Melbourne is fortunate to be a multicultural city with a booming hospitality industry. It's rare to find a city filled to the brim with as many vibrant cuisines as we have. That's why it's important to appreciate the people behind the scenes. Migrant women of the hospitality industry can be found in all sorts of different roles around our city, but are often left in the shadows.
That's what the women behind the Thick Accents Project, Ilanit Bard (founder of Soigné Hospitality solution and ex-general manager of Lûmé Restaurant) and Lorena Corso (chef at Napier Quarter), want to bring to light in their pop-up series.
The duo are both migrants themselves who want to celebrate migrant women in the hospitality industry with a focus on what thick accents represent. For many, a thick accent is a signifier of someone speaking a second language, of living in a foreign place without their families, and this in itself is an act of courage.
Join them as they recreate the leisurely, intimate weekend lunches they recall having with family and friends in southern Europe. Come together for the first instalment in the Macedon Ranges with a Sicilian-inspired menu, drinks, music and conversations.
There are only 20 tickets available for sale at $75 per person and they can be purchased here.
The Thick Accents project’s first session will take place on Saturday, April 3 at Lyons Will Estate at 60 Whalans Track, Lancefield from 12.30pm onwards. Wine from Lyons Will Estate will be available to purchase directly at the vineyard.