Central Coast music and arts entrepreneur Kristy Austin has pulled together a intimate collection of industry contacts to create her first food event under the label Good Gathering on Saturday, June 3.
The event, from 6.30pm to 10pm, will be held at Patonga, on the southern end of the Central Coast, in a venue yet to be confirmed. The event is capped at 40 people.
It will bring together author Charlotte Ree, who will talk about her hot new book, Heartbake, full of recipes and her own life story of recovering from divorce; wine writer and wine raconteur Mike Bennie; and Central Coast chef Tristan Fraser, creator of the Rigatoni for Toni pasta phenomenon.
The evening includes a welcome drink, five-course shared meal prepared by chef Fraser, paired wines, live music and a take-home gift for the cost of $200.
The menu
The menu includes David Lovett's famous focaccia, matched with Solar Wines Lambrusco Col Fondo 2022; spaghetti vongole matched with P&V Session Joven 2022 (chilled); ricotta and pesto ravioli with brown butter sage, matched with Double Rainbouu Fruut Luups 2021; rib eye steak with cognac peppercorn, matched with Joy Wine Dragonfly Grenache 2022; and burnt Basque cheesecake matched with P&V x Freeman 'Prosecco Pet Nat' 2022.
The event is under the guise of global events agency We are Neighborgood, which specialises in creating world-class events that celebrate local neighbourhoods.
"We specialise in getting our teeth into a place," Austin said, "seeing the needs of an area. We make experiences part of the DNA, we celebrate the people, celebrate the place."
The founder
Austin, who has led Taste festivals in Melbourne, Perth, Sydney, Thailand and Hong Kong, has refocused since the end of the pandemic. She calls the Central Coast home and gave birth to a child in late 2022.
"The concept brewed because I had a bit of time," she said. "I was incredibly isolated, in need of connection, spending a lot of time at home. I was craving contact."
The Good Gathering events will focus on community connection and storytelling.
Their tagline: "Come as strangers, leave as friends".
"At every touchpoint, there is a micro-story," Austin said.
For Austin, the Central Coast is her childhood backyard. Her mum was a chef, their family was in the restaurant business. She still remembers going to the Easter fairs at Patonga community hall when she was a child.
"Patonga is one of the most special places on the Coast," she said.
