Evening of art returns

THE Great Takeaway will return for a third year this May to showcase local creatives and produce.

The dining event will see 60 guests have a three-course meal and leave with their handcrafted place setting which is valued at more than $400.

Eight local artisans have created six distinctly styled tables and dining sets with dinner plates, side plates, wine and water glasses and cutlery.

“This event creates something truly exceptional,” Angela D’Alton, Craft Lab curator said.

“Each handcrafted piece begins its journey in the hands of our artisans, before being presented, used and enjoyed by the diners and then taken home — with the experience being immortalised through collectable, functional art within their daily lives.”

A three-course menu has been designed for each table by chefs Douglas Kerr and Dan Tesoriero of Peasant Ballarat which responds to the different tableware aesthetics.

Through a collaboration with UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Bendigo, the menu includes regional ingredients such as Husk and Harvest walnuts, Bridgeward Grove olives and indigenous flavours from Dja-Wonmuruk bush tea.

“The way light plays through handblown glass can have a transformative effect on the dining experience,” Nick Doran Adams, a commissioned glass artist said.

“I create pieces that hold memories – whether from childhood inspirations or landscapes – and now these vessels will continue collecting new memories in the diners’ homes.”

The dinner will be held in the Ballarat Mining Exchange among the Craft Lab 2025 exhibition which highlights local makers, artisans and artists.

The Great Takeway will be on Thursday 22 May and cost $295 per person. To book a ticket, visit the Creative City website.