THE winner of the hit television show Masterchef Julie Goodwin hopes to find time in her busy schedule to come back to town for this year's Narooma Oyster Festival.
Mrs Goodwin and her family as usual spent their Christmas break in Dalmeny at her parents' holiday house and she is keen to make it back for the festival.
It's been a busy few months since Julie was declared the winner of the inaugural Masterchef series that broke ratings records with its success attributed to Australia's love of the kitchen and a feel good theme where ordinary people triumphed in a friendly, wholesome competition.
She said she had landed a couple of national campaigns appearing in advertisements for Fountain sauces and Glad kitchen wrapping.
Also on the cards is a "cook's tour" of Vietnam as she is working with a travel company to be the guest of honour on an upcoming tour.
Until she became Australia's favourite new chef, she was busy working in her and her husbands IT company and looking after her two sons at their Central Coast home.
"I don't have much time for the old job with the new career - it's been taking a lot of my time," she said.
The Dalmeny break was very welcome as she had been working frantically on her book "Our Family Table" that had just been sent off to print and that would be launched in April.
The book contains some of Julie's favourite recipes and she plans to go on the road to promote it following the launch.
Perhaps perfect timing for the Narooma Oyster Festival that this year takes place on May 14-16.
Julie's connection to the Narooma district goes further as her former school mate just happens to be Kate Jackson, who helps organise the oyster festival the wife of Narooma chamber president Nigel Jackson.
The two caught up for coffee during her recent visit and of course the discussion of this year's Narooma Oyster Festival came up.
Julie hopes the timing will be right and that she will be able to attend and be involved in the festival that each year brings a celebrity chef to town to judge the cooking competition, attend the ball and just enjoy the festivities.
The first festival was graced with South Australian iconic and loveable chef Maggie Beer, who this week was named Senior Australian of the Year, while the second Oyster Festival last year had renowned author Stephanie Alexander as celebrity chef.
Mrs Jackson said it would be great if Julie was able to attend and the festival committee had already secured up-and-coming chef Julian Lloyd of Bannisters at Mollymook.
Mr Lloyd is the right hand man of superstar chef Rick Stein who recently took over Bannisters and who also knows his seafood as he hail's from Mr Stein's home of Padstow on the English coast.
Get behind the Oyster Festival
TAILORING sponsorship to include what businesses really want is the plan for this year’s Oyster Festival.
Event organisers Matt Deveson and Rachael Niemoeller will be pounding the streets in February talking to business owners about supporting this May’s festival and how they might like to see their time and money directed.
The pair will not only be asking for funds, but also for in-kind donations and voluntary hours to help take the Oyster Festival to the next level.
“The Narooma Chamber's vision is for the Oyster Festival to grow in size, reputation and quality to become one of the best-known food festivals in Australia,” Matt said.
“We have a good base to build on but we really need the town to get behind us if we’re going to create something of long-lasting benefit to the region.
“With the Blues Festival gone, it's even more important for the Oyster Festival to become a big tourist draw attracting thousands of visitors to our district and showcasing what we have to offer."
TV, print and radio advertising may all be included in the sponsorship packages but the Festival committee is open to suggestions as to how to build the event.
"It’s going to be a two-way street this time around," says Rachael.
The pair will also be canvassing the business community's opinions on how Narooma should develop its economy into the future.
Chamber of Commerce president Nigel Jackson says: "Matt and Rachael are using a very professional approach to sponsorship and I urge all businesses to get behind them, support this great event and allow us to maximise the marketing and PR that can be used to bring people to the district in our off-season."
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