for food trail development.
The Blackwood River Valley Food Trail is roughly a loop around the scenic towns of Balingup, Bridgetown and Nannup, a route often called the Golden Triangle, due to its extreme beauty.
The trail leads tourists to providers of local food and includes retailers, restaurants, accommodation, boutique farms and producers.
The food trail is the initiative of the Taste Blackwood Producers Group that is made up of seven local farmers in the area who are passionate about developing the region and the market for local gourmet foods.
The food trail launch, held at the Cidery in Bridgetown, was toasted with what is believed to be the first sweet chestnut ale in Australia.
The ale has been developed by The Blackwood Valley Company with chestnuts supplied by Chestnut Brae sweet chestnut farm in Nannup.
Over the coming months and years, events on member farms will be developed to showcase the region’s produce and unique local foods that are available in the Blackwood River Valley.