New Delhi: Tourism Australia has made a grand extension to its ‘Restaurant Australia’ campaign by welcoming one of the world’s most influential restaurants, Noma, to its homeland.

Chef Rene Redzepi recreates the magic of Noma on the shores of Sydney Harbour with a special Australian menu.

Drawing on the strengths of Australia’s people, place and produce, the concept of ‘Restaurant Australia’ was developed to highlight the exceptional food and wine experiences Australia has to offer. After inviting the world to dinner in 2014, Noma will now take Australia’s culinary offerings to the global map by showcasing the country’s heritage and people, its stunning locations and extraordinary array of produce, as seen through the eyes (and in the hands) of one of the world’s best chefs.

The crème de la crème of the Indian culinary industry will be visiting Noma in March 2016 for the world’s best dining experience on the invitation of Tourism Australia. The experts from the Indian food industry Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, Chef Vicky Ratnani, Chef Ranveer Brar, Food Consultant Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal and Food Critics including Vir Sanghvi, Rashmi Uday Singh and Marryam Reshii, will be a part of this gastronomic sojourn. These influencers will be on the frontlines of some amazing tourism and food experiences in the country. Their collective reach of over 10 million followers on social media will further inspire Indian tourists to choose Australia as their next holiday destination.

Chef René Redzepi has concocted unique Australian dishes for his pop-up Noma outpost in Sydney. His original Noma restaurant, located in Copenhagen, has been named Best Restaurant in the World four times and received two Michelin stars till date. Noma’s Sydney pop-up opened its doors on January 26 and already has a waitlist of 27,000 diners. The restaurant will run until April 2 at Anadara Building, Barangaroo, Sydney serving lunch and dinner to food fanatics.

Since the launch of ‘Restaurant Australia’ in May 2014, spending by international visitors on food and wine in Australia has grown by nearly A$ 700 million (+16.6%) – already exceeding the two-year target originally set for the campaign. In the same period, global perceptions of Australia as a food and wine destination have improved, with the country’s rank rising from 10th to 6th.

Redzepi has scoured the continent, travelling and tasting wild ingredients off-shore – from the Tiwi Islands off Darwin to Tasmania’s Flinders Island – and on the mainland, from Margaret River in Western Australia to South Australia’s Limestone Coast, Port Phillip Bay in Victoria, the New South Wales Northern Rivers region and more.

“Our menu is about the flavours of Australia,” said Chef René Redzepi. “The last few months have been about experiencing first-hand where produce comes from, then trying to recreate it in situ, adding our own touch. We began by getting an understanding of the landscape. Visiting the people, seeing what they eat and how they cook, filling ourselves with those experiences and images. Then we went on to decide the direction of the food and the cooking style.”

Redzepi further added, “On my many trips around Australia I’ve seen larder that is so foreign to me. Foraging for abalone, eating fresh muntries, nibbling on pepper berries and cracking open a bunya nut – these experiences are so wild compared to what we’re used to in Europe. Spending time with indigenous communities in places like Arnhem Land, have left the biggest impact on me and the team. For instance, seeing the use of fire as the main way of cooking ingredients inspired us. Most of what we’re cooking at Noma Australia will be cooked over fire. We’ve built a menu based around the ocean and the coastal ranges. Clams, crabs, marron, the seafood is so pristine in Australia that we’ve had almost too much to choose from.”

Mr. Nishant Kashikar, Country Manager, India & Gulf, Tourism Australia, said, “Noma’s residency program in Australia adds further impetus to Tourism Australia’s Restaurant Australia campaign. The world’s top ranked restaurant coming to Sydney has set Australia’s culinary standards much higher. The Noma team has created something extraordinary and we know it will have a lasting impression on tourists and locals.

As per the findings of our Consumer Demand Project, since the launch of the Restaurant Australia campaign, spend on food and wine in Australia by Indians has grown to A$127 million, a solid increase of 51.2%. Research suggests Australia’s fresh produce, fresh seafood, high grade meat, and unique outdoor dining most heartily tempt the taste buds of travellers. We are proud to declare that amongst those Indians who have visited Australia, the destination maintained its top rank as the world’s best food and wine destination. Through Noma and our Restaurant Australia campaign, we will inspire more Indian travel enthusiasts to choose Australia for their next holiday.”

Tourism Australia has witnessed record arrivals from India this year, making it the 8th largest inbound tourism market for the country. Total arrivals for the year ended November 2015 stood at 230,000; an increase of 18% over the previous year. For the 11 months to November 2015, Australia welcomed 207,000 visitors from India, a 19% increase over the same period last year.

For the year ended September 2015, Indian visitors contributed A$ 1.1 billion to the Australian economy; an increase of 34% over the previous year.
About Tourism Australia

Tourism Australia is the Australian Government agency responsible for promoting Australia to the world as a destination for business and leisure travel.

Tourism Australia’s purpose is to increase the economic benefits to Australia of tourism, supporting the industry’s Tourism 2020 strategy, which aims to grow the overnight annual expenditure generated by tourism to over A$115 billion annually by 2020.

The organisation is active in around 20 key markets, where it aims to grow demand for the destination’s tourism experiences by promoting the unique attributes which will entice people to visit.

Tourism Australia’s activities include advertising, public relations and media programs, trade shows and programs for the tourism industry, consumer promotions, online communications and consumer research.

For more information visit www.tourism.australia.com | www.facebook.com/seeaustralia

For further information, please contact:

Madhu Pai

Marketing & PR Manager, India

Tourism Australia

+91-22-66280202

[email protected]

Asha Gopal
Avian Media
+91-22-67200530 / +91 9769917314
[email protected]