Wednesday 28 September 2011
The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) were awarded eight
medals at the Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards, including a gold medal
for their house made mandarin and passionfruit sorbet.
Entering the awards for the first time and drawing on Victorian
ingredients from suppliers Jonesy’s Dairy Fresh, Green Eggs and Sunny
Ridge Strawberries, MCEC were recognised with one gold, two silver and
five bronze medals for a host of its home-produced menu items.
MCEC’s executive chef Shaun Bowles said: “I’m really pleased with our
efforts and it is great that the work of our chefs, and some of our
local suppliers, are recognised through these awards which acknowledge
some of the best producers around the country.”
Rhonda and Wayne Somerville of Jonesy’s Dairy Fresh said:
“Congratulations to everyone involved at MCEC in achieving such great
results in the Fine Food Awards; their entries were very creative and
we’re proud to provide a quality milk to complement their work.”
Coming up against some tough competition and brands from around
Australia, including Bulla Dairy Foods, Serendipity Ice Cream and King
Island Dairy, MCEC exhibited a range of homemade ice cream and sorbet
flavours, yoghurt and labna cheese and were awarded:
* Gold – mandarin and passionfruit sorbet
* Silver – natural labna in Salute Olive Oil; Campbells
Rutherglen Muscat Sabayon ice cream
* Bronze – MCEC vanilla yoghurt; MCEC natural yoghurt; quince
and spiced vanilla ice cream; rum and raisin with caramelised almond ice
cream; and yoghurt strawberry ripple sorbet
MCEC’s acting chief executive Leighton Wood said: “The MCEC kitchen team
should be congratulated on the quality of products they continue to
create in our kitchens, showcasing to visitors from around the world the
unconventional approach we take to our food and wine offerings.”
Conducted annually by The Royal Agricultural Society of Victoria, the
2011 Royal Melbourne Fine Food Awards received more than 1000 entries
from 213 exhibitors across Australia, ranging from larger commercial
brands to smaller farmers and producers.
MCEC’s gold medal winning mandarin and passionfruit sorbet featured on
the Royal Melbourne Find Food Awards lunch menu at the Showgrounds
yesterday where trophy winners for each category were announced.
Continuing to challenge traditional venue catering by producing in-house
menus using the freshest seasonal and local produce, matched with
hand-selected regional wines, MCEC’s food and wine experiences offer a
refreshing take on large scale catering.
