Tasmania Showcase Dinner at Pure South
Pure South Dining at Southbank hosted a Meet the Makers of Pure South Dining showcasing the best of Tasmanian produce. This fabulous event was attended by The World Loves Melbourne (David and Mario) and was hosted by Josef Chromy Wines and two of Tasmania’s most sought after ethical farmers. With top notch Executive Chef David Hall in the kitchen, the produce was showcased in the best possible way.
4Philip Kennedy of Pure South Dining speaks of his passion for a special Melbourne dining experience that brings the awesomeness of Tasmanian produce to Southbank.
Pure South has become an iconic dining destination in Melbourne for its outstanding cuisine and produce driven menu, keen service levels, and stunning views and location. Another feature is the consistency of the experience; we've visited several times before and each experience has been top notch.
Attendees at this event were able to meet some of Australia’s most acclaimed farmer/producers and winemakers. Pioneer farmers Rob Nichols (Nichols Ethical Free-Range Poultry) and Guy Robertson (Mount Gnomon Farm) told the story of their exceptional and much coveted produce.
Oysters flown directly from St Helens and Bass Strait scallops from Stanley also featured on the five-course dinner menu. The Tasmanian scallop pie was memorable with slight sweetness of plump delicious scallops and a fine pastry.
Pan-roasted ethical free-range chicken breast, pea, herb emulsion was a stunning dish with the highlight being the extraordinary flavour of the chicken. A surprising feature was the high quality fresh taste of the peas.
Rob Nichols who called himself "the chicken man" spent some time at our media table and spoke of the next level farming practices when it comes to "free range". The chickens are able to truly run around in a paddock (with ocean views no less). Happy chickens means great eating.
Rob Nichols is a farmer who is an inspiration to other farmers, such is the strength of his ethical farming practices. His portable chicken coops and rotating free-range pastures is not only more sustainable, but also produces a superior flavour. His chicken is some of the best you’ll find in the world,” says Pure South Dining’s owner Philip Kennedy, who has been flying in Nichols Chicken directly to Pure South Dining since 2009.
Spectacular wines, great comapny and an iconic back drop of the cityscape.
Mount Gnomon Farm Wessex Saddleback pork belly, carrot, hazelnut paired with Josef Chromy Pinot Noir.
Guy Robertson is a fifth-generation Tasmanian farmer who set out to dedicate a farm to reviving heritage breeds in modern farming; and now his free-range Wessex Saddleback pork is in high demand by some of Australia's best chefs. In 2010, Pure South Dining was his first restaurant customer and first customer on the mainland. We found the pork to be distinctive and more "meaty" than "fatty". This dish was the highlight of the night for The World Loves Melbourne.
We also found the extraordinary Tasmanian vegetables a highlight of the various dishes.
Matching this outstanding produce with eight of Josef Chromy’s award-winning wines, selected by the winemaker himself, made it a culinary event of note. Josef Chromy was instrumental in the development of Tasmania’s wine industry, while his state-of-the-art winery was recently awarded the Australian Good Food Guide Chef Hat. The World Loves Melbourne loved each of the wines presented and the extraordinary range. A coup was the 6 litre bottle of 2008 aged Pinot Noir at the end of the night - what a treat!
Wine Selector Magazine’s Paul Diamond also hosted the event, adding his encyclopaedic knowledge of Australian cool-climate wines.
Rob Nichols from Nichols Poultry engaging with Walkley award winning photographer John Donegan.
Jeremy Dineen Chief Winemaker at Josef Chromy chatting with Dani Valent (The Age, Good Food, and foodie enterprises).
Dessert was also exceptional with Pyengana Dairy cream pannacotta, Tasmanian honey, apple.
Since 2003, Pure South’s owners have developed relationships with Tasmania’s farmers, fishermen and artisan producers to capture the finest ingredients from the world’s purest seas, soil and air.
From King Island beef to artisan fishermen, dairies and remote, small producers, Michelin star executive chef David Hall and his team are spoilt for choice when it comes to fresh inspiration, plating up stunning dishes the whole year through.