Traditional Spanish paella, freshly shucked oysters and mouth-watering southern fried chicken are just some of the high-end food you can expect at the new boutique New Year’s Day festival, Twice as Nice.
Held out at Mt Duneed Estate, the festival offers copious amounts of food in an all-inclusive experience – so once you’re in, there’s nothing else to spend. Event promoter, from Roadhouse Entertainment, Michael Newton says this alternative New Year’s event aims to give guests the chance to celebrate food and alcohol in style with no added costs.
Basically, all you have to do is indulge in the music (with headliners Sneaky Sound System, Yolanda Be Cool, Indian Summer, Kid Kenobi, Grand Master Baitz and DJ Corey Enright) along with the fine wine, cocktails, craft beers and food.
Georgina Damm from Melbourne caterers Damm Fine Food will be supplying the range of festival food throughout the venue all afternoon and evening. With non-stop unlimited food, Georgina’s aim was in matching great food to the winery venue to create a real gourmet experience – with minimum fuss and maximum style.
“On top of partying and dancing and having fun, the food is quite considered. We are really aiming to take this up a notch from just a taco truck or a burger truck. We put a lot of time and effort into making sure that there is a real interesting food experience and that people won’t get bored with just seeing the same food,” Georgina says.
There will be four main outlets serving different foods in a ‘tasting plate style’ served over the entire course of the day, changing every couple of hours.
“Just because you have been there once you know you can come back and there will be something different.”
Out in the main bar, you will find the Oyster Bar with freshly shucked oysters served with tabasco and classic cocktail sauce and later, a selection of fresh Vietnamese chicken, shallot, capsicum and coriander salad.
Outside will see traditional paella in multiple pans, followed by a self-serve taco bar with refried beans and pulled beef, guacamole, red salsa and warm tortillas where guests customise their own tacos. For the evening, this stall will serve fresh shredded ham, pecorino, basil and buffalo mozzarella pizza boards to munch on into the night.
And that is not even the half of it. There will also be old school country burgers on grilled buns, delicious panko crumbed fish and fat chips, smoked frankfurts with sauerkraut mayo, macaroni cheese, fresh frozen gelato, classic southern fried chicken and crunchy potato croquettes.
Heading into the New Year preparing all these scrumptious treats, Georgina’s top picks for the festival include oysters with a glass of champagne, paella with crispy dry white wine, and the fried chicken with a pot of beer to carry you into the evening. As one of Melbourne’s leading caters, Georgina says there will also be gluten free, vegetarian and vegan options at all of the food stalls.
To match the food, there will be some damn fine beverages with cocktails like the Spice Mojito, Aperol Spritz and Pimms, amongst a selection of spirits, beer, cider and Mt Duneed’s very own wines.
“I think people will really be surprised by the calibre and quality of the food and drink. We’ve designed a menu and it’s been matched well with the wines that are on offer,” Georgina says.
“The idea is that it is just as much a food experience as a music experience.”
Written by Talia Rinaldo
When & Where: Twice as Nice @ Mt Duneed Estate – January 2017 from 3pm
For more information and to see the full menu visit twiceasnice.net.au
