Battle of the Tasman Degustation glass brasserie Sydney

Australia Sydney 17th October 2011

Indulge in a decadent degustation with world-renowned chefs Luke Mangan and Peter Thornley at glass brasserie, Hilton Sydney. Joining together for the very first time in a unique culinary showdown, “Battle of the Tasman” will showcase the best ingredients that Australia and New Zealand has to offer with an explosive, one-night-only menu!

WHAT: Battle of the Tasman Degustation
WHO: Luke Mangan (AU), Joe Pavlovich (AU), Peter Thornley (NZ), Brian Campbell (NZ)
WHEN: Monday 17 October, 2011, 6pm
WHERE: glass brasserie, Hilton Sydney, 488 George Street, Sydney, 2000
COST: $129 per person
INFO/BOOK: T: + 61 2 9265 6068 / E: eat@glassbrasserie.com.au / w: www.glassbrasserie.com.au

Each guest will sample exceptional dishes incorporating key ingredients from both sides of the Tasman, as picked by both chefs. Each course will be matched with either New Zealand or Australian wines to complete the experience.

Kicking off the battle for Australia is Luke Mangan, one of Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs who will be joined by the highly acclaimed Joe Pavlovich, Luke’s executive chef and glass brasserie head chef. Battle of the Tasman will see the Australian duo ignite Luke’s philosophy to source the finest and freshest local and Australian ingredients and showcase with a clean and contemporary twist.

Battling it out for New Zealand and flying in especially for the evening, will be one of New Zealand’s most acclaimed and well-known chefs, Peter Thornley and his long-time pastry chef, Brian Campbell. Peter heads up Hilton Queenstown’s signature lakefront restaurant, Wakatipu Grill and together, the dynamic duo will showcase contemporary and pioneering New Zealand cuisine that’s finely styled and takes fresh, local ingredients to create unforgettable flavours.

All four chefs will be joined by glass brasserie’s head sommelier and multiple wine award winner Kim Bickley, who will carefully select wines from each country to complement the key ingredients from each course in the degustation. This battle is not to be missed!

The Chefs:

Luke Mangan
Luke Mangan is one of Australia’s leading chefs and restaurateurs and is highly regarded internationally as a shining example of Australia’s culinary culture.

Luke currently owns and operates glass brasserie at the Hilton Sydney; The Palace by Luke Mangan, South Melbourne; Salt & the adjoining World Wine Bar, Tokyo; Salt grill, Singapore; and Salt grill onboard three P&O’s cruise liners. He is also the consulting chef for Virgin Australia.

While Luke’s restaurants range from gastropubs to fine dining establishments, they share the common thread of Luke’s cooking philosophy – which is to source the finest and freshest local and Australian ingredients and showcase them with a clean and contemporary twist. Luke is renowned for his unexpected creations, which highlight his French classical training and Asian influences, married with simple, fresh, clean flavours. Luke’s cooking aims to enhance and accentuate, rather than mask, the natural taste of the ingredients.

Further testaments to Luke’s excellence are the requests he has received to cook for, including former U.S. President Bill Clinton, Richard Branson, Tom Cruise and at the wedding of Danish Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary.

Joe Pavlovich
Joe Pavlovich has a wealth of experience in the kitchen. His skills and passion have led him to prepare meals all over the world for the likes of Kylie Minogue, Cate Blanchett, Jessica and Ashley Simpson, Sam Neill, Jamie Oliver, Eddie Maguire and Princess Mary.

Joe has worked in both New Zealand and Australia and it was in 2001 when his relationship with Luke first flourished, joining Luke Mangan’s Bistro LuLu as Sous Chef. In January he 2003 became Head Chef and successfully ran the acclaimed kitchen until April 2005.

Joe is Executive Chef of the Luke Mangan group over sees glass brasserie as well as Luke’s international restaurants. Joe continues to be an integral component of the ongoing success of glass at Hilton Sydney. Joe has been working with Luke Mangan for ten years and continues to be in high demand as one of Australia’s leading and most sought after chefs.

Peter Thornley
One of New Zealand’s most acclaimed chefs, Peter Thornley heads up Hilton Queenstown’s signature restaurant Wakatipu Grill. He has led landmark restaurants across New Zealand and the world showing that his style and flair for New Zealand cuisine is innovative and finely styled. The recipient of many national and international awards, Thornley is a familiar magazine, TV and radio personality in New Zealand.

With both a local and an international reputation, Peter Thornley is a multi-award winner and his food continues to receive critical acclaim worldwide.

Brian Campbell
Brian’s culinary journey began in the highlands of Scotland and developed to work at some of the finest, Michelin stared restaurants in the UK and Spain with a host of acclaimed chefs.

Brian moved to New Zealand to work in one of Auckland’s finest restaurants, The French cafe as pastry chef, before spending the winter season in Queenstown. It was after this first that he joined Peter Thornley in the kitchen, honing in on his flair for desserts creating cutting edge desserts as well as classics.

Finding Queenstown and the Otago region very similar to Scotland, Brian landed a dream role as Pastry Chef at Hilton Queenstown’s signature restaurant Wakatipu Grill, giving him the chance to work with Peter Thornley once again to showcase New Zealand cuisine at its very best, together.

Kim Bickley
In a world traditionally dominated by men, Kim Bickley, head Sommelier at Hilton Sydney’s glass brasserie, doesn’t just hold her own – she sets the standard.

Flying high from winning “Best List of Wines by the Glass” in this year’s Australian Wine List of the Year Awards 2011, Kim is a star Sommelier who is shining brighter than ever. A CMS Certified Sommelier who finished in the top eleven students in Australia to be certified by the Court of Master Sommeliers in 2008, Kim is a jewel in the Hilton Sydney crown.

Kim’s glass wine bar, a winner of multiple awards, boasts a spectacular 10,000 bottle cellar spanning the entire length of the restaurant. Glass Brasserie has one of Australia’s most prestigious wine lists and showcases an extensive selection of Australian and imported wine.