ELEGANT food and bold fashion came together under blue skies for Albury’s premier race meeting on Friday.
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Hundreds of catering and service staff fed hordes of hungry racegoers at Albury Gold Cup in corporate marquees, pop-up food shops and barbecues dotted around the precinct.
Albury business North East Feast owner Cate Hardman catered for 305 people in the Birdcage marquee this year.
She said 10 staff on the floor and five chefs prepared and served the three-course meal, which featured ocean trout, slow-cooked lamb and Eton mess.
“It’s the biggest number we’ve had in the Birdcage so we’re really happy,” Ms Hardman said.
“We’ve been working on the preparations for three or four days this week.”
Albury chef Jodie Jones, of South Albury business Ebden & Olive, said her team was thrilled to be back trackside in 2017.
She said they catered for 330 people in the Albury Tigers Club and Austereo Triple M corporate marquees.
“They’re having mini kransky hot dogs, porchetta panini, steamed pork buns, chicken with sweet curry mayo sandwiches, pulled pork tacos, coconut chicken salad, squid schnitzel burgers and antipasto,” she said.
“The sheer volume of everything is always the challenge.”
Albury businesswoman Rachel Alexander completed her outfit with a crystal crown made by South Albury milliner Tania Scott.
Dressed top to toe in Australian label Zimmermann, Ms Alexander said she wanted something sparkly to finish off her outfit.
She said she had approached Ms Scott with the original idea around Christmas-time.
“Tania made me a carousel-inspired headpiece for the Oaks Day meeting last year,” she said.
“I thought I’d like to wear a crown this time.”
My Kitchen Rules contestant Mark Virgona (Footy Friends team – Mark and Chris) said he was attending his first Albury Gold Cup with mates.
He entered The Border Mail’s Hot 100 competition before going in search of something to eat about 2pm.
“I’ve got a cider so I’ve had my fruit for the day,” Virgona said.
“Next grapes and grains; but I actually am feeling a bit peckish.”