Guyra townsfolk mingled with politicians, TV stars, and other dignitaries over a seven-course gourmet lunch at the old Guyra Railway Station on Saturday.
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“Everyone was talking and laughing and eating,” Passion on the Platform organiser Fiona Smith said.
“We had absolutely perfect weather for it. It was really good – a heap of friends got together.”
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One hundred people caught the train from the Big Lamb to the railway platform.
There, they dined on local produce, including Thai goose cakes, Punjabi lamb curry, slow-cooked goat, ocean trout, and beef brisket.
Goose was supplied by U Goose, eggs by Working with Nature, trout by Deano’s Springwater Smoked Trout, wagyu beef by Trent Bridge and Door Key, tomatoes by Blush Tomatoes, and goat by Ban Wyong.
The guests included Northern Tablelands Member Adam Marshall MP; Armidale Regional Council Mayor Simon Murray; Guyra Shire Council’s last mayor Hans Hietbrink and his wife Chris; Liberal politician Scot MacDonald MLC and his wife Aileen; Armidale Regional Council Chief Executive Officer Susan Law; and Councillor Brad Widders.
Breakfast program Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage attended, looking, locals said, absolutely gorgeous.
Toppers Mountain Wines served five unique varieties, and local blues band Crooked Tree provided the entertainment.
Tickets sold like hotcakes – one of the few things not on the menu. Two and a half weeks before the event, places had been sold out.
“It was a lovely afternoon – good food, good wine, good company!” Aileen MacDonald said.
The luncheon raised funds for the Guyra and District Antique Machinery Group.
“They opened their doors up for us, and so we paid them a venue fee,” Mrs Smith said. “It helped them maintain the railway station.”
The Guyra & District Chamber of Commerce, the Armidale Regional Council, the Armidale Guyra Business Alliance, and Guyra on a Plate also all supported the event.
Mrs Smith thanked them for their help.
Full steam ahead, then, for next year!