David Leith, FNQ Food Magazine, catches up with Matt Preston on the eve of Taste Port Douglas 2025
Matt Preston arrives in Port Douglas with the same energy as a tropical cyclone—but far more charming. Towering, sharp-witted, and always half a step from a punchline, he’s not just here to swan about in linen and taste custard apples. He’s back in Far North Queensland for his second spin through Taste Port Douglas, and if his grin is anything to go by, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. And in 2025, he’s back under the palms and frangipanis for his second appearance at Taste Port Douglas, an event that has become as much about reconnection as it is revelation.
“I’ve been coming here since 1994,” Preston says, with the easy nostalgia of someone recalling a favourite holiday home. “I learned to dive at Cape Tribulation. This place has always felt comfy to me. But what’s different now is the calibre of the food scene. It’s become the culinary jewel it always had the potential to be.”
David Leith: “So what made you want to return?”
Matt Preston: “This is my second time doing the event—and I wanted to come back ever since. It's an amazing opportunity not just to teach, learn, and share, but also to be up here and immerse yourself in the local food. You can go to the market and find black sapote you eat with a spoon, or pop into Jungle Fowl and get something outrageously good. It's about soaking up everything FNQ has to offer—because there's so much.”
Taste Port Douglas, now a flagship celebration of the Australian food calendar, is part bacchanal, part masterclass, part community reunion. This year’s event, held once again at the Sheraton Grand Mirage Resort, unfolds over four days of long lunches, immersive chef collaborations, beachside cocktails, and an electric Festival Village that buzzes with live demos, local producers, and food-obsessed fans.
DL: “What did you take away from last time?”
MP: “Well, I’ve been coming to this part of the world for a long time. There’s a familiarity to it, sure—but every visit reveals something new. And I love that even though the world’s catching on—James Cameron famously drew inspiration from here for Avatar, for instance—it still feels raw, rich, and largely unchanged. You get that trifecta: great produce, remarkable people, and this absolutely killer environment.”
Preston is hosting a signature masterclass at this year’s event—equal parts culinary improvisation and philosophical provocation.
MP: “If there’s one thing people remember, maybe it’s this: take a sheet of rice paper, dunk it in water, roll up a slice of cheese in it, pop it in the air fryer, and boom—you’ve got a crunchy, cheesy log that will blow your friends away.”
He grins. “But more importantly, it’s about taking what you’ve got and reimagining it. Being non-traditional, being bold. That’s how you grow as a cook—and that’s how you surprise people at dinner.”
DL: “So what do you think visitors get out of the festival?”
MP: “I think something like the Festival Village gives people a fantastic day out—demos, great food, local wines and beers. And dinners like the Brit Dinner? That’s where you see minds colliding. It’s fascinating how chefs from similar backgrounds interpret things so differently. That kind of cross-pollination is what makes this event so dynamic.”
He’s also here as a learner and enthusiast, not just as a presenter.
MP: “I’ll be sitting in some of the other classes because I want to learn too. That’s the joy of this thing. It’s not just about professionals performing—it’s about shared discovery.”
Among those minds are a blend of household names and emerging voices: Adam D’Sylva, Darren Purchese, Raymond Capaldi, Ryan Clift, and a new generation of regional chefs representing a fresh frontier of FNQ cuisine. Preston lights up when talking about them.
MP: “Fish school where other fish are. It’s a buzz to be around people you admire. There’s a looseness up here, a camaraderie. Everyone’s here for the love of it.”
And that camaraderie isn’t just lip service—it’s deeply personal.
MP: “It’s great to catch up with everyone I know. I see them around the traps. Then you’ve got legends like Roger Pizey, the king of touch. Seeing them all in one place? That’s magic.”
He continues:
MP: “There’s a looseness to this place I really love. It’s not stiff. It’s not performative. The food doesn’t have to be fancy—it just has to be made with care and a bit of panache. And that makes for a really joyous kind of cooking and sharing.”
When pressed to name a singular, unforgettable taste from the region, Preston doesn’t hesitate.
MP: “Custard apples. You can find them elsewhere, but they’re never this fat, this juicy, this electric. There’s this gorgeous milkiness and zing. I had one with cold milk and oats the other morning and thought—this is it. This is how you start a day.”
He sees the humble custard apple as emblematic of the region.
MP: “That’s the benchmark. If you’re going to use something that good, you have to do it justice. Elevate it—or pair it with something that helps it shine. Simple is perfect, if it’s done right.”
DL: “So what do you want people to walk away with?”
MP: “Just one thing. One moment. That’s usually all it takes. It might be a little tip, a technique, or just the experience of eating something mind-blowing in a place like this. That’s the power of Taste Port Douglas—it’s about sparking something.”
With his signature charm and a hunger for discovery, Matt Preston brings more than celebrity to Taste Port Douglas—he brings reverence. Reverence for local produce, for regional identity, and for the kind of joyful, shared experience that can only happen where the rainforest meets the reef and the food is kissed by both.
So whether you’re wandering the stalls of the Festival Village, raising a glass at La Dolce Vita, or scribbling notes at one of the masterclasses, keep your eyes peeled for the tall man in the flamboyant cravat. He’s not just here to perform. He’s here to eat, learn, laugh—and remind us all what food is really for.
Full event info, tickets and full information HERE.
