Healesville Sanctuary will be awash with the colour and sounds of native flora and fauna.
By Mara Pattison-Sowden
MARCH is “foodies month” in Melbourne, with the Yarra Valley featuring its own celebrations for the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
The annual World’s Longest Lunch experience is unique wherever the choice of location, whether it’s surrounding the local flora and fauna at Healesville Sanctuary, dining with farming views from Yering Station or chatting to Poh Ling Yeow at Marysville.
Director Glen Holland said Healesville Sanctuary would have long, white-clothed tables embracing the natural bush backdrop.
“Imagine a meandering track alongside Badger Creek among towering gums, banksias and tree ferns,” he said.
“Our incredibly talented team from Sanctuary Harvest will bring together the summer harvest of the Yarra Valley with a bush foods influence to reflect the native setting.”
Courses will be matched by wines from De Bortoli and cheeses from Yarra Valley Dairy.
“Naturally our lunch will include unique animal experiences as well as a blessing from our traditional land owners,” Mr Holland said.
Marysville will host the special guest from ABC favourite Poh’s Kitchen, Poh Ling Yeow, with their long table meandering on the flats alongside the Steavenson River, where four of their finest chefs will prepare a menu of local produce, with wines from nearby vineyards.
Hosted by Maryton Park B and B Country Cottages, Marysville’s eight long lunch celebrates the indomitable spirit of the region through wine, food and hospitality.
Yering Station guests are invited to wile away the afternoon in a spectacular location watching dairy cows make their way to be milked with lush vineyards and the Yarra Ranges in the distance.
Yering Station’s head chef, Laura Webb-James, will design a three-course lunch inspired by new season’s produce from the best local growers and matched with wines from some of the region’s premier producers.
The World’s Longest Lunch will take place on Friday 2 March.
For Healesville Sanctuary, bookings and information on 5962 4002, for Maryton Park in Marysville book via ticketmaster on 136 100 or for Yering Station, book on 9730 0114.
