The Best of Australia at qualia: Unparalleled dining, travel and luxury

The finest Australian cuisine in an unsurpassed setting is precisely what guests will experience at the ‘Best of Australia at qualia’ from 12-14 July 2013.

Peter Gilmore of Sydney’s world-renowned Quay restaurant, Dan Hunter of the highly acclaimed Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld, Victoria and qualia’s award-winning Executive Chef Alastair Waddell will present a gourmet culinary weekend unlike any other.

Part of the Island’s illustrious Great Barrier Feast food and wine series, Peter and Dan will each present an AEG Masterclass at Hamilton Island’s iconic Yacht Club, providing guests with an exclusive opportunity to learn their unique cooking techniques and processes, and sample their cuisine.

The pinnacle of the weekend will unfold on Saturday evening as the sun sets over the glittering Coral Sea. The Showpiece Dinner held in qualia’s Long Pavilion will be a 6-course degustation tour de force jointly created by these three accomplished chefs. Peter, Dan and Alastair will each prepare two dishes using produce sourced from some of Australia’s best growers and suppliers, complimented with wines personally selected and introduced by celebrated wine expert James Halliday. 

Throughout the dinner guests will also be able to watch these chefs and their teams in action via live camera link up to the kitchen, whilst esteemed restaurant critic and columnist Simon Thomsen emcees.

Hosted by the Best Resort in the World*, the ‘Best of Australia at qualia’ offers an unparalleled gastronomic experience starring two of the country’s most lauded chefs over one incredible weekend, and all without their restaurant waiting lists. Previous stars of the Great Barrier Feast series have included Tetsuya Wakuda, Ben Shewry, Guillaume Brahimi, Frank Camorra, Justin North, and our two returning chefs Peter Gilmore and Dan Hunter.

Luxury accommodation packages are available for guests and include both Masterclasses and the Showpiece Dinner, with accommodation at qualia:

Leeward Pavilion, qualia: $2,950

Windward Pavilion, qualia: $4,100 

To book: go to www.qualia.com.au/events/great-barrier-feast or please contact the Luxury Specialist team by email:luxuryspecialist@hamiltonisland.com.au or tel: 1300 780 959.

-ENDS- 

Notes to editors:

qualia, Australia's world class luxury resort on the Great Barrier Reef, is located on the secluded and breathtakingly beautiful northern-most point of Hamilton Island. qualia has 60 elegant one-bedroom pavilions and a Beach House, each set among eucalyptus trees with postcard views of the idyllic blue and green waters of the Whitsundays. Two superb restaurants and Spa qualia cater exclusively to guests of the resort. Hamilton Island can be accessed directly from all east coast international gateway cities in less than three hours. qualia is a member of Relais & Châteaux and welcomes guests 16 years and over.www.qualia.com.au 

'qualia' is deliberately spelled with a lower case 'q' as it is a reflection of the relaxed, understated nature of this property.

*qualia was named Best in the World and Best Resort in the Oceania region in the 2012 USA Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards

Media contacts and image library: www.qualia.com.au/media-centre 

Sophie Baker, Senior Communications Manager
e: sbaker@hamiltonisland.com.au t: +61 (0)427 109 503

Social Media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/qualia or www.hamiltonisland.com.au  
Instagram: Connect with us: @qualiaresort and @hamiltonisland Mention us: #qualia, #GBFeast and #hamiltonisland
Twitter: @qualia and @hamiltonisland

Biographies:

Peter Gilmore, Quay, Sydney, www.quay.com.au 

Peter Gilmore is the Executive Chef of Quay restaurant in Sydney. Since 2001, his creative and original cuisine has seen the restaurant receive an unprecedented number of Australian and international awards, and establish itself at the forefront of Australia’s food scene. Peter describes his cuisine as "food inspired by nature" and is always playing with ideas about food, its provenance and its natural environment. A recent dish was in fact inspired by the beauty of the coral reef in Australia's north. 

Amongst its many accolades, Quay has been awarded Three Chefs Hats for eleven consecutive years and has most recently been named 2013 Restaurant of the Year in The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide and 2013 Restaurant of the Year in the Australian Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide. Quay is also the only Australian restaurant to currently appear on the fabled S Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants. 

Dan Hunter, Royal Mail Hotel, Dunkeld, Victoria, www.royalmail.com.au 

Dan Hunter has been at the helm of the Royal Mail Hotel’s kitchen since 2007. During this time, the Hotel has evolved from a small country hotel to the internationally acclaimed fine dining establishment it is known for today. Chef of the Year in the 2012 Age Good Food Guide, Dan’s food philosophy and commitment to sustainability and regional produce is second to none. One of the first chef’s in Australia to truly understand the journey of a dish, Dan works closely with a dedicated garden and kitchen team, and local producers to create a unique style of food that blends his understanding of modern technique with an immense respect for nature, produce and seasonality. 

The Royal Mail Hotel Restaurant has received a number of accolades during Dan’s tenure, including The Age Good Food Guide’s Restaurant of the Year (2011) and Gourmet Traveller’s Regional Restaurant of the Year (2009 – 2012). Most recently, the Restaurant has been awarded Three Chefs’ Hats, The Age Good Food Guide, and Three Stars, Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards. In both instances, the Royal Mail Hotel is the only regional restaurant in Australian to receive these highest ratings for dining. 

Alastair Waddell, qualia, Hamilton Island, Great Barrier Reef, www.qualia.com.au 

Our very own Alastair Waddell is the Executive Chef at qualia and previously held the position of qualia Sous Chef for three years. Prior to qualia, Alastair was Chef de Partie at the two-hatted Bistro Guillaume in Melbourne. Preceding his move to Australia, Alastair worked in his home town in Glasgow, Scotland with renowned chef, Paul Tamburrini. He held the position of sous chef at The Bistro, at One Devonshire Gardens hotel and the Georgian room in Cameron House, Loch Lomond. Both hotels were awarded the prestigious 3 AA Rosette rating. 

Classically trained, Alastair’s cooking is motivated by modern influences including the ‘multicultural cuisine in Australia and this country’s world class produce including cheeses that rival some of the best in Europe’. He’s passionate about the ‘nature cuisine’ movement led by Noma restaurant in Denmark and believes in giving the greatest respect to nature in his cooking, always using local produce when possible and recognising the importance of flavour, texture and presentation. At qualia, Alastair’s cuisine is inspired by the resort’s stunning island vistas, creating menus that are light, fresh and healthy. 

James Halliday, Wine critic and author, www.winecompanion.com.au 

James’ career started in law, before moving into winemaking, writing and judging in the 1970s. Since establishing the wineries of Brokenwood and Coldstream Hills, Halliday has written over 60 books and been a significant contributor to others, including Oxford Companion to Wine and Hugh Johnson Pocket Guide. Many of his books have been translated into other languages, such as French, German and Japanese. He continues to write, judge and consult and has a weekly wine column for the Weekend Australian newspaper. He is often described as ‘Australia’s leading wine writer’.

Simon Thomsen, Restaurant critic, www.simonthomsen.com 

Simon is the restaurant critic for The Daily Telegraph in Sydney. His reviews appear in the taste.com.au food and wine section every Tuesday. He has written award-winning stories about food and travel for numerous publications, including The Weekend Australian Magazine. He’s worked as a restaurant critic for 15 years and spent the last six years as editor of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide. Simon hosts a weekly talkback slot about food on Sydney’s ABC 702 with Deb Cameron every Thursday at 10.45am. He has appeared on Masterchef, was a judge on Iron Chef Australia and featured in two SBS documentaries, High Steaks and Heat in the Kitchen.