For a celebration of all that’s good to eat and drink, you don’t even need a plane ticket to capture that quintessential French spirit – just come dressed in pink and white.
Every year Auckland throws a party with a team of chefs bringing together some of the best French food and wine in a festival of great tastes from Provence.
Have you ever imagined dining at two long tables the full length of The Cloud to enjoy with 1,000 other gourmands an elegant five-course, five-hour degustation lunch paired with French wines? Well, these experiences were all part of the Provence long lunch held annually to enjoy great wines and to eat some wonderful gastronomic delights. For any food and wine festival to be successful, there has to be a winning formula. This year’s festival provided a challenge for those wanting to test their food and wine-tasting skills.
As the master of ceremonies takes centre stage there’s an intoxicating buzz that’s not due solely to the wine. We were asked to stand and sing the national anthem in te reo, English and French. We were deafened by the French countrymen’s overwhelming fervour as they sang with passion and emotion.
Then, time to have some fun with some great food and wine. Under the direction of Edouard Legoff, owner of Le Chef Restaurant, and Benjamin Longhurst sommelier, the food and wine begins to arrive while the party-like crowd is being entertained by the DJ. Everyone is happy and talking to strangers across the table, swapping stories with newfound friends.
As the afternoon moves on, we are entertained by mime artists, musicians, magicians and the stars of the show – a line-up of lively Folies Bergère dancing girls frolicking amongst the diners
And the verdict? The food rarely misses a beat with heartily flavoured traditional French fare served by a savvy floor crew elegantly dressed in black and white uniforms with red braces and bow ties. Enjoying a day in Provence for $123, plus wine, with so many maddened diners making plenty of noise makes for a very satisfying package. And to the organiser’s credit with every bottle of wine sold, $5 was donated to Breast Cancer Cure. Bravo!
