SET THE SCENE

STYLE

“It’s always very casual and a lot of the time just standing up and eating, not a formal sit-down,” says Hemmes. “Very often it’s just standing around the kitchen table or out in the garden. You have to have a beautiful setting; it has to be aesthetically beautiful and appealing to the eye.”

GUESTS

Jordan Toft of Bert’s and the hotly anticipated middle level at Coogee Pavilion (“It’s going to be fabulous… something really special for the group”); Dan Hong of Mr Wong and Ms. G’s; group bars manager Sam Egerton; group sommelier Franck Moreau; Danielle Alvarez of Fred’s; head of guest relations Cat Picker; GM at Hotel Centennial Megan Sullivan; Paddington precinct GM Julie Davaine; Ms. G’s and The Fish Shop bar manager Natasha Capol; Uccello head sommelier Daniella Lauricella; chief food and beverage officer Frank Roberts; and Hemmesphere and Sushi E assistant venue manager Chiara Esber.

PLAYLIST

“I have Sade on at the moment. I feel like you just put it together, but actually a lot of thought goes into it! Everyone is so good now with Spotify and things, you can actually palm it off. You can give people a try and tell them to do their best!”

DRINKS

“I think drinks have to reflect the weather and the time of day. Often it’ll be some sort of refreshing cocktail and a great selection of wines. But it depends on the occasion; it might just be some great beers. I think it should just flflow naturally.”