Experience case studies
VIP Lounge - Good food and wine show
The VIP Dining experience at the Good Food & Wine Show has long been one of the most enjoyable and important parts of my work, because it offers the opportunity to create a more refined and elevated moment within one of Australia’s best-known food events. While the wider show is energetic, fast-moving and full of excitement, the VIP space needs to offer something distinctly different — a sense of calm, generosity and polish that feels worthy of the guests choosing to spend their time there.
Each year, the menu is developed to reflect the spirit of the show while delivering an experience that feels thoughtful, beautifully composed and genuinely premium. It is not simply a matter of serving food to large numbers. It is about creating a dining environment that feels considered in every detail, where the quality of the plate, the rhythm of service and the overall atmosphere come together in a way that feels seamless and special.
What I find most rewarding is the opportunity to create that level of refinement within the live environment of a major public event. There is always complexity behind the scenes, but that should never reach the guest. What they should feel is ease — the sense that everything has been carefully shaped for their enjoyment.
For me, the Good Food & Wine Show VIP Dining room is a strong example of what premium event hospitality should be: elegant without feeling stiff, generous without excess, and memorable because every detail has been given the attention it deserves.
Wedding by the surf
In the spring of 2025, we delivered a wedding for particularly discerning clients Shane and Olivia on the beach directly in front of their private home on Victoria’s Surf Coast — a setting that offered both natural drama and an extraordinary sense of intimacy. The brief was to create something elegant, highly personal, and quietly luxurious, while allowing the coastal landscape to remain at the centre of the experience.
Guests were welcomed with The Surf Coast Spritz, a bespoke signature cocktail created for the occasion, built to feel bright, polished, and celebratory from the first sip. Served alongside a generously styled grazing table showcasing some of Victoria’s finest producers, the opening of the event invited guests to settle in slowly, mingle freely, and take in the setting. Artisan cheeses, premium charcuterie, house-made accompaniments, fresh breads, and beautifully presented seasonal produce created an opening offering that felt abundant without excess.
From there, the celebration moved into an elegant lined marquee layered with textured tablescapes, soft neutral linens, sculptural florals, candlelight, and the kind of understated detail that feels very current while remaining timeless. The menu was designed to reflect the same balance — refined but generous, polished without feeling overworked, and deeply connected to both the couple and the location. Premium seasonal produce, thoughtful pacing, and seamless service came together to create a dining experience that felt completely at home in its surroundings and memorable for all the right reasons.