This bi-annual event now holds a warm place on the Brisbane social calendar. Held at Hall 2 of the Brisbane Convention Centre the theme was "Arabian Nights - Secrets of the Desert". Nearly 2000 guests feasted and danced to raise funds for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation Brisbane. The final fundraising tally exceeding the target of $250,000.
Hosted by Channel 9's Catriona Rowntree (Getaway), Radio B105's Labby, Camilla and Stav and the Coffee Club's own celebrity John Lazarou, the soiree included an exquisite four course meal, with snake dancers, henna tattooing and an Arabian Market Bazaar for atmosphere.
Food Strategy has attended many trade shows in the exhibition halls but never have we seen it look so exotic with chandeliers, sashes and cushions topped off with formally set tables and decorations.
Raffles and auctions included big ticket items; business class flights to anywhere in the Emirates network, gold jewellery, cash, Douwe Egberts coffee machine, accomodation, smartphones, laptops, LCD tv. Bidding was wild on fabulous items including custom made jewellery, a dinner with The Coffee Club entrepreneur John Lazarou and his Executive Chef, holidays to Fiji and Thailand,a $5000 Flight Centre voucher, signed memorabilia by Pele, Socceroos, Johnny Depp, Katy Perry, Darren Lockyer, Lance Armstrong, Michael Schumacher, Robert Pattinson, Donald Bradman, Nelson Mandela and more.
Sponsors included among others; Bidvest, Channel 9, Emirates, Simplot, National Foods Douwe Egberts, Fosters, Fonterra, B105, CocaCola and our client Helen's European Cuisine.
On the night, (part owner) Emmanuel Drivas was quietly telling us how The Coffee Club charity balls started. His own child was haunted by cancer so he knows how vital the work of the Royal Children's Hospital Ocology unit is in ground breaking research.
Katrina Clunies-Ross, the mother of a young Royal Children's Hospital patient, gave a moving speech about her own daughter Carys.
Carys went into remission in August last year and doctors told Ms Clunies-Ross the same result would hardly have been possible ten years ago. An unsettling thought for a mother who also has two teenage children.
"She is a miracle, she beat cancer in her first year of life, even though it is so tough for her little body to be pumped full of toxins," Ms Clunies-Ross said. "I would tell people to give with your heart and know that if you save a child from cancer, you are not just saving their life, but next generations."
Sultan's Starters: Antipasto platter - calabrese sausage, semi dried tomato, char grilled eggplant, olives, dips, cheese and turkish bread.
Emirate Entrees: Chicken cannelloni, pistachio crumbs, tarragon cream sauce alternating with twice cooked salmon fillet, potato, avocado salad, dill and lime dressing.
Mirage of Mains: double lamb cutlet, potato and leek pie, gingered carrots, pea and mint puree anternating with baby barrumundi, vegetable tagine, citrus couscous, saffron butter sauce.
Aladdin's Delectable Desserts: Chocolate mille fueille, white chocolate mousse, toasted raspberry meringue alternating with Bhapa doi - velvet passionfruit yoghurt, berry compote, honey pillow puff.
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