Rootstock Sydney 2015

What do deep fried lamb ribs, orange wines and an Aboriginal earth oven have in common? You'll find them all at Rootstock Sydney, a not-for-profit festival now in its third year. Originally conceived as a artisanal wine festival in 2013, the 2015 event has expanded to celebrate chefs, producers, food makers, coffee, beer, sake and indigenous culinary culture.


Volunteers at Rootstock Sydney 2015

The layout at the Carriageworks this year has been rejigged and expanded so there's more room for everyone to move. The market areas remain free for people to wander and browse. Only the talks room and the wine festival (which includes unlimited tastings) require paid tickets.


Laboratorio Pavilion

Huge hanging blackboards provide an easy reference for stall holder locations. I visited on the Saturday but you can still get along today (Sunday) for the final festival day that runs until 10pm. Here's a photographic look at what you can expect...


Racks of honey from a Warré hive by Malfroy's Gold from the NSW Central Tablelands and the Blue Mountains


Kristen Allan's homemade cheeses


Olsson's macrobiotic sea salt


Blue cheese by Berrys Creek


Coffee Pavilion


Coffee beans for sale


Ethiopian coffee ceremony by Tina Yigletu of Djebena Coffees, based in the Blue Mountains


Orange wine bar in the Bars Pavilion


Beer tap list by Nomad and Birra del Borgo 


Wine Festival Pavilion with unlimited tastings

I'll be returning today (Sunday) to swill my way through as many wines as I can at the Wine Festival. Rootstock is one of the few invitation-only wine festivals, ensuring a thoughtfully curated list of winemakers in attendance. This year's festival includes 39 Australian, 12 New Zealand, 13 French, 11 Italian and 2 Austrian winemakers. There will also be one each from Georgia, USA, South Africa and Spain.


The forklift that will be used to spit-roast a whole cow on Saturday night

I'm also excited to return to see the spit-roast whole cow that has been cooking since late Saturday night. The cow was reared from birth by Richard Gunner of Feast Fine Foods in Adelaide and has been transported to Sydney specifically for this event.


Gurandgi Munjie Aboriginal Agriculture and Native Food Pavilion

The Gurandgi Munjie Pavilion is a new addition to Rootstock, celebrating Aboriginal food culture in a way that has rarely been done before. Gurandgi Munji translates as "Food of the People" and includes interesting displays on indigenous plants, Aboriginal art, and an indigenous earth oven that precedes the Maori hangi.


White box emu eggs by Trish Roberts


Native plants display


Stoking the winngan (dhoorga), minne (wathaurong) or Aboriginal earth oven 


Adding beach herbs to the pipis and mussels to be cooked in the earth oven


Wrapping up the pipis and mussles in a sheet, paper bark and calico


Plating the pipis and mussels after cooking in the earth oven


Pipis and mussels cooked in an Aboriginal earth oven with sea herbs


Chef, Produce and Farmers Pavilion

The Chef, Produce and Farmer Pavilion has been designed to showcase specific partnerships between these integral players in the food industry. The stalls provide an opportunity for tastings as well as the opportunity to purchase products and collaborative dishes.


Feather + Bone duck sausage on an organic Brickfields roll $10
Jumjum pasture-raised duck mince, hearts and liver with pistachio, orange peel and juniper berries


Iggy's 7-flour bread $20 whole, $10 half, $5 quarter

This 7-flour bread was inspired by Dr Wandana Shiva's recent visit to Sydney and honours the United Nations International Year of Soils in 2015. The bread is made from several ancient grains that are at risk of being lost. This loaf uses purple wheat, einkorn, rye, spelt, kamut, buckwheat and wheat. It's only baked on Saturdays at Iggy's. I bought half a loaf which is now happily sitting in my freezer ready for breakfast tomorrow.


Pierre Issa of Pepe Saya butter providing samples on Iggy's Bread


Clever Polly with Goulburn Trout rainbow trout tartare $12
with ponzu, sesame and rice paper crisp



Brickfields bread using Flinders Range flour


Brickfields tomato focaccia $5


Cornersmith Picklery beetroot and ginger relish


Cornersmith waffle with fermented honey labneh, wattleseed, almonds and thyme honeycomb $8


The Farmed Table braised capretto $12
with The Schoolhouse feta, green beans and Foxground bush lemons


Hartsyard and Breakout River Cowra smoked lamb ribs $5
with white barbecue sauce and sweet pepper pickle

You need to eat this Hartyard smoked lamb rib which is plunged into the deep fryer so the fat renders and the skin goes extra crispy. That white barbecue sauce is pretty incredible too.


Chefs, Produce and Farmers Collaboration pavilion number two


Movida and Flinders Island wallaby skewers $10
marinated in Moorish spices and cooked over charcoal


Icebergs and Alto Olives with sorbello tomatoes and mozzarella


Toasting hamburger buns at Mary's

Mary's grilling Lisa burger patties with melted cheese


Mary's L6 (Lisa) burger with bacon $15

Why did Mary's call this a Lisa burger? That's the name of the cow it came from.


Prosecco and rose swiss roll by Flour and Stone $6

And don't forget dessert. Flour and Stone has you covered for sweet treats to finish.


Pistachio, rose and orange meringue by Flour and Stone $5


Fine apple tart by Flour and Stone $6.50


Hand iced gingerbread by Flour and Stone $5

Rootstock Sydney 2015 continues today, Sunday 29 November, at Carriageworks

Sunday Market 10am-5pm (free)
Sunday Closing Party 5pm-10pm (free)
Sunday Wine Festival 10am-2.30pm or 3.30pm-8pm ($55)
Sunday Talks throughout the day ($10-$25)

Tickets for the wine festival and talks are available online or at the door. Entrance to the market pavilions and closing party is free.

Rootstock Sydney 2015
Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh, Sydney


Grab Your Fork attended this event independently and paid for all tickets and food.

Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Rootstock Sydney 2014