Why the Caulfield Cup is a foodie’s paradise

GONE are the days when a race-day meant cheap champagne, overcooked fish and chips and swinging past drive-through Maccas on your way home.

MRC

GONE are the days when a race-day meant cheap champagne, overcooked fish and chips and swinging past drive-through Maccas on your way home.

As the Spring Racing Carnival continues to evolve, so does the food on offer, curated by award-winning chefs desperate to swap the sloppy burger for locally-sourced and sustainable dishes. Ensuring the food offering is second to none, Executive Chef of the Stella Artois Caulfield Cup Carnival, Julian Robertshaw, believes world-class racing and this year's fresh, Malibu-inspired menu will pair perfectly for punters. In a first for the Carnival, the Malibu Pool Deck, presented by Bondi Sands, will be an enviable vantage point for racegoers, with a dedicated bar and poolside space to enjoy the day.

"This year, with Malibu as my creative inspiration, I've been able to incorporate beautiful, Australian produce while working with the Californian pillars; Peruvian-Japanese, Korean and Mexican influences. These three pillars have easily shaped the culinary world of Cali."

Because of the freshness of the theme, Julian says racegoers should expect clean, coconut bowls cradling braised short rib, cool Korean salads topped with nashi pear and Naked Bay School prawns to name a few. "The fresh influence will shine in every dish, with the pillars present in our flavours and pairings," Julian adds, "This will take place in every plated dish, from the Promenade, our members tiered dining, to our snack outlets, which will serve SoCal-inspired tacos and traditional po'boys."

Along with a lighter, cleaner menu, ethical practice has also been incorporated into the race-day offering. "I spotted some clean, beautiful coconut bowls on Shark Tank recently," Julian says. "They're eco-friendly, which means, after they've been used, they're crushed up and turned into mulch. This is a great way to give back to the environment, so we'll be using these bowls to serve up Cape Grim short rib, braised in miso and served with daikon - divine to eat, light and fresh."

It's a far cry from years gone by, with Julian speaking of the impact TV has had on emerging foodies. "Shows like Masterchef and My Kitchen Rules have really made public impact on people's awareness of food," Julian adds. "Diners are going places and no longer tolerating what they eat as a punter. They don't want what they can eat and make at home, they want to be entertained by the food as much as they are by the horses which is why we'll go above and beyond to deliver it."

Because of this, he believes it's important to incorporate food trends into the race-day offering. "You have to stay on top of them," Julian says. "We've taken care of diet, while bending and twisting menus to appease everyone. We don't want to polarise someone by giving them something they can't eat, so we give them something that everyone can."

They have catered for all diners, with racegoers feasting on everything from epicurean eats at the Carlton Draught Front Bar, signature cocktails and cool food trucks in The Village and a gourmet grazing menu at The Moët & Chandon Lawn.

Locally-sourced produce and sustainable ingredients also play a part in this year's menu all over the course. "We have great partnerships with boutique lamb brand, Flinders + Co - everything is ethically-sourced, as they visit farms and know where everything is coming from. This is very important to us," Julian adds. "Without heading overseas, we have access to perfect, organic products and local smallgoods, such as Miguel Mestre's jamon. It's made exactly as they do in Spain. There are some great spots for beautiful organic goods in Mornington Peninsula, as well as local growers in NSW and Byron Bay - it's nice to know it's all from home."

For regular racegoers, Julian says to expect something quite different to last year's opulent affair. "We went down a completely different route last year," Julian says. "It was more opulent with caviar and lobster. We wanted to give people the wow-factor, so went down the European angle with Thai and Asian influence, keeping it clean and fresh.

"With our menu influenced by Cali this year, we're working with Japanese produce, Korean flavours, such as Wasabi oils and Yuzu Ponzu sauce, along with warm sake which we braise the beef in - it's a completely different approach to how we've done food at the races previously.

"Keep an eye out for hatted Bistro Guillaume at the Heath Enclosure Restaurant on the home turn," Julian calls out as a highlight. "It's simple, elegant French bistro-style food that is really good. In the public areas, we have Skewer'd Greek BBQ, along with San Antone by Bludso's BBQ on site. The who's who of food will be there, and punters get to try all of it in the one spot."

Originally published as Why the Caulfield Cup is a foodie’s paradise