A Fine Feast at Audi Hamilton Island Race Week

Audi Hamilton Island Race Week 2014, the largest offshore regatta in the southern hemisphere, promises to once again position Hamilton Island as one of Australia’s premier gourmet food and wine destinations.

The international yachting event has evolved over the past 31 years into a spectacular display of on-water racing paired with the finest epicurean cuisine, flowing champagne, Robert Oatley Vineyards wines and celebrity chefs; yet another reason why Hamilton Island has been acknowledge by Tourism Australia as a Restaurant Australia destination of choice.

Audi ambassadors and iconic Australian chefs Matt Moran, Kylie Kwong and Shannon Bennett will delight guests with unique and new gastronomic experiences. Head Chef of acclaimed Melbourne restaurant Vue de Monde, Shannon Bennett will bring his signature haute cuisine to qualia with a degustation-style menu celebrating the very best local Whitsundays produce. Matt Moran’s ‘Chiswick' style Long Pavilion dinner will reflect his paddock-to-plate food philosophy and renowned chef, Kylie Kwong will present an intimate, Chinese family-style dinner at Pebble Beach. 

Guillaume Brahimi, who opened his highly anticipated eponymous restaurant in Sydney this month, will host a beautiful cocktail party on a luxury boat as an ambassador for Samsung Electronics Australia, serving local produce including spanner crab, prawns and oysters. 

However, the most coveted event of the week will once again be the Charles Heidsieck Champagne Lunch hosted on Wednesday 20 August with new partner MR PORTER.COM; the award-winning global retail destination for men’s style. The lunch will see 250 guests enjoy a selection of Charles Heidsieck champagnes paired with a four-course meal created by qualia Executive Chef, Alastair Waddell.

Following a range of delicious canapés, the elegant menu will continue with butter poached marron tail, broad bean, nameko and shimeji mushrooms, pea and buttermilk whey matched with Charles Heidsieck Brut Millesime 2000. The main course of tea smoked quail, sweet corn and jamon iberico will be served with Charles Heidsieck de Millenares 1995 and followed by dessert of charred watermelon, strawberry and raspberry granita, and olive oil cake topped with yoghurt paired with Charles Heidsieck Rose Reserve.   

The champagne will continue to flow on Wednesday at the inaugural Piper Heidsieck Champagne lunch set elegantly on the lawns overlooking beautiful Catseye Beach. One hundred and twenty guests will sit down to a meal beginning with an entrée of scallops, endive apple salad, foie grass a la orange finished with tempura pistachios in jamon powder. The main course will boast a pave of salmon, miso and artichoke puree, rainbow beetroot, pea and mint gel, snow pea salad and salmon caviar followed by dessert of bee pollen & vanilla ice cream, vermouth & ver juice poached pear, honey brittle, nashi pear granola, ver juice gel and milk jam. Each course is to be served with Piper Heidsieck champagnes to match.

For those who love to lunch, but also enjoy a cocktail or two, the world’s finest gin, Tanqueray is hosting a one night only “Tonight We Tanqueray” event at the Captains Club on Tuesday 19 August. While relaxing to the sound of live entertainment, guests can indulge in the bespoke dessert cocktail, The Tanqueray Lemon Meringue Pie, created especially for Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, or the Tanqueray signature cocktails such as the Raspberry Collins or the English Tea Cooler.
Whether a late night has been enjoyed or a unique start to the day desired, the Ketel One DIY Bloody Mary Bar is the place to be.  Located every morning outside Manta Ray from 7 – 10 am, guests can design their own bespoke Bloody or Virgin Mary from a choice of fresh herbs, flavours and spices before Chris Hysted and the Ketel One team of experts create the morning beverage before their very eyes.
Although the tomato juice morning kick start promises to be popular, champagne is set to rein the preferred choice with more than 1,200 bottles of Charles Heidsieck and 1,200 bottles of Piper Heidsieck champagne to be poured throughout the week-long regatta. As to what will be consumed alongside these glasses of bubbles – 12,000 oysters, 500 kilograms of New Zealand salmon, 600 kilograms of prawns, 20 kilograms of caviar, four kilograms of truffles, 260 jumbo quails, 500 kilograms of limes, 1,500 kilograms of watermelon and 2,000 pineapples  are to be delivered to Hamilton Island this week in preparation for the auspicious event.
Audi Hamilton Island Race Week runs from 16 – 23 August. For more information, visit: www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au.

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Notes to editors: Media contacts and image library: www.hamiltonislandraceweek.com.au/media

Sophie Baker, Corporate Communications Director
e:  sbaker@hamiltonisland.com.au  t: +61 (0)438 442 323

Gemma Christie, Communications Manager
e:  gchristie@hamiltonisland.com.au  t: +61 (0)401 219 332