Here in Victoria we're lucky to have access to so much fresh, beautiful produce right on our doorstep. From the Mornington Peninsula to the Yarra Valley, given the calibre of our local growers it’s only right that they get a shout out – which is exactly what O’Connell’s are doing this winter.
From June to August, O’Connell’s Hotel in South Melbourne will host Homegrown Heroes: a monthly cooking class and wine dinner celebrating some of the state’s best food-producing regions. The Homegrown Heroes series kicks off by showcasing the Mornington Peninsula in June, before moving on to the Pyrenees in July and finishing in August with a month of Yarra Valley-inspired gastronomy.
O’Connell’s Homegrown Heroes series has something for both hands-on gourmands and those who prefer to have all the hard work done for them. Consider yourself a bit of a Masterchef? Sign up for a mid-month cooking classes. Each class will get you cooking with top produce from the month’s showcased region. Hosted by O’Connell’s head chef Tom Brockbank, the cooking classes will show you how to whip up two courses using regional produce before you sit down to enjoy lunch. The first class on Saturday June 16 will have you making wallaby, flax, wattle and lemon myrtle amuse bouche and herbaceous gnocchi like a pro. Dessert and a glass of wine from the month’s star region is also included (for June that means a glass of Stonier Estate).
But if you’d rather leave the cooking to the experts you can still enjoy O’Connell’s Homegrown Heroes. The end of each month will feature a five-course regional dinner with matched wines from the month’s partner winery. With June being the showcase month for the Mornington Peninsula you can look forward to courses like Shark’s Bay prawn with miso broccoli, kimchi and mussel cream; chicken truffle toast with salt-baked celeriac, roasted dutch carrots and barbecued brassicas, and pears with malt and praline. Plus if you book all three regional dinners at once you’ll receive 15 per cent off.
Homegrown Heroes at O’Connell’s is your chance to taste the best of the state without having to leave the city. Tickets for the Homegrown Heroes cooking classes and wine dinners are on sale now.