The chef behind fine dining outfit Underbar is preparing for a new event set to entice Melbourne food and wine lovers to taste Ballarat’s culinary treasures.
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Derek Boath will cook for dozens as part of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival’s regional Crawl n Bite series held in Ballarat.
The popular ‘Crawl’ series takes diners on a walking tour, sampling food and drink at three separate venues in one session.
Diners in Ballarat will start with classic European flavours at Mr Jones before squeezing into Underbar and finishing the afternoon tasting local wines and cheese at Mitchell Harris.
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Mr Boath said the event was an opportunity to present Ballarat as a top food and wine destination to people in Melbourne.
“Having the best restaurants in Ballarat associated with it and showcasing what we can do up here is really great,” he said.
“In terms of regional towns, Ballarat I think is the easiest to get to given we have the train line, it is just over an hours drive and there are so many great venues where you can stay the night and really explore Ballarat and its food and wine.”
Underbar was hatted for the first time in the prestigious Good Food Guide 2019 Awards.
The Doveton Street restaurant holds twelve seats and only two sittings per week, with dinners booked out a month in advance.
Mr Boath said half of their diners were visitors from Melbourne who stayed the weekend.
“I think the word is getting out there that Ballarat is a bit of a food destination now and it is easy to get to. We are finding now people are willing to travel if we back our end of the bargain up and provide great service, a friendly atmosphere, smiling faces in Ballarat and good tasty food and wine,” he said.
Originally from Darwin, chef Derek Boath has worked in kitchens across Melbourne and Sydney, cutting his teeth at the three Michelin star restaurant Per Se in New York, operated by famed chef Thomas Keller.
The inaugural regional Crawl and Bite series will be hosted in Healesville and Kyneton in March. The Ballarat series will be held on March 17.
Mr Dempsey told The Courier in October when the Ballarat series was announced the event would entice more people to enjoy Ballarat’s food and wine, but also encourage visitors to stay longer if packaged with an attractive extended itinerary.
It follows Visit Ballarat’s Made of Ballarat campaign targeting affluent Melburnians in a bid to redefine the perception of Ballarat as a ‘trendy’ place which is home to talented creatives, artisans and enticing culinary experiences.
Visit melbournefoodandwine.com.au.
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Rochelle Kirkham
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
Rochelle covers court and has a particular interest in social issues including homelessness, food security and family violence.
