<strong>GOOSE MAKES A TRIUMPHANT DEBUT AT BECKETT’S THIS DECEMBER</strong>

Town & Country’ Dinner with U Goose Farm’s award-winning free-range goose and guest farmers Lucy & Herb Mackenzie

Glebe’s beautiful Beckett’s, is celebrating a festive-favourite from yester-year this December; goose. This prized game bird, once used for the greatest of celebrations and written about in many a classic tale is debuting at Beckett’s for a month-long moment in the spotlight, along with a few other Yule-time surprises.

Once a firm menu favourite a hundred years ago, the goose somehow lost its seat at the Christmas table with meats like turkey and ham becoming far more common, until now! This December, Chef Jeff Schroeter will be putting his skills to the test with this elaborate luxe bird, and for his final Clubhouse event of the year, will be serving up a magnificent 4-course menu with matching wine guaranteed to bring all the decadent festive-feels.

This dinner – a blend of both Beckett’s Town & Country Series and Theatre Vignettes – is a modern twist on the grand dinners of the late 18th Century, the most famous of which, as any literary buff knows, is Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. The enacted story takes up with characters: Ebenezer Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas ‘present’. They are watching Scrooge’s employee Bob Cratchit sit down to Christmas dinner. With this in mind, playwright-director Wendy Beckett (recently returned to Australia following the debut of her new play Sappho in Greece) has asked three well-known actors to bring to life a ‘collage’ of Dickens’ tale. This will include: ‘the goose’, delicacies at Christmas, as well as, the three ghosts of A Christmas Carol. Their spirits of the past, present, and future will haunt the literary dinner table in Beckett’s downstairs cellar.

Dickens’ ghosts for the evening will be played by actors: Sandie Eldridge (Last Cab to Darwin), Patrick Dickson, who has worked extensively in theatre, radio, TV and film, and Irish actor-director Maeliosa Stafford (a four-time nominee for Broadway’s Tony Award and actor in the Olivier Award winning West End production of The Lonesome West). These actors will perform a twenty-five-minute vignette of this literary classic as an intermission to Chef Jeff’s decadent meal with all the trimmings.

Jeff, who continues his passion for showcasing exceptional regional produce, says this month’s event will be a night to truly appreciate and revive the status of this much respected game staple - in all its glory.

He says, “The star of the show this festive season at Beckett’s will be goose, specifically the award-winning, free-range Emden x Toulouse goose from U Goose Farm in Middle Tarwin, Victoria. Goose has been overlooked for decades so we decided why not bring it back, play with it, and let people discover the delicious difference to turkey and duck. Goose is an exceptional game bird that’s incredibly versatile with spectacular flavours, and the prized goose fat is liquid gold. Goose may just turn out to be the ‘new duck’”.

“We’re excited to welcome U Goose Farm owners Lucy and Herb Mackenzie as co-host of this Town & Country dinner. We’re planning for cherry soup and lobster mousse made in antique Victorian era lobster-shaped moulds. We want to revive long lost culinary traditions for this ‘one-night-only’ festive feast.”

An ode to the likes of Soho House, co-owners Wendy Beckett and Chef Jeff Schroeter continue their avant-garde clubhouse events, served in the spectacular sandstone wine cellar (designed by Wendy Beckett’s set designer, Halcyon Pratt) with matched wines (non-alcoholic available) selected by Beckett’s talented Sommelier.

This is the fourth event in Beckett’s ‘Town & Country’ culinary series, which aims to showcase the best of regional Australian produce.

WHAT: A Very Literary Christmas WHEN: Thursday 15th of December WHERE: Beckett’sPrivate Wine Cellar, 134a Glebe Point Road, Glebe WHO: Hosted byChef Jeff Schroeter, Co-owner Wendy Beckett, U Goose Farm owners Lucy and Herb Mackenzie, with actors Sandie Eldridge, Patrick Dickson and Maeliosa Stafford performing a 25-minute ‘collage’ of Dickens’ classics. TIME: 6 – 10pm TO BOOK: https://www.beckettsbardining.com.au/whats-on/town-and-country-december-festive-feast-with-goose

Image caption: Master Stock Confit Goose Leg ‘Tartare’ Image credit: David Li Photography