Season’s Harvest at The Langham

It’s widely regarded that fresh is best. The Langham Melbourne’s Melba Restaurant here in Southbank has introduced Season’s Harvest at breakfast, lunch and dinner. Season’s Harvest shares with diners where what they are about to eat comes from. “We’re thrilled to announce that 70 per cent of produce served at Melba Restaurant is from Victoria. From basil from a farm in Bendigo to tuna that swum off the shores of Portland to honey from Beechworth to cheese made just 45 minutes away in the Yarra Valley, Melba Restaurant is sharing with guests the provenance of the restaurant’s hero ingredients,” The Langham Melbourne’s director of food and beverage Anthony Ross explained. “Our guests are astute diners from around the globe. The Langham Melbourne hosted over 25,000 guests from overseas in 2018. Season’s Harvest is the perfect platform to showcase Victoria’s local produce and sensational beef, fish and fruit from interstate,” The Langham Melbourne’s managing director Andrew Jessop added. “In 2018, Melba Restaurant served over 200,000 meals. We felt that it was time to share with our guests where our ingredients come from. Our chefs have enjoyed meeting with local farmers, fishermen, cheese-makers and bakers and finding ways we can work together.” “Diners will be able to see where many of the ingredients come from by reading the labels at Melba’s open kitchen and all of Melba’s team members have learned where ingredients are grown or reared and are able to talk to diners about different areas of Victoria.” Anthony Ross said he hoped local and international diners would enjoy learning more about how Melba Restaurant was committed to a “fresh is best” and “local wherever possible commitment.” For instance, B&B Basil, located 133km away, supplies the hotel with basil and fresh edible flowers. Meanwhile, Hawkes Farm, located an hour and 20-minute drive (67km away), supplies Melba Restaurant with potatoes, Dutch carrots, beetroot, spring onions, parsley and strawberries and corn when in season. Hawkes Farm is not only a supplier to five-star hotels. It is also open to the public (seven days a week, 8am to 5pm) and hosts farm tours where visitors can pick their own produce. More information is available at hawkesfarm.com.au Melba Restaurant’s antipasto table is a magnet for those who love cured meats and cheese. All of the hotel’s charcuterie, including prosciutto, mortadella and salami comes from a local supplier in Daylesford. As well as organic French-style cheese from L’Artisan Cheese, Persian-style fetta from Yarra Valley Dairy, tomatoes from Bacchus Marsh, clover-fed Angus beef from O’Connors Farms in Pakenham or Birchley free-range pork belly from near Mt Mercer, every ingredient has a story to tell. And the same goes for seafood! Port Phillip Bay provides an abundance of mussels, snapper and scallops throughout the season while blue swimmer crab comes from Westernport Bay, bluefin tuna from Portland, pippies from Venus Bay and Hiramasa kingfish from Port Fairy. It’s not just edible produce that has a Victorian focus at Melba Restaurant. The popular dining venue’s wine list shines a light on local Victorian wine and local mineral water from Hepburn Springs. Melba Restaurant is open every day for breakfast (from $49.00 per person), lunch (from $67.00 per person) and dinner (from $97.00 per person). Children under the age of three dine for free, seniors enjoy a discount and children aged between four and 12 dine for half the price making Melba Restaurant an ideal choice for families. Breakfast includes juices made-to-order, eggs made-to-order, fruit, pastries, Asian dishes, yogurt, waffles and more. Lunch and dinner includes a crustacean bar, a sushi and sashimi station, an antipasto table, roast dishes, Indian curries, dumplings, stir-fries, steaks and pasta dishes all made to order from Melba Restaurant’s grill and wok section plus incredible Indian dishes and more. And there’s a chocolate fountain, dessert showcase, ice cream and plenty of Victorian cheese! Melba is ideal for groups and can cater for up to 240 guests at a time. The restaurant is popular for families as there is always something for everyone, even the fussiest of eaters. Bookings can be made by visiting melbarestaurant.com.au, contacting [email protected] or by calling 1800 641 107. @melbarestaurant #MelbaHarvest @langhammelbourne