Night at the Movies: Gourmet Cinema Melbourne

Who’s encountered this problem: heading into the movies with your drink, your popcorn, your jacket, your choc top and your Maltesers, only to find your lap becomes a warzone of chocolate and salt, with a solid chunk of the movie being lost to your expedition to grab another glass of wine. It’s tough.

There was no such crisis at VenueNow’s latest client event, however; picnic blankets and a VIP deck at Caulfield Racecourse made sure of that. In fact, Gourmet Cinema’s screening of Amélie paired the award-winning French film with food via L’Hotel Gitan. A truly excellent combo.

A select band of VenueNow’s corporate clients were first treated to a mini tour of the grandstand at Caulfield Racecourse – an exclusive look behind the scenes of the racecourse, and a showcase of a unique function venue. That of course, was immediately followed by some excellent food and beverages.

Our guests had exclusive access to the Crown Golden Ale VIP (only the best seat in the house), where drinks and canapés were enjoyed in the balmy breeze of the evening. To be exact, these canapés included burgers by Kong, slow-cooked beef cheeks via Saigon Sally, tacos by Fonda, and cheesy croque monsieurs by L’Hotel Gitan. To accompany those morsels, an array of wines by Dalzotto Winery.

At around 8pm, as is the case with all Gourmet Cinema events, guests made their way down from the balcony to the lawn for the movie. Although let’s be honest, our guests enjoyed a sectioned-off VIP area complete with deck chairs and blankets for when the temperature dropped (thanks, Melbourne).

And just when we thought the night couldn’t get more delightful – no mean feat, given the whimsy of Amelie, and the sheer French-ness of leads Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz – the Caulfield Racecourse team brought out a dessert board to celebrate the birthday of a couple of our guests.

Gourmet Cinema – Melbourne’s ‘epicurean cinema experience’ – is running until Sunday 12 March, so get in quick.

Caulfield Racecourse is available for events, specialising in corporate celebrations, gala dinners, conferences and unique large-scale events.