A conversation with a friend. A tasty meal. An unexpected family visitor.

The annual Crookwell Brew and Bake is a celebration of all things simple.

As the temperature drops and the Shire gears up for winter, the Crookwell showgrounds will transform into a hub of food – boiled, roasted, fried and baked – filling the stomach and soul.

From goat, rabbit and lamb, to beef casseroles and roasted vegetables, campfire cooks and home brewers will relish in what there is to offer. 

If the food doesn’t keep you warm, a large bonfire will be lit, as music, storytelling and bush poetry is shared.

Relaxed is the word chief steward and organiser Dennis O’Brien used to describe the night.

Mr O’Brien, who has been involved in the cook out for the past seven years, said the attendance has jumped from about 50 to 300 people. 

“It was an idea by John Brennan to get a few people together in a relaxed environment,” Mr O’Brien said.

“It has grown as people have realised the benefits of the concept. It’s really about people getting together, having a yarn and doing very little while their cooking on the coal.

“Everyone is sitting around the campfire, having a good time.

“It’s about camaraderie.” 

Anyone is welcome to join the bush poetry and live music across the afternoon and night.

The Southern Tablelands Vintage Farm Machinery Club will have old motors on display and a relay racing demonstration will also run in the afternoon.

For those who stick around until the morning, a leisurely breakfast, with bread toasted on the fire, will be available. 

The Brew and Bake will begin on Saturday, May 19 at 1pm until Sunday May 20.

The entry fee is $30 per person and children are free. Contributors to the cookout will receive free entry, but this will be decided by Mr O’Brien on the night.