Hot Seat
On the menu Plant-based dishes and 100% local wines are on the menu at International Convention Centre Sydney in 2020, giving event organisers more variety than ever before, says William Wilson.
T
he first thing you notice about the 2020 food and beverage menus at International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney) is the colour. Vibrant splashes of green, red and yellow fill the plates, enticing diners to try the latest culinary and drink trends. The menus have been curated by executive chef Tony Panetta, beverage operations and cellar manager William Wilson and director of culinary services Lynell Peck with a focus on giving delegates loads of options, no matter their preferences or tastes. “We constantly look to make improvements on our offerings and I’m really excited by our new menu collection, with new a range of items alongside dishes that have become our signatures,” says Wilson.
Local focus On the drinks front, ICC Sydney is proud to announce it now serves only New South Wales (NSW) wines on its beverage list. “We have always supported our local winemakers with 80 per cent local wines listed when we first opened and we’re really proud to now only list wines from NSW, every one of which has earned its place,” says Wilson. While local producers are the main focus, quality and value of the wines are certainly not compromised. “Good wine lists need to feature a wide range of premium quality wines at a wide range of prices from different regions and I was always comfortable that this was achievable without going to interstate or international producers,” says Wilson. “I originally thought ICC Sydney should offer the best of NSW along with wines from other famous Australian regions, but our clients love showcasing local produce to their
guests as well so it was an easy decision to go 100 per cent local.”
More plants on the menu Plant-based options will also be a focus for 2020, with the likes of vegan breakfast bowls, roasted vegetable wraps and eggplant Penang curry on the menu. “The move towards more sustainable living means we have far more plant-based options, Indian Jain menus and of course we use locally sourced ingredients whenever they are suitable,” says Wilson. “The menus look great and it’s important that they show organisers the standards of food available when they come to ICC Sydney. “The menus also highlight the flexibility and variety we can offer across every different style of event from pop-up outlets and grazing tables to build-your-own menus.”
Supporting regional producers Since opening, ICC Sydney has championed regional Australia and built meaningful relationships with local growers and producers. In 2018/19, the venue supported more than 120 local producers through its supply chain. Supporting regional Australian producers has never been more important than right now, says Wilson. “The last few months have been very difficult in regional Australia with communities hit first by drought followed by devastating bushfires,” he says. “While Sydney itself is not affected, a number of our producers have been. I’d really encourage everyone in Australia to buy locally made products whenever they can and to head out into regional areas as soon as possible to help the local economies.” n
TOP 3 DRINK TRENDS FOR 2020 1. Natural wines Wild fermentations are big at the moment with ‘natural’ wines, made with minimal human intervention, becoming more popular, according to Wilson. “These wines have extra complexity and superb textures when made well,” he says.
2. Wild beers Producers such as Wildflower Brewing & Blending in Sydney’s Marrickville are making some “simply amazing” wild beers, says Wilson. “The subtle sourness from wild yeast and barrel aging gives the beers well-balanced flavours,” he says. “These styles of beer require good team members to be able to talk to guests about them, so we have a special activation available for cocktail parties.”
3. Alcohol-free drinks Alcohol-free drinks have traditionally been scarce and uninspiring, until now. “We’ve been working with Lyre’s Crafted Non-Alcoholic Spirits on a range of cocktails that taste just like their overproof counterparts,” says Wilson. “Non-alcoholic sparkling wines and beers have also improved in quality immensely for a completely alcohol-free event.”
www.spicenews.com.au 21