Cairns Convention Centre explains how it is working with its regional producers to deliver a new sustainable meetings menu: Cairns Convention Centre has debuted a new menu championing sustainability and celebrating regional producers. The whole new menu is designed to take guests on a gastronomic journey of Tropical North Queensland, Australia. In response to changing industry trends the new menu focuses on fresh, local produce and unique flavour combinations inspired by the Centre’s location between two of the world’s greatest wonders – the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest rainforest, the Daintree. As well as the local seafood, the new offer includes homegrown Tablelands vegetables and local dairy products. The new menus have been developed by executive chef, David Hart and his culinary team. “Sustainability is important to us and since we’re surrounded by so many natural assets, it’s a no-brainer that we would reflect and celebrate that in our menu,” said Hart. “We are very fortunate to be surrounded by an abundance of seafood and an incredibly vast array of produce on the Atherton Tablelands, including dairy products, vegetables, micro-herbs, rainforest fruit products, coffee, chocolate and tropical fruit. “We have been able to create a menu that caters for all types of events – from international conferences and large-scale banquets to board-room meetings, dinners and workshops – keeping food miles to a minimum and giving guests a taste of Tropical North Queensland. As a large convention centre, we’re acutely aware of our environmental impact and strive to do what we can to lessen it,” Hart added. Strong local partnerships are the driving force behind the Centre’s new menu, says Ben Boudard, culinary services director, who says highlights from the new menu include:
- Prawns with shredded cucumber, red papaya with kaffir lime and coconut dressing
- Crispy confit pork belly, pickle paw paw salad and pear gel
- Sumac seared yellow fin tune with mango salsa and fresh micro cress
- Flamed grilled portobello mushroom, lemon thyme polenta, olive tapenade with chimichurri salsa
- Tropical granola parfait with Coyo coconut yoghurt and seasonal tropical fruit
The Centre has also added new local suppliers to the beverage menu. Wolf Lane and Mt Uncle, for example, are local distilleries providing a selection of tropical gins and award-winning rums and whiskeys. The Cairns Convention Centre new menu is now available via: https://www.cairnsconvention.com.au/plan/menus/ Overview Video: Cairns Convention Centre Menu (youtube.com)
