CELEBRITIES dined with tourists and locals at the second annual Bowral Long Lunch.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In 2013, 232 diners raised $50,000 for the BDCU Children's Foundation, which largely funded the hiring of Kim Millard as the registered nurse for child and adolescent mental health liaison at Bowral and District Hospital.
This year, 237 people from across NSW and the ACT, including Gai Waterhouse, Tim Storrier and Geoff Jansz, came together with the BDCU Children's Foundation and the Rotary Club of Berrima District to raise at least $56,000.
Berrima District Credit Union CEO and former president of the Rotary Club of Berrima District Jan Edwards said the crowd was very generous.
"We had a better return than last year," she said.
"We have a rough estimate of $56,000 raised which will go a very good part of the way towards funding the nurse for another year.
"People put big bids on the silent auction and bought lots of raffle tickets."
One of the biggest items on the silent auction, a week in a villa in Spoleto in Umbria, Italy, for six people, went for $5800.
"We've had more interest from people this year and we expect the event to go from strength-to-strength," Ms Edwards said.
Ms Edwards said feedback from the diners was that the meals were great.
The lunch was a combination of dishes from four local restaurants and one butcher compiled under the guidance of head chef Robin Murray from Centennial Vineyards.
The entree was a twice baked zucchini, feta and chicken souffl with a celery and apple walnut compote, which was plated to represent the number 10.
"The entree is plated as the number 10 as a celebration of 10 years at Centennial Vineyards," Mr Murray said.
All of the food consumed was generously donated from local businesses, which included a whole cow from Cootamundra, which was used for the main course, Breaking down the beast.
"We got a whole cow and to utilise it fully we discussed that we had 'x' amount of cuts and designed a menu around that," Mr Murray said.
"We minced, diced, chopped, stripped and roasted and that's all showcased.
"We even used the bones for gravy and the suet from the kidneys to make the pastry for the pie."