About Moree on a Plate
Moree on a Plate is a contemporary and inspirational ‘festival of flavour‘, show-casing the vast array of food and wine produced in Moree and the surrounding region. Moree Plains Shire is one of the most productive and diverse agricultural regions in Australia, with MOP providing the opportunity for producers to promote their produce direct to consumers – ‘From the Gate to the Plate‘.
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The core activities of Moree on a Plate are:
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Food & Wine Festival – producer and art exhibitors, food and wine stalls, entertainment, Kids Korner
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Celebrity Chef cooking classes and demonstrations which incorporate and feature local cuisine
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Gala Event (hosted later in the year). Last year we hosted a Long Lunch and will be looking to do the same in September this year with produce from stalls exhibited at Moree on a Plate Food & Wine Festival featuring on the menu. In previous years this event has included cocktail parties, book launches, art exhibitions and live music.
Giving Back to the Community
Moree on a Plate, through raffles, ticket sales and donations has returned a generous amount of money back into the community. The local schools, sporting and community groups who participate in the festival have also raised significant funds for their organisations since the events inception. The local Lions Club held a BBQ at this year’s festival and the money they raised from this is going towards a walking frame for a local youth in need.
Some of the money that Moree On a Plate has donated back to the community includes:
2004 – $5000: Birthing Beds for the Maternity Unit at the Moree Hospital
2005 – $1500: Renal Unit
$1500: Moree Plains Regional Art Gallery
2006 – $7000: Integrated bedside patient monitoring for the High Dependency Unit at the Moree Hospital
2008 – $2200: to the Moree Hospital
2009 – $3000: to the Moree Hospital
2010 – $3300: to the Moree Hospital
2012 – $2000: to Moree Early Intervention Service
2013 – $1700: to the Moree PCYC
2014 – $2300: to the Moree Secondary College
2015 – $2000: to the Moree Hospital for upgrades to the Maternity Unit
2016 – $2000 to the Moree Hospital for a lounge/sleeper bed and i-pads for visitors
2017 – $3000 to the Moree Women’s Refuge for clothing and toiletries for women in need
2018 - $2500 to Meals on Wheels plus $2500 to Moree Men's Shed
2019 - $3500 to Moree Scouts
2021 - $7,500 to The Friends of The Moree Regional Botanic Gardens
2022: $6,500 to the Moree Arts Community Theatre
2023: $8,000 - $4,000 to The Moree Cancer Support Group, $4,000 to Country Education Foundation of Moree
OUR MISSION
Our mission is to:
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Showcase the diversity and quality of food, wine and agricultural products grown and produced in Moree and the surrounding region.
Provide a marketing vehicle for producers to supply their products direct to the consumer and to the food and beverage sector and increase their distribution rates on an on-going year-round basis.
– Introduce niche industries into the marketplace.
Produce a signature event for Moree Plains Shire and the New England – North West Region – an event that has high recognition and support in the market-place and raises the profile and image of Moree and the region.
Increase visitation to Moree by attracting both day-trippers and overnight visitors to the Festival and our Long Lunch event held later in the year, with these visitors encouraged to spend money within Moree.
To bring the Moree Plains Shire community together, building pride in our area and providing the opportunity for people to interact, socialise and enjoy themselves.
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The event started in 2004 as a way to showcase the evolving boutique industries in the region such as olives, citrus and wine. It is now one of the premier events in the North West and a wonderful way to promote Moree and the region, as well as the diversity of industries within the area.