Bread wonderful bread, an anathema to Chaîne events normally but tonight was special. Bread was essential! The venue, Bread in Common, is situated within an 1898 heritage listed building boasting two large wood-fired bread ovens.

Forty members and guests gathered for a specially-prepared winter menu created by Head Chef Chris Eales. The restaurant’s loft where we dined was reserved for us. Guests came in jeans and jumpers of many colours and styles adding flavour and atmosphere to the evening.

After a welcoming glass of Marchand and Burch sparkling wine from Burgundy, two types of freshly-baked bread straight from the wood-fired ovens were served with oven-smoked butter.

Bailli Thurston Saulsman greeted everyone explaining the nature of the casual evening ahead. In doing so he introduced our guest of honour, Chargée de Missions Lilian Khaw from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Tantalising appetizers, scallop with lemon and taro, salmon mousse with roe and squid ink and slow cooked crumbed pork were accompanied by a fresh, delightful Millbrook Vermentino from Geographe Bay region south west of Perth near Margaret River.

Freshly-prepared whiting followed, quite the best whiting I have personally encountered!  A Western Australian wine, Lillian Marsanne/Rousanne from the Tall Timbers Pemberton region, beautifully paired the fish.

Beef sirloin was accompanied by the most perfectly prepared roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic cauliflower and exquisitely tasteful miso beetroot cooked in coals. A Western Australian Pinot Noir, this time from Denmark on the southern shores of our state was a perfect partner.

Dessert of white chocolate with roasted quince, cider and yogurt was the sublime finish. Especially when accompanied by yet another Western Australian Castle Rock Estate Muscat from the Porogorup region in the Southern Hills region of our extensive state.

Overwhelming appreciation followed to recognise another eclectic event. Members lingered forgetting that this was a weekday with duties and commitments looming the following morning. Nevertheless everyone had clearly enjoyed our first jeans and jumper event.

Keith Swailes
Vice-Chargé de Presse