Illawarra Food Reviews: South Coast Tripe Eaters Associations annual dinner at Illawarra Folk Festival

South Coast Tripe Eaters Associations annual dinner at Illawarra Folk Festival

Vanessa Pike-Russell

I was talking to someone recently about tripe and how there is a group of people in the Illawarra and South Coast who love tripe so much they make an annual dinner event to celebrate it. I did a quick Google search and found this article about the South Coast Tripe Eaters dinner which kicks off the Illawarra Folk Festival each year. I loved the poem by Blue the Shearer and had to share it. As the daughter of someone who loves tripe I had always shuddered at the sound of the word but now that my taste buds have matured and challenging myself to be more open-minded I now freely admit that I love tripe. Strange but true. Don't judge tripe until you taste it too :)

“Tripe Eaters of the world unite.
Stand up tall and proud.
Fight the good tripe eater’s fight.
Join the swelling crowd.
Of those who eat intestines
of the masticating cow.
Get your registration form,
and fill it in right now.”

Blue the Shearer

I am definitely going to be front and centre at the Illawarra Folk Festival in 2010

More information from their website below.

"The Illawarra Folk Festival is the only festival in the world that kicks off with a fully fledged tripe eating dinner.

If you have the guts for it, Thursday Night at the Restaurant at the Bulli Showgrounds is for you. It is of course the South Coast Tripe Eaters Associations annual dinner. The delectable interior of the bovine will be on offer in two varieties; the boring old traditional white tripe and onions with the accompaniment of mashed potatoes and gourmet multicultural version to be revealed.
The meal is three courses with a traditional chilled soup and dessert as well as coffee and tea. Coopers Pale Ale, Handpicked Wines and Aussie Cider is on tap at the nearby festival bar which will also have fine wines on offer. For people who don’t eat tripe but like to hang around with people that do, then we will put on a very ordinary main course, called grey sludge so that you can enjoy the entertainment afterwards.
The entertainment will be provided by some of the world's great tripe eaters. There will be many more as performers who are at the Festival clamour to get a spot in this prestigious event.
Russell Hannah, one of the world’s great authorities on tripe eating, will as usual host the dinner. Russell has a black belt in tripe eating having amazed the audience by downing twelve helpings at the recent World Tripe Eating Championship in Sierra Leone. There is a rumour that triping is being considered by the Poms as an event in the 2112 Olympics. It’d have to be better than synchronised swimming anyway.
The cost of the night and entertainment is $20 with a weekend ticket or $25 without one. Bookings are essential. Contact Russell on 42971777 by Wed Jan 12th.
Cheers!
Russell Hannah, bigruss43@bigpond.com, 02) 4297 1777"