everAFTER, Mr Theodore and Bursaria Catering hosted an evening on winters shortest day of the year, in the hauntingly beautiful Abbotsford Convent with some of the best in the wedding industry. 

PHOTOGRAPHY Bianca Virtue 

VENUE & CATERING Bursaria Catering at Abbotsford Convent Mural Hall

STYLING Ruby & James

Ruby & James created sophistication and warmth to the room with the use of scattered candlelight held within votives from The Small Things Co. Stunning white floral filled with whisping ivy and foliage that draped entrances, cocktail bar and signage. "We wanted guests to feel like they were entering a magical winters event," said Jess from Ruby & James.

BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE AND ARTWORK WERE USED AS BACKDROPS IN THE STYLING OF THE ROOM.

HISTORY LESSON

The Abbotsford Convent itself has such a diverse history, from a meeting point for the Wurundjeri and Kulin Nation people, to a convent housing over 1,000 women and children, to a university, to the largest multi-practice creative precinct in Australia . 

The Convent building was where most of the Sisters, nuns-in-training and women commencing life as nuns lived. The Mural Hall was the western corridor of the building where nuns passed from one area to another. The mural was painted by the nuns and depicts the Calvary.

Lavishly decorated fire places in the are rendered in an art form known as pokerwork and when you visit, look closely at the timber as the some of the window frames and doors has been stained by the nuns to take on the appearance of wood grain. All is not what it seems.

Bursaria Fine Foods have been catering for weddings and a events at the Abbotsford Convent for over 7 years and have been actively working with the Convents Foundation to activate new and exciting creative spaces. The precinct and its venue spaces have grown and last year, the Abbotsford Convent joined iconic landmarks including Sydney Opera House and Royal Exhibition Building in receiving one of Australia’s highest level of heritage recognition to become the 111th site added to the National Heritage List.

menu

On Arrival Canapés and Spiced Mulled Wine

Beetroot cured ocean trout, blini, pickled shallot, horseradish crème fraiche and dill

Chicken liver parfait, toasted brioche, balsamic pearls and caramelised red onion

Seared scallop, cauliflower puree, pancetta, brioche crumb and lemon butter

Baby fillet mignon, wrapped in prosciutto, red onion jam and seeded mustard

Main course

Baked ocean trout with Middle Eastern spices, tahini yoghurt, mint, coriander and walnut salsa and snowpea tendrils (gf)

Roast eye fillet beef, chargrilled artichoke, roasted garlic, horseradish cream and watercress (gf)

Sides

Thyme roasted heirloom carrots, crumbled sheep’s milk feta and fresh herbs

Charred corn, baby corn spears, bulgur, polenta crisps,
buttermilk dressing and chives

Seasonal roast Winter vegetables; pumpkin,
sweet potato, parsnip, swede and beetroot

Served with artisan bread rolls and butter

Roving Desert

Rhubarb, raspberry and rosewater custard tartlet with crumble topping

Cardamom and brown sugar meringue, orange and
 vanilla mascarpone and spiced cherries

Vanilla bean crème brulée
Salted caramel profiteroles, coated in milk chocolate and cacao nib praline

At the bar 

2017 Shadowfax Macedon Ranges Chardonnay

2015 Shadowfax Shiraz

Homemade lemonade

TABLEWARE Table for Louis

WINES Shadowfax Wines

LINEN Table Art Event Hire

FURNITURE Dann Event Hire

STATIONERY KG Creative Co

PRINT CJM Graphics

MUSIC Four Seasons String Quartet

LIGHTING Select AV Audio Visual Systems

STYLING ITEMS The Small Things Co
Green Event Melbourne

MC Rita Cohann

RECIPE MULLED WINE

We added an element of warmth to a chilly night with Bursaria Catering serving Mulled Wine to guests on arrival. Served in stunning Waterford glassware, no one just stopped at one! We share this beautiful recipe to enjoy for yourselves.

INGREDIENTS 

2 x orange

1 x lemon

1 x lime

200g caster sugar

6 x whole cloves

1 x cinnamon stick

3 x fresh bay leaves

1 x whole nutmeg, for grating

1 x vanilla pod

2 x star anise

2 x Bottles Red wine

Use a speed-peeler to shave large sections of peel from the orange, lemon and lime.

Put the sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the pieces of peel and squeeze in the clementine juice. Add the cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaves and about 10 to 12 gratings of nutmeg. Halve the vanilla pod lengthways and add to the pan, then stir in just enough red wine to cover the sugar.

Let this simmer until the sugar has completely dissolved into the red wine, then bring to the boil.

Keep the mix on a rolling boil for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until you’ve got a beautiful thick syrup.

It’s important to make a syrup base first because the sugar and spices need to get quite hot, but if you heat them this high once you’ve added the wine, you’ll burn off the alcohol.

When your syrup is ready, turn the heat down to low and add your star anise and the rest of the wine. 

Gently heat the wine, and after around 5 minutes, when it’s warm and delicious, ladle it into heatproof glasses and serve.