HomeBusinessExclusive dinner celebrates local produce and award

Exclusive dinner celebrates local produce and award

HSG at the Gardens
HSG at the Gardens’ Dion Taylor with head chef Mitchell Yates, cooking table side.

Ten lucky diners were treated to a private gourmet event on Saturday night at HSG at the Gardens, being taken on a culinary journey of the Bundaberg Region.

Head chef Mitchell Yates worked for days on the four courses, then added the finishing touches to the meals in the room, explaining the ingredients, where they were sourced from and how they were prepared.

Dion Taylor from HSG at the Gardens said they planned to run them four times a year.

“Initially the idea is every quarter to tie in with seasonal changes,” Dion said.

“It was great to have growers in the room, as well as those from the industry and self-confessed foodies, all giving us feedback.”

HSG at the Gardens
Head Chef Mitchell Yates plates up and explains one of the courses at Saturday night’s dinner, with Dion Taylor.

The evening consisted of four courses: Chicken amouse bouche, scallop entrée, beef main and chocolate dessert, complete with edible gold foil.

One of the diners left this review on the Australian Good Food Guide website: “Private dining experience tonight was some of the finest food I have eaten anywhere in the world. Who would have thought to find it in regional Queensland?”

Dion Taylor spoke to the group about the Readers’ Choice Award HSG at the Gardens had recently been awarded by the Australian Good Food Guide

“That’s the first stage towards achieving that recognition of a Chef Hat grading,” Dion said.

“There were three in our region, in different categories.

“There are some amazing restaurants and cafes, but we really need to get that Chef Hat.

“It plays a dual role. It does something for tourism and it puts our food bowl on the map.

“It doesn’t just represent the restaurant, it represents the region.”

He explained that the Chef Hat is awarded by a visiting judge, who is icognito.

“The more people who get on the Australian Good Food Guide website and leave a review and vote for their favourite local restaurant or cafe, the more chance we have of them sending an inspector to check out our region.”

Chef Mitchell Yates said the award was acknowledgement they are on the right track.

“Receiving the Readers’ Choice Award told us there is a market for it, it told us we’re on the right track with what we’re doing,” Mitch said.

For more details on the Australian Good Food Guide and how residents can vote for their favourite restaurant or cafe visit the website.

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